Parental Kidnapping Takes Bizarre Turn
A parental kidnapping crime took a bizarre turn of events last week when Los Angeles homicide detectives travelled to Boston to interview Clark Rockefeller about the 1985 disappearance of a San Marino couple. They called Rockefeller a “person of interest” in the 20-year-old missing persons case. Rockefeller was arrested by police and arraigned in Boston for […]
Domestic Abuse: How to Cope with Charges and Consequences
There are crimes in Los Angeles that tend to favor one gender over the other, and charges/accusations of domestic abuse tend to fall into that category.
Assault and battery against anyone is a crime, but the law gives special protection to spouses, girlfriends and boyfriends, children and other family members, who are seen as especially vulnerable […]
Animal Abuse, Domestic Violence Cases Linked
There is a link between domestic violence and animal abuse cases say legal experts. In southern Ohio, Butler County Prosecutor Robin Piper has formed a new unit that places felony domestic violence cases and animal cruelty cases under the same assistant prosecutor. Like many prosecutors nationwide, Piper has found a distinct link between domestic violence […]
Oldest Parental Kidnapping Case Finally Resolved
The oldest parental kidnapping case in the country was finally resolved a year ago. In 1993, Mary Jane Byrd fled with her 4-year-old daughter shortly after a Washington D.C. judge ordered that the girl’s father be allowed visitation rights. The father, Charles Dodd, was subsequently awarded full custody of his daughter, but it took U.S. […]
Domestic Violence Carries Stiff Penalties
It wasn’t that long ago that our country looked the other way in matters of spousal abuse and domestic violence. Today, numerous laws have been enacted to protect the rights of wives and husbands from being abused by their spouses. Domestic violence is considered a unique crime in California that carries severe consequences for those […]
Gay Marriage Ruling: How Will It Impact Criminal Law
Recently, the California Supreme Court ruled that denying marriage to same-sex couples was against the constitution of the State of California, thus legalizing gay marriage throughout the state (at least for now). While this will have great repercussions on the law in general, especially civil law, there are a great many areas in criminal law […]
New Law Will Help Rape Victims
Rape victims are finally catching a break. A new federal mandate that goes into effect in 2009 will allow rape victims to undergo a forensic rape exam in a local emergency room without going to the police. The evidence will be sealed and kept on file in case they decide to press charges. Many rape […]
Assembly Considers Tougher Penalties for Child Abuse
A 16-year-old Fresno County girl was arrested today for child abuse. Her severely injured 4-month-old step-sister was rushed to Children’s Hospital of Central California with multiple broken bones and head injuries. A 22-year-old Redding father was charged with cruelty to a child likely to cause great bodily injury. His 4-week-old daughter is recovering from bleeding […]
Domestic Violence: What Happens When Tempers Flair
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, a woman is beaten every 15 seconds and domestic violence is the leading cause of injury for women between the ages of 15 and 44. However, it isn’t just women who are affected by this travesty, sixty-three percent of the young men between the ages of 11 […]
The City of Lights and the Darkness of Domestic Violence
LA just witnessed one of the worst instances of domestic violence and an abuse of the rules set in place to protect victims. Domestic violence is a very real situation, and at times the law is powerless to assist the victims. Restraining orders can be given by the courts, but as one […]
keep looking »