Federal and State Juvenile Solitary Confinement Bills Recently, legislation to reform the incarceration of juveniles has been making its way through both the state and the federal legislatures. A bill has passed the California State Senate that would limit the use of solitary confinement for youths incarcerated in state and local juvenile facilities. Additionally, the […]
Understanding the Differences Between Sting Operations and Entrapment If you have ever seen a television show like Undercover Stings or To Catch a Predator, you may have wondered about the legality of such operations. In the show To Catch a Predator, for example, adults pretend to be teenagers or children online in order to lure […]
Do Juvenile Criminal Defendants Have the Same Constitutional Rights as Adults? Before the 1960s, juvenile criminal defendants had almost no rights when it came to due process and the law. In recent decades, courts have increased the rights juveniles’ have when accused of a crime. While minors whose cases are handled in juvenile court are […]
How to Handle False Accusations of Child Abuse Many people consider child abuse to be one of the most heinous crimes a person can commit. Of course, not everyone who is accused of abusing a child is actually guilty of this act. Unfortunately, vengeful ex-spouses, boyfriends or girlfriends, and others may accuse a person of […]
Possession of Prescription Drugs Charges in California For many, the use of prescription pain medication can mean the difference between living in excruciating pain and living a relatively normal life. However, there are also serious concerns about the illegal use of such medication. The number of Americans who died from drug overdoses has doubled in […]
What You Should Know About Your Miranda Rights You may know that you have the right to remain silent if you are ever arrested, but do you know what you have that right or why you were reminded about it? If you are not sure, you are not alone. There are many misunderstandings and misconceptions […]
What to Do If You Have Been Falsely Accused of Assault Charges The law exists to protect people. Unfortunately, sometimes individuals misuse the legal system in order to ruin someone’s life through false allegations. If you have been falsely accused of assault and/or battery in California, you may be completely unsure of what to do […]
Defending Against Drug Possession Charges in California California state law makes it illegal to knowingly possess, manufacture, or deliver certain controlled substances. California recognizes two separate crimes resulting from the illegal possession of a controlled substance: Possession of a controlled substance or analog; and possession with intent to sell, manufacture, or deliver. If you or […]
Minors Who Get into Fights Can Be Charged with Assault and Battery Many adults have memories of fighting with siblings or friends as a child or teenager. However, when schoolyard wrestling escalates into an injury-causing physical altercation, the consequences can be severe. California law considers anyone under the age of 18 a minor, but minors […]
Men Can Be Victimized By Domestic Violence Too When you think about domestic violence, what do you do picture? Does your mind create images of a large, athletic man physically abusing his wife or girlfriend—a woman who appears to be smaller than weaker than he is? If you are like most people, this is probably […]