California Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

Megan Marie Roy posed as a phony midwife and tried to deliver a baby that was stillborn. She met the woman through a real midwife who could not help the pregnant woman so Roy offered her services. A Santa Ana court charged her with fraud for the unauthorized practice of medicine. She was sentenced to 3 years of probation and 400 hours of community service and was also ordered to pay $2,000 to St. Jude's Research Hospital.

Fraud is the intentional deception of another, made for personal gain. There are many types of fraud that one can get charged with, including: Medical, Insurance, Credit Card, and Accounting fraud. For the type of fraud that Roy committed, she is lucky she did not receive any prison time. If she had caused any harm to the woman or the baby, she would receive a long prison sentence. Whether you live in Buena Park, Cypress or Cerritos, if you are charged with fraud, call an experienced defense attorney to assist you with your legal matters.

Continue reading " Ventura Woman Charged For Acting as Midwife " »

In 1991, the Dugard's moved from Orange County to Lake Tahoe to escape crime. Jaycee Lee Dugard was kidnapped in front of her step-father's eyes just weeks after moving to Tahoe. The Dugard's thought that Jaycee had been killed since they had not heard anything about her in 18 years.

This week, Phillip Garrido went on the Berkeley campus with his two daughters to speak about his religious beliefs when security thought he looked suspicious. After doing a background search they found out he was a paroled rapist. Garrido's parole officer did not even know he had kids and once the parole officer spoke with Garrido, Gariddo confessed to having kidnapped Jaycee 18 years ago and fathering two children with her.

After searching the Garrido home, it was discovered that Jaycee and her two children, 15 and 11, were living in the backyard. The car used for the abduction was also in the backyard. In the home was Phillip's wife, Nancy, who was immediately arrested.

It is likely that Phillip will be charged with kidnapping and rape and Nancy will be charged with aiding and abetting. Knowing that her husband kidnapped and raped a young girl and not doing anything about it is a crime. Whether you live in Santa Ana, Newport Beach or Yorba Linda, if you get charged with kidnapping or rape, you will need an experienced defense attorney to assist you right away.

Continue reading " Former Orange County Resident Returned Home After 18 Years " »

Earlier this week in Laguna Beach, a jewelry store was robbed by three men. They took about $600,000 worth of jewelry. Two witnesses called the police after witnessing the robbery. When police arrived, the suspects had already left in a white Ford Fusion. A while later, an officer driving in Aliso Viejo saw the car and pursued the suspects. The three men jumped out of the car and ran into a parking structure. Officers surrounded the structure and looked for the three suspects for three hours, but it is believed that the suspects escaped through a drainage ditch. The white Fusion that was left by the suspects was searched and some of the jewelry was found.

The jewelry store had surveillance cameras so it should be just a matter of days until the robbers are caught. Once these robbers are caught, they will be charged with robbery and evading arrest. A robbery counts as a strike on your record and once someone gets three strikes, they spend their life in prison. These suspects will need a good criminal defense attorney to defend them in this case.

Continue reading " Laguna Beach Jewelry Store Robbed of $600,000 in Jewels " »

In 2006, Gideon Walter Omondi walked into a Fullerton police station and told officers that he drowned his son in a bath tub. Officers rushed to Omondi's house and found the 4-year-old's body lying on his father's bed. He was in the middle of a bitter custody battle with his ex-wife and claimed he went crazy. Nine months prior to the murder, Omondi allegedly tried to kill his son by dousing his car with gasoline and putting himself and his son in the car. Police arrived before Omondi could light the car on fire.

Omondi was indicted on charges of murder and attempted murder for the two incidents. He pled not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity. His trial starts this week and is expected to take about 15 days. If the jury finds him guilty, they have to then decide if he is insane. Most people may not know it, but pleading insane does not free you from criminal liability. Being found insane is a legal, not medical, term that means that a person should be locked up in a mental institution because they are a harm to themselves or others. The time they will be in the institution for is roughly the amount of time they would have to spend in prison if they were guilty.

Whether you live in Brea, San Juan Capistrano or Laguna Beach, if you are charged with murder, you will need an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to defend you in court.

Continue reading " Fullerton Man Accused of Drowning His 4-Year-Old Son " »

Rodrigo Everado Preciado, calling himself Hector, introduced himself to Jeremy Ho at a gas station in June. They hit it off and became fast friends. Preciado and Ho decided to meet in Westminster to go get drinks with some of Preciado's friends. When Ho met Preciado up, Rodrigo pulled a gun on him and told him to get out of the car. Ho's wallet, jewelry, car keys, car and cell phone were stolen and he was told not to call the police or he would be killed. Preciado and his friends tried to use Ho's credit card at Walgreens in Fullerton and were eventually caught. Preciado is charged with carjacking, robbery and criminal threats.

Carjacking is the taking of someone's car that is accomplished through fear or force. For that charge alone, Preciado could face up to 9 years in state prison. Besides the carjacking, Preciado also stole from Ho and will face additional prison time for that.

Whether you live in Mission Viejo, Santa Ana or Huntington Beach, if you are charged with carjacking, you will need an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to assist you.

Continue reading " Westminster Man Carjacks His New Friend's BMW " »

Jorge Velasquez Fernandez, Luis Rico Humberto, Ignacio Fernandez Mendez, Gabino Rodriguez Perez and Marco Antonio Mendoza will all be arraigned on Thursday in Fullerton for the alleged theft of over 50 Toyota Tacomas in Orange and Los Angeles County. These 5 men, who are residents of Anaheim and Orange, had an auto theft ring which involved stealing the trucks from Los Angeles County, changing license plates and forging new titles and then selling them to unsuspecting Orange County buyers for $5,000-$10,000. After the men were caught, some of the cars were recovered and returned to their rightful owners if the insurance company had not already compensated them.

In 2008, there was a 19% drop in auto thefts in Orange County compared to 2007. In California, the rate dropped about 12% to about 199,766 cars with an estimated value of around 1 billion dollars. About 87% of the cars were found and returned.

These 5 men will likely be charged with receiving stolen property, unlawful taking of a vehicle and grand theft. They will need experienced defense attorneys to assist them in reducing their charges and their sentences.

Continue reading " 5 Orange County Men Charged With Over 50 Car Thefts " »

Daniel Blas Flores was arrested last week for the alleged rape of a 7-year-old autistic girl. She was playing in the backyard of her apartment complex when, allegedly, Flores abducted the girl and took her to a neighboring apartment where she was assaulted, sodomized and raped. After she was assaulted, she was released and her parents called 911 immediately. Police found Flores, 27, hiding in his apartment and arrested him immediately.

Flores will likely be charged with assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping and rape. Since he raped a child with disabilities, this will likely be a factor that may affect and enhance sentencing. Flores will likely be facing serious jail time. He will need an experienced defense attorney to assist him with his case. Whether you live in Garden Grove, Buena Park or San Clemente, rape is a serious accusation and you will need an experienced attorney to be on your side.

Continue reading " Huntington Beach Man Accused of Raping Autistic Girl " »

Manuel Gonzalez Melgoza was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for the execution-style murder of Israel Quiros. Melgoza worked at a landscaping company in 2006. He then got demoted and ultimately fired. Quiros was hired to replace Melgoza and he was so upset that he shot Quiros in the shoulder twice and then put the gun to the back of Quiros' head and fired.

The defense argued that Quiros was actually following and harassing Melgoza so Melgoza shot Quiros in self defense. The jury found Melgoza guilty though, for first degree murder with a sentencing enhancement for using a gun.

This is a horrific crime and is not a way to solve jealousy issues, however, these days, jobs are very hard to come by and it is likely that Melgoza was upset with the loss of his job and unpaid bills and felt that this was a way to get back at the company.

If you are charged with a murder in Orange County, Los Angeles County or Riverside County, call an experienced California defense attorney to assist you with your case.

Continue reading " Disgruntled Santa Ana Worker Convicted of Execution-Style Murder " »

On Wednesday at a T.J. Maxx store in Brea, Steven Eugene Roman was arrested for taking pictures up the skirt of a 51-year-old woman. The store security guard recognized Roman as someone who had come into the store a few days back and thought he looked suspicious. He then realized he recognized Roman from the security video from a few days prior when another up-skirt photo was taken. The guard saw Roman put a camera under a woman's skirt and quickly called police. When police came and looked through Roman's pictures, they realized that he had several pictures of a similar nature. He was arrested and then released.

If Roman is charged, he will likely be charged for some sort of sex crime and disorderly conduct. Taking a picture of a person in public is allowed. Taking a picture up someone's skirt is clearly NOT allowed. Whether you live in Lake Forest, Fountain Valley or Anaheim Hills, sex crimes are illegal and will stay on your record forever. If you get charged with a sex crime, call an experienced defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Placentia Man Arrested For Taking Pictures Up Women's Skirts " »

Last week in Buena Park, the body of a missing woman was found stuffed in a suitcase in a trash bin. The body was later identified as that of a swimsuit model named Jasmine Fiore. The woman's neck was strangled and she was missing teeth and fingers. A suspect from the beginning of the investigation was her husband, Ryan Alexander Jenkins. Jenkins, a former reality TV star, went missing soon after the body was found. Police think he is hiding in his hometown in Canada.

Jenkins and Fiore met in Vegas earlier this year and only knew each other for a few days before deciding to get married. Their relationship was rocky however. Jenkins was arrested in April for allegedly hitting Fiore. He was charged with domestic violence.

Even though it seems that Jenkins would be the most likely suspect, a good defense attorney would properly investigate the crime scene and all possible suspects. Jenkins could have an alibi that would prove that he could not have committed the crime. There could be DNA evidence of someone else on the victim's body. An experienced attorney would investigate these things to ensure the defendant is not wrongfully accused.

Whether you live in Mission Viejo, Garden Grove or Huntington Beach, if you are charged with murder, you need an experienced Orange County Criminal Defense attorney on your side.

Continue reading " Orange County Model Murdered Allegedly by Husband " »

Alfredo Granados Canchola of Artesia was arrested on Monday for the alleged kidnapping of a 10-year-old girl in Anaheim. Last weekend, Canchola drove by the 10-year-old girl, who was taking out the trash, and asked if she knew where some woman lived. When she said no, the man offered her money to get into his car. She said no and drove off on her scooter. As soon as she got home, she told her dad who got the partial license plate of Canchola's Lexus. After a few days of investigation, officers found the suspect and think he may be linked to other attempted kidnappings.

Luckily, the girl was smart enough to run away and tell her parents what happened before Canchola could actually kidnap her. Canchola will need an experienced defense attorney to help him fight these kidnapping charges. A defense attorney may be able to lessen the charges or the sentence that Canchola will face.

Continue reading " Alleged Kidnapper Captured in Anaheim, California " »

In October of 2008, Orlando Mendez, an off duty Long Beach officer, saw his girlfriend in the passenger side of a car with two friends at 3:30 in the morning in Anaheim. He got extremely upset so he followed them, pointed a gun at the car and ordered them to pull over, all while driving on the wrong side of the road. Once they pulled over, he physically assaulted all three of them and shot his gun into the air. Today, he pleaded guilty to felony assault with a firearm, misdemeanor assault with a firearm, misdemeanor discharging of a firearm with gross negligence, misdemeanor domestic violence battery, plus a sentencing enhancement for the personal use of a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to six months in jail, three years of probation and was ordered to enroll in a 52-week treatment program.

Domestic violence is often thought to be just between a husband and a wife, however, it can also occur between girlfriend and boyfriend or between cohabitants. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual or emotional. Whether you live in Fountain Valley, Orange or Tustin, if you are charged with domestic violence, you will need an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Ex-Long Beach Officer Assaults Girlfriend With Gun " »

Around 2 p.m. on Friday afternoon, officers responded to a call about a bank robbery at the Bank of America on Irvine Boulevard and Jamboree Road. Jeffrey Hudson was inside the bank, trying to rob it. Once he exited the bank with his backpack full of money, he realized that officers had surrounded the building. Officers asked Hudson to surrender, but instead, Hudson shot himself in the head one time. He was taken to the hospital and died a few hours later.

Robbery is the taking of property of another with force or intimidation, with the intent to keep the item. With the economy the way it is these days, it is not hard to understand why he would rob a bank, however I do not condone this type of behavior. If he would have survived the shooting, he would have been facing serious prison time for his actions. He would have needed an experienced Orange County defense attorney to assist him in his legal matters.

Continue reading " Irvine Bank Robber Shoots & Kills Himself " »

After 13-year-old Minh Cong Tran and his family finished eating at a Mexican restaurant in Santa Ana in 2003, they drove away. Jason A. Aguirre, 33, and fellow Dragon Family Junior gang members chased the family into a neighborhood and shot into the car as the family tried to hide. Minh Tran was shot in the heart, liver and shoulder and died soon after the shooting. Other family members in the car were shot, but they all survived. Aguirre fled the scene of the crime and was arrested a few months later. Aguirre was charged with first degree murder with special circumstances of committing the murder for the benefit of the gang. He was sentenced to death last week for his crimes.

This was the fifth death penalty case in Orange County this week. The death penalty can be a punishment only in murder cases that have special circumstances. Murdering for the benefit of a gang is a special circumstance. Other special circumstances include mass murders and felony murders. If you have been charged with murder in Irvine, Santa Ana or Fullerton, you will need an experienced Orange County defense attorney to assist you in the legal process.

Continue reading " Gang Member Sentenced to Death for Killing of 13-Year-Old " »

After beating him up and shooting him with a gun and a Taser, the victim was forced into a van, tied up, blindfolded and taken to different hideouts for 5 days. The three suspects, including Costa Mesa man Vagan Adzhemyan, allegedly kidnapped the victim to collect a $1 million ransom. The suspects made the victim call all of his family in the U.S. and Russia and try to collect money. A family member told police about the calls made with a 323 area code and police then narrowed their search to the Los Angeles area. Police followed Adzhemyan's car to the house where the victim was found. He was in serious medical condition because of the gunshot to his bowels that was left untreated for 5 days. Police then noticed that the victim's ATM card was being used by the suspects, so they tracked them down and charged them with kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.

Kidnapping is a serious felony and can come with the sentence of life in prison (if the victim was being held for ransom). Some defenses for kidnapping charges include consent, lack of intent, lack of evidence and mistaken identity. Whether you are in Irvine, Santa Ana or Lake Forest, if you are charged with kidnapping, you need an experienced defense attorney on your side.

Continue reading " Costa Mesa Man Indicted on Charges of Kidnapping & Conspiracy " »

Amber Lynn Phelps and co-defendant Julie Catherine Clifford attacked a woman in an Anaheim parking lot and stole her purse in 2008. They said that they would give it back to her if she gave them money. Phelps was mad at the victim because she thought her boyfriend was dating the victim. When Anaheim police tried to arrest Phelps and Clifford, they sped away in a car. After a few minutes of trying to escape, Phelps crashed into another car, seriously injuring the driver. Phelps and Clifford were both arrested and Phelps was charged with conspiracy, evading police while driving recklessly and causing serious bodily injury and second degree robbery. She was convicted and sentenced to nine years in prison.

Whether you live in San Clemente, Fountain Valley or Fullerton, once the police are after you, the best thing to do is surrender and cooperate with the police. A chase in the middle of busy streets is very dangerous to the officers, the suspects and innocent bystanders in the area. You will be charged with evading arrest if you try to flee the scene. This adds additional time to your sentence and stays on your criminal record. If you are about to be arrested for a crime, cooperate with the police and then call an experienced criminal defense attorney.

Continue reading " Orange, California Woman Convicted of Conspiracy & Theft " »

In Anaheim on Monday, a man entered an unlocked back door of a woman's house, held her at knifepoint, and sexually assaulted her. He had a bandanna on his head and a cloth over his face to disguise himself. At some point, he put a pillow over her face and threatened to kill her if she called the police. After the assault was over and he was about to leave, he asked her where her purse was and then stole her cash. Police later found the suspect, Dexter Tagudin Villanueva, in his home and arrested him. He is being charged with six felony counts and if convicted on all six counts, will face 91 years to life in prison.

Back in the old days, people would never lock their doors. These days, doors have to be locked at all times. Robbers and rapists are opportunists. When they see an unlocked door or window and a woman inside that is home alone, they will act.

Most rapists threaten their victims and have a weapon nearby to force the woman to let the assault happen and not fight back. Besides just being charged with rape, Villanueva is also likely charged with assault and burglary. Whether he lives in Irvine, Fullerton or Anaheim, he will need an experienced Orange County defense attorney to assist him in the legal process.

Continue reading " Masked Anaheim Man Sexually Assaults Woman " »

Thong Vinh Le was arrested last week in connection with running a brothel in Garden Grove. He had advertised massage services in a Vietnamese paper and someone got suspicious because the location was a chiropractor's office. After an investigation, officers found out that people would go into the office, pick the woman they wanted to service them and then pay for sex. Police raided the business, where they found 11 women who they believed were victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Officers say this is the largest brothel they have seen in the area.

Le was running the brothel and acting as a "pimp" for the ladies. Besides prostitution that he will be held liable for, if these women were taken from Vietnam and forced to work in the brothel, he will be facing serious charges. If these women were not forced to work in the brothel and instead did it by choice, these women will be facing prostitution charges themselves.

Whether you live in Irvine, Lake Forest or Cerritos, prostitution is illegal in California. A person convicted of being a prostitute or soliciting a prostitute can face prison/jail time, probation, fines, counseling and community service.

Continue reading " Prostitution Raid in Garden Grove, California " »

On Saturday, Irvine police noticed a man parked by UCI, sleeping in a running car. Cyrus Ravan was woken up and the car was searched. Inside the car was about 200 ecstasy pills and 2.5 gallons of GHB or liquid ecstasy. GHB is also known to be a date rape drug. Ravan was immediately arrested for possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. His Irvine house was then searched and police found another gallon of GHB as well as illegal steroids.

GHB effects include intoxication, happiness, desire to socialize and muscle relaxation. It is scary to think that Ravan had date rape drugs near a university. Hopefully, he was not selling it to students at the campus. Since he was charged with possession with intent to sell, Ravan will need to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney to help him through the legal process.

Continue reading " Sleeping Irvine Man Found With Drugs in Car " »

Besides just binding their kids hands and legs together for hours at a time, Kimberly and John Quebe also locked their children in their rooms for hours and verbally abused their children by calling them degrading names. In July of 2008, when the 15 year-old and the 11 year-old kids were at the pool, someone noticed marks on their arms and legs and called authorities. Kimberly and John were charged and pled guilty to two felony counts of false imprisonment, two counts of child abuse, and two counts of corporal injury on a child with great bodily injury. They are facing 12 years and 8 months in prison for their actions.

Child abuse can take several forms. Parents can neglect their children, physically abuse them, sexually abuse them or psychologically abuse them. Child abuse leads to developmental problems, depression, anxiety and acting out.

Whether you live in Anaheim, Huntington Beach or Santa Ana, alleged child abusers need an experienced attorney to assist them through the legal process.

Continue reading " Anaheim Parents Criminally Charged with Child Abuse " »

Terry Snyder pleaded guilty to murdering his estranged wife on Easter of 2007 because she had planned an Easter egg hunt for their children. Terry Snyder and Yolanda Snyder were living separately and were switching off having the kids. Terry was upset that Yolanda had the kids over Easter because he wanted to have them on Easter. He got so mad that he bludgeoned his wife to death in front of their three young children. The children ran out of the house and to their neighbor's house to get help. Terry claims he pled guilty because he did not want to make his children testify against him in court. He is now facing 15 years to life for his actions.

Clearly Terry Snyder has anger problems. Anger management is a useful technique for people who have severe anger problems. Anger management is a system of psychological techniques that can help reduce the triggers and effects of anger. In some cases, the court may require a person to take anger classes to prevent future problems. Regardless if you live in Garden Grove, Santa Ana or Fullerton, severe anger problems can lead to serious consequences.

Continue reading " Tustin California Man Murders Wife over Easter Egg Hunt " »

Sue Nanda was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Friday for medical insurance fraud. She and about 10 other people would recruit patients to undergo unnecessary medical procedures to collect insurance money. In exchange, the patients would receive money or free cosmetic surgery. She plead guilty in February to 22 felony counts relating to medical fraud at the Unity Outpatient Surgery Center in Buena Park. She was said to have made about $2.35 million dollars recruiting patients over about 4 years. This medical insurance scam is said to be the biggest scam in the nation and resulted in the profit of about $154 million dollars. Nanda's lawyer claims she thought what the medical center was doing was legal.

Medical insurance fraud is just one type of fraud that a person can be charged with. Other types of fraud include credit card fraud, tax fraud, identity theft, embezzlement, forgery and accounting fraud. Fraud is a criminal charge but also can be brought in civil court. A person charged with fraud will need an experienced attorney to help them through the legal process.

Continue reading " Costa Mesa Woman Sentenced in Biggest Medical Fraud Case in Nation " »

In Santa Ana Superior Court today, a complaint was filed against Andrew Urdiales for the alleged murder of 5 Southern California women. Between the years of 1986 and 1995, Urdiales was said to have murdered Robbin Brandley, a Saddleback College student, and four prostitutes: Julie McGhee, Maryann Wells, Tammie Erwin and Denise Maney. He confessed to these killings in 1997, after being arrested for killing two Illinois women. In 2002, Urdiales was convicted of two counts of murder in Illinois and was sentenced to death, however, this punishment was reduced to life in prison by a former Illinois governor. In 2004, Urdiales was convicted of murdering another Illinois women and was sentenced to death once again. Urdiales is currently appealing his death sentence in Illinois. Orange County prosecutors are still deciding if they want to pursue the death penalty against Urdiales for the 5 alleged murders he committed in California.

A serial killer is a person who murders 3 or more people over a long period of time with a cooling off period between murders. There is often a psychological gratification behind the murders. Notable United States serial killers include Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer and David Berkowitz.

Continue reading " Serial Killer on Trial in Orange County for 5 Murders " »

An eighteen-year-old Santa Ana gang member, Eduardo Valencia, is being charged with the murder of Jaime Anica Olvera. Allegedly, Valencia tried to rob Olvera during the evening of July 23. Olvera was struggling to fight back, when a second gang member, Fabian Vargas Vega, pulled out a gun and shot Olvera in the upper body. Olvera died immediately at the scene. Vega was killed by police in a gun battle soon after the incident. Valencia fled the scene of the crime and was found hiding in a relative's garage on Saturday. He is facing charges of murder, attempted robbery, felony street terrorism charges and a sentencing enhancement for allegedly carrying out the murder for the purpose of his street gang.

A criminal street gang is defined as any organization, association or group of 3 or more persons which has 1) continuity of purpose 2) seeks a group identity, and 3) has members who individually or collectively have engaged in criminal activity. Often times, when a gang member commits a crime for himself, the district attorney will want to say he committed the crime for the benefit of a street gang and slap on additional charges and penalties. A good attorney would try and prove that the defendant did not commit the crime in furtherance of the gang and therefore the gang enhancements should be dropped. There are gangs in Irvine, Garden Grove, Westminster and almost every other city in Orange County. If you are charged with gang crimes, the state of California will be very tough on you and you will need an experienced gang attorney on your side.

Continue reading " Santa Ana Gang Member Murders in Robbery Gone Wrong " »

Three homemade bombs with timers, two homemade guns, bomb making material, knives, pepper spray and more weapons were found in the home of Ronald Gary Turner during a lawful search of a Costa Mesa home. In April of 2008, Turner was charged with domestic violence and was ordered to go to a treatment program. When he didn't show up and allegedly threatened his wife, a warrant was issued. During a routine traffic stop a few months later, he was pulled over and then arrested. His house was searched and tons of weapons were found. He was charged with 10 felonies, including two counts of stalking, three counts of possession of a destructive device intended to injure and one count of possession of a handmade deadly weapon. This week he was convicted of those 10 charges and can face up to 15 years in prison.

The Second Amendment of the U.S. constitution grants individuals the right to posses arms. Each state can decide what weapons will be legal, which ones need permits and which ones are illegal. In California, most weapons need a permit and registration. Whether you live in Fullerton, San Clemente or Garden Grove, if you are unsure about the legality of certain weapons, call an experienced California attorney.

Continue reading " Costa Mesa Man Charged with Bomb and Weapon Charges " »

Police are looking for Erin Brooks and Brian Hanson who police think are white supremacists who beat up a Latino man last month. Michael Powell and Bret Hicks are currently in custody for the same incident. Allegedly, all four suspects were circling a Latino neighborhood looking for someone "non-white" to assault. They saw a man come out of the neighborhood so they yelled racial slurs at him, stabbed him three times, kicked him and punched him. Neighbors from the area jumped into the fight and separated the suspects from the victim. They were all arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and Brooks and Hanson were released on bail. Now they are being charged with attempted murder plus hate crime enhancements and police can no longer find Brooks and Hanson. All of the suspects have criminal backgrounds and white supremacy tattoos.

Hate crimes occur when perpetrators attack a member of a certain group because of their race, religion, sexual identity, gender, disability, age, etc. If a crime is carried out for hate purposes, it will be given a sentencing enhancement because it is such a serious crime that can provoke retaliatory crimes, inflict emotional harm and incite community unrest. Regardless of what city you live in, whether it is Fountain Valley, Fullerton or Newport Beach, hate crimes are serious crimes and if you are charged with one, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney.

Continue reading " Two White Supremacists on the Loose in Orange County " »

If a minor is caught spraying graffiti or tagging property, they will be charged with a misdemeanor. In Santa Ana this week, the city council voted to adopt a law that will also make parents liable for their child's crimes. Not only will the minor have to pay fines, restitution and do community service, but the parents will also be forced to do community service with their child. If parents do not pay or participate in their child's punishment, they will be taken to civil court by the city and be forced to pay.

These spray-pay laws were enforced because Santa Ana has been majorly affected by graffiti and tagging by rival gang members. Getting the parents involved may help deter this behavior because children will know that their parents will also have to suffer the consequences of their criminal behavior. These tough laws will likely be followed by other cities plagued by graffiti problems, like Garden Grove, Westminster and Fullerton. If you get charged with graffiti or tagging, you will need an experienced attorney to help lower fines, restitution and community service hours.

Continue reading " Santa Ana Adopts Spray-Pay Laws " »

At the Block at Orange and the surrounding areas on Thursday night, police nabbed 29 juveniles who were in violation of city curfew ordinances. The city of Orange has a curfew ordinance that restricts minors from being out without their parents between the hours of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. The curfew sweep was conducted by the Orange Police Department and the Orange County District Attorney's Office. Once the minors were found in violation, they were taken to the police station and told to wait until their parents came to pick them up. The consequences of violating a curfew ordinance could be misdemeanor charges and jail time for either the parent or the child. In this sweep, none of the parents or children were charged because the police department wanted to send a warning to the community.

The reason that many cities have curfew ordinances is to help prevent crime, gang association and youth victimization. Whether you live in Irvine, Fullerton, or Foothill Ranch, each city has a curfew ordinance of about 10 p.m. Normally, police will just warn the juvenile and call the juvenile's parents to come pick them up. Sometimes however, if the police think that juvenile is up to no good, they may request charges to be pressed against the minor for a curfew violation. An experienced attorney will likely be able to fight the charges and make sure the incident is not recorded on the minor's criminal record.

Continue reading " 10 p.m. Curfew for Minors in Orange County Enforced " »

A week ago, the beaten body of a 6-year-old boy was found in his Los Angeles home. Dae'von Bailey was living with his mother's ex-boyfriend, Marcas Fisher, who has an extensive criminal past. Bailey had reported being abused twice by Fisher in the months prior to his death. Social workers had come by the house to investigate, but no action was taken. Bailey had even told his teachers at school that he was being abused. He had tried to get attention and help from everyone he could, however no one helped him until it was too late. There is currently a murder arrest warrant out for Fisher, who police believe may have beaten the boy to death.

During the child abuse investigation, Fisher kept claiming that the injuries Bailey was complaining about were accidents he caused himself. If in fact Fisher did not cause these injuries, an experienced attorney needs to prove how these injuries were caused. Luckily for Fisher, he has a doctor on his side who said that the injuries did not look like child abuse. Also, social services came by the house twice but still allowed Bailey to stay with Fisher, which means that they did not find anything wrong. These are all key pieces of evidence that will help in Fisher's defense.

Continue reading " Los Angeles Boy Beaten to Death " »

In 1992, Shaun Kareem Burney, a 19-year-old from Tustin placed a gun against the skull of Joseph Andrew Kondrath, a 23-year-old Anaheim college student. He robbed him of $1 and then put him in the trunk of a stolen car. A few minutes later, Burney opened the trunk and fired two shots into Kondrath's head, killing him. During the trial, prosecutors argued that Kondrath was killed so he would not be a witness to the carjacking and robbery. In 1994, Burney was charged with murder and sentenced to death. His co-defendants were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Burney appealed his conviction and sentence and on Thursday of this week, the Supreme Court of California affirmed his conviction and his sentence.

The death penalty is a sentence given only to murders that possess special circumstances besides just a murder. This case involved a carjacking, a robbery and a murder. Those three crimes make it a special circumstances case that is eligible for capital punishment. Capital punishment is a controversial form of punishment. Proponents of the death penalty claim that it is useful for retribution, general deterrence and incapacitation. Opponents of the death penalty claim that it is too strict of a penalty and wrongfully accused people can be wrongfully executed. Regardless if you live in Irvine, Fullerton or Newport Beach, if you are charged with capital murder, you will need an experienced criminal defense attorney.

Continue reading " Death Penalty Affirmed for Orange County Carjacker-Killer " »

Jonathan Allen Gamond pled no contest to four counts of sexual assault against a 14-year-old girl and was sentenced to 30 years in state prison this week. Gamond, a martial arts instructor, picked up the girl in Lakewood, drove her to Seal Beach where he assaulted her, and then released her in Cerritos. The prosecution says that he may have impersonated a cop when he stopped the girl and her friend in order to gain their trust. His defense attorney denies that Gamond ever impersonated a cop and claims that he was very remorseful for the assault and decided to plead no contest to avoid putting the girl through any more pain by having to testify at trial. Gamond is only 32 years old and now faces the majority of the rest of his life in prison.

A plea of no contest means that the defendant doesn't refute the charges, but also does not admit his guilt. He likely pled no contest because he was getting a plea bargain deal and knew that if he went to trial, a jury would likely not give him such a short sentence.

No matter if you are in Los Angeles County, Orange County or Riverside County, if you have been charged with sexual assault, you need a qualified and experienced attorney to help you. Sexual assault is a serious charge that comes with major prison time so you need the best possible defense attorney you can get.

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