I had two clients call me recently about why they were not provided their “Miranda” rights prior to the police asking them questions. If you are not under “arrest,” the rights are not triggered. Both clients made admissions to the alleged crimes and the analysis then proceeds to whether they were under arrest and should…
With the travel season here beginning, you can be sure that the police will be setting up sobriety checkpoints. In California and in many states, police conducting checkpoints must comply with a strict guideline that is laid out by case laws. In California, the landmark case is Ingersoll v. Palmer. Why are these case laws…
Divorces could take years and in California, at least six months minimum would be required. If you want or need to get divorced sooner, there is a Motion for Bifurcation in which a party asks the court to terminate the marriage and restore each spouse to their single status. In some situations, the parties’ or…
Professional licensing agencies may suspend or revoke a license issued for reasons enumerated in the California Business and Professions Code (BPC). For many who have criminal convictions, whether they are doctors, nurses, contractors, they will be served and must defend against an accusation that impacts their careers and livelihood. I had a client come in…
The primary purpose of the contempt power is to preserve the effectiveness and sustain the power of the courts. The secondary purpose is to protect and enforce the parties’ rights by compelling obedience to court orders and judgments. Examples of this would be failure to appear when subpoenaed, screaming profanities in court, and failure to…
An annulment is very different from divorces. In a divorce, there are no questions about the marriage. You simply want to end it and move forward with your life. In an annulment, the marriage itself is questioned—whether it is valid and enforceable. In California, there are 2 types of annulments: (1) void marriage (not legally…
Your criminal defense attorney should engage in serious talks with the prosecutor about a plea bargain. The goal is to get the charge and the penalties decreased. One of the lesser offenses is what is commonly referred to as “dry reckless” pursuant to Vehicle Code Section 23103. A “dry reckless” is a misdemeanor charge defined…
I have a client that has a visitation order of a mere 5% due to a prior restraining order. He came to my office and wants to know what his options would be. Since the restraining order had expired, a modification is “necessary or proper” in the child’s best interests. Generally, a custody or visitation…
Like most states, the standard for child custody determinations in California is the overall best interest of the child with an emphasis on assuring the “health, safety, and welfare” of the child and “frequent and continuing contact” with both parents. This is especially true when there are no issues of child abuse, domestic violence, or…
I just dealt with a case dealing with the victim of a very serious crime (attempted murder). The initial bail in this amount was $100,000 but after discussing the case with the victim and his wife, this amount was too low. I immediately worked with the victim and his wife to contact the District Attorney…
As all of us know, immigration under the current Trump administration is in the state of “flux”—to put it mildly. For many who have entered a guilty plea to a criminal charge or have “open” criminal cases, it has never been so critical to understand that a guilty plea to criminal charges will have negative…
Family Code (FC) 2030 (a) to (d) enables a party without financial resources to have an “equal” playing field. Access to representation and preservation of each spouse’s rights is critical. This code section applies to divorces, annulment or legal separation cases and any subsequent family law matter related to those three types of actions. The…
A mother who resides in Norway is pursuing a case against my client who resides in California. As noted in my prior articles, Department of Child Support will enforce child support cases even if the mother and child is outside of the United States since we have treaties with certain countries. My client did not…
A new client just called me about being arrested for a DUI from a checkpoint. Yes, as we know the holidays mean festivities and parties more likely than not include alcoholic beverages. So again, checkpoints are legal but the police are required to insure that state and federal laws are followed before they institute a…
It is the end of the year and for many that is a time to assess one’s financial situation. For many clients, it seems like child support debt is something they can never “erase.” Unlike many debts, bankruptcy does not “zero” out your child support debt. In fact, the public policy towards collecting child support…
This area of law is unique in that it requires one to make “business decisions” (i.e. money and property) as well as decisions concerning “personal relationships” (i.e. who gets the children, how often does the mother/father see the children). These factors combine with the complexity of the rules and procedures of family law make one’s…
On November 8, 2016, voters in California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada approved ballot measures to legalize recreational cannabis. It is now legal for recreational use in in a total of 8 states (including the 4 mentioned above, the other states are Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington.) States where medical marijuana is legal: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas,…
I met with a parent whose 13-year-old son was cited for not wearing a helmet and failing to stop at a stop sign. Additionally, he also was involved in a collision with a vehicle. The scenario is that the 13 year old was riding his bike with his friend and the local police agency concluded…
My clients come to me because they want to “erase” a conviction for personal reasons but most do it because it negatively impacts them in getting a job or a professional license. A conviction may lead to an administrative investigation and hearing which will likely result in losing their job or license to work. Employers have…
Each year hundreds of thousands of older persons are abused, neglected, and exploited. The victims are generally people who are older, frail, and vulnerable. Abusers are both men and women, and may be family members, friends, or “trusted” others. The CALIFORNIA PENAL CODE SECTION 368 defines elder abuse: (emphasis added) (a)The Legislature finds and declares…