Under California Penal Codes 451 and 452, there are two main types of arson charges. One of them involves deliberately and maliciously setting a fire; this is the criminal act called ‘arson’ and is a felony. The second is called “reckless arson” or “reckless burning” which also involves setting a fire to property or forest…
Two recent cases in the news highlight how easy it is for family members to all get charged with drug crimes, such as drug transportation. In one case, five family members were among those arrested as part of an alleged meth trafficking ring; the FBI even called their sting “Operation All in the Family.” In…
You hear it all the time: “I didn’t mean it”, “I was just angry”, “I didn’t plan to do anything” or “It was just a joke!” Not all threats are criminal matters, but the question becomes: when does a verbal threat cross the line to actually committing a crime? Consider the Facebook case brought before…
Sexual crimes are often the ones people find the hardest to talk about, and they can be some of the most confusing. For example, what does the term “sexual battery” even mean? How is it different from rape? What do you have to do (or not do) in order for your conduct to be considered…
Once a person has been convicted of a crime, the judge has wide discretion to determine the appropriate sentence and the conditions of probation. Probation often comes with numerous requirements the person must meet. If a person fails to comply with the terms of probation, it may result in an additional punishment such as house…
Anyone who watches cop dramas or reads legal thrillers will hear the terms murder and manslaughter bandied about quite a lot. If you’re looking at the results of the crime there doesn’t seem to be a difference; someone is dead in both cases. The question that needs to be answered is under what circumstances that…
Recently in the news, an assistant football coach at the University of California at Berkeley got arrested for alleged “solicitation of a lewd act.” Reports indicate that his arrest came as part of an undercover sting, in which a police officer posed as a prostitute. He allegedly made the solicitation online and then met up…
Getting arrested for lewd conduct is not just a potentially humiliating moment in someone’s life. If found guilty, you get a misdemeanor on your record, along with potential jail time, probation and/or fines. (And if you’re also hit with a simultaneous indecent exposure charge, keep in mind that being found guilty of indecent exposure could…
Imagine that your friends dared you to expose yourself for a few seconds to another group of friends in a bar. Against your better judgment, you took that dare and everyone had a good laugh. Unfortunately, it wasn’t funny for long. Because of this split-second decision, you now find yourself facing criminal charges for indecent…
The words assault and battery get thrown around all the time when people talk about fights using legal terms. Between cop dramas on TV and crime thrillers on the bestseller lists it can be hard to tell the difference between these two crimes. If you’re involved in a battery case, though, it is extremely important…
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