False imprisonment is one of the more misunderstood charges in Riverside County, partly because it sounds far more dramatic than the conduct it often involves — there is no requirement that anyone be locked in a room, moved anywhere, or even touched. Holding onto someone’s arm so they can’t leave an argument can be enough….
A heated comment, a late-night direct message, an angry post in a group chat or on social media — online arguments escalate fast, and in California they can end in a criminal charge. If you are under investigation or have been arrested over something you wrote online while living in Murrieta, Temecula, Menifee, Lake Elsinore,…
If your spouse, partner, or family member was just arrested for domestic violence in Murrieta, Temecula, Menifee, or anywhere else in southwest Riverside County, the next 72 hours will set the trajectory of the entire case. The booking sergeant has already made one decision. The District Attorney’s office is about to make another. By the…
What you post online — or have ever posted online — can shape the outcome of a criminal case more than most defendants realize. Prosecutors in the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office routinely obtain social media evidence in cases ranging from criminal threats to domestic violence to drug offenses. The phone seized at booking is…
If your spouse, partner, or family member was just arrested for domestic violence in Southwest Riverside County, the next 48 hours will shape the case. An Emergency Protective Order is already in effect. The alleged victim has been advised not to communicate with the defendant. A criminal protective order will be issued at arraignment within…
A criminal threats charge under California Penal Code § 422 looks, on paper, like a relatively contained wobbler — a misdemeanor max of one year in county jail or a felony max of three years in state prison. The number that doesn’t appear on the charging document is the one that matters most: a felony…
If you’ve been charged with assault, battery, or both, the first thing to understand is that they are two completely separate crimes under California law — not two names for the same thing, and not always charged together. Assault under Penal Code § 240 is the attempt. Battery under Penal Code § 242 is the…
When prosecutors charge someone with assault using a weapon — or with force strong enough to cause serious injury, even without a weapon — the case is filed under California Penal Code § 245, not under the basic assault statute that covers bar fights and shoving matches. PC § 245 is sometimes called “aggravated assault”…
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…
Domestic violence occurs relatively frequently in California. For instance, the Office of the Attorney General posted data on its website showing that in 2013, people made over 150,000 calls for assistance related to domestic violence disputes. Domestic violence is a very real problem, but that doesn’t mean that every accusation is sound or that prosecutors…
According to California Penal Code 422, the crime of “criminal threats” occurs when: Legal Consequences for Making a Criminal Threat Penal Code 422 is a wobbler, which means that you can be charged with either a misdemeanor or a felony. A judge considers your past criminal history and the seriousness of the threat when deciding…
Domestic Violence is a real problem that strikes both famous and ordinary people. Many people reacted with revulsion to the video of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice hitting his then fiancé in an elevator and then dragging her out after she fell to the floor. But false accusations of domestic violence are also prevalent,…
If you or a loved one is facing criminal charges in Southwest Riverside County, time is critical. Contact the Law Office of Nic Cocis today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.
