Recent Blog Posts in 2010

According to Section 647(a) of the California Penal Code, lewd conduct is defined as any conduct that involves touching another's genitals, buttocks or female breasts with the intent to arouse himself sexually or annoy the victim. The offender must also be in a public place and in the presence of a third party who may be offended. Finally, the offender must be aware of the presence of the third party. Penalties for lewd conduct vary widely. Lewd conduct with an adult is always a misdemeanor, and carries penalties ranging from probation to a fine or jail time.

If you or someone you know has been charged with lewd conduct it is important that you have a experienced attorney working on your side. The criminal defense attorneys at the Hedding law firm have a combined 75 years of experience in these types of cases. They will do their best to get you the best possible outcome for your unique case. Contact our office today to set up a free face-to-face consultation.

According to Section 647(a) of the California Penal Code, lewd conduct is defined as any conduct that involves touching another's genitals, buttocks or female breasts with the intent to arouse himself sexually or annoy the victim. The offender must also be in a public place and in the presence of a third party who may be offended. Finally, the offender must be aware of the presence of the third party. Penalties for lewd conduct vary widely. Lewd conduct with an adult is always a misdemeanor, and carries penalties ranging from probation to a fine or jail time.

If you or someone you know has been charged with lewd conduct contact our office today. The criminal defense attorneys at theHedding law firm have a combined 75 years of experience in these types of cases. They will do their best to get you the best possible outcome for your unique case.

Gabriel Noel Baltodano, 35, was charged Monday with grand theft and embezzlement. Baltodano pleaded not guilty to charges that he stole 33, all last week during an internal investigation. Baltodano is a 9 year veteran of the Department of Justice's Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement. He became the target of the internal investigation after authorities discovered that he may have been stealing money from suspects. According to the district attorney, he was charged with two counts each of grand theft and embezzlement and one count of filing a false police report.

California Penal Code 487a defines Grand Theft as:
(a) When the money, labor, or real or personal property taken is
of a value exceeding four hundred dollars ($400) except as provided
in subdivision

California Penal Code 503-515 defines Embezzlement as:
503.The fraudulent appropriation of property by a person to whom it has been intrusted. 
504. Every officer of this state, or of any county, city, city and county, or other municipal corporation or subdivision thereof, and every deputy, clerk, servant, or agent of any association, society, or corporation (public or private), who fraudulently appropriates to any use of purpose not in the due and lawful execution of that person's trust, any property in his or her possession or under his or her control by virtue of that trust, or secretes it with a fraudulent intent to appropriate it to that use or purpose, is guilty of embezzlement.

If you or someone you know is being accused of grand theft and/or embezzlement, contact the Hedding law firm today at (818) 986-2092. Our Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys have an extensive amount of experience with these types of cases and will work hard to get the best possible outcome for your unique case.

Indecent exposure is prohibited by California Penal Code 314 PC  and its penalties include fines and incarceration, and you could be subjected to a lifetime duty to register as a California sex offender. As criminal defense attorneys we understand the fact that many of these cases come from false accusations, our job as your representation would be to go over all the facts surrounding your case and get you the best possible outcome. If you have been accused of indecent exposure contact our office today to set up a free face-to-face consultation. The criminal defense attorneys at the Hedding law firm have a combined 75 years of experience. We will give your unique case the attention and care necessary to achieve a successful outcome.

If you or a loved one is being charged with drug charges, a Los Angeles criminal attorney who specializes in drug possession cases is key for your case. Contact the Hedding Law firm today at (818) 986-2092, we will gather all the facts of your case, understand the facts, and prepare the best defense possible for your unique case.

If you or someone you know is facing drug charges contact the Hedding Law firm today to set up a free and immediate face-to-face consultation. We understand that the penalties involved with these types of charges are serious. Our Los Angeles Criminal defense attorneys have been successful in dozens of these types of cases and we will do our best to devise the appropriate plan of action for your unique case.

If you or someone you know is being accused of assault, contact the Hedding Law Firm today at (818) 986-2092. Our Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys have an extensive amount of experience with these types of cases and will work hard to get the best possible outcome for your unique case.

Los Angeles police officer, William J. Skett, was convicted yesterday of leaving the scene of an accident and causing great bodily injury in a June 2008 hit-and-run. Skett faces up to six years in prison. "The jurors saw the truth. He ran over these people and did not stay to help them," said Deputy Dist. Atty. Natalie Adomian.

Witnesses say they saw Skett's vehicle hit a man and woman at 2:30 a.m. as he backed out of a parking space. Investigators traced his Hummer, which was left at the scene, and arrested Skett at his home an hour after the pedestrians were injured. Prosecutors accused Skett of getting out of his vehicle, seeing the injured victims and fleeing the scene, and abandoning his Hummer. Skett's attorney said his client was never driving the vehicle.

If you or someone you know is being accused of a hit-and-run, call the Hedding Law firm today to set up a free consultation. Our Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys will meet with you face-to-face and gather all the information pertaining to your case. We will evaluate the facts and give you honest advice and opinions regarding your case. Our hit-and-run attorneys have a combined 75 years of experience and have been successful in many of these types of cases.

Richard Alan Chaney was sentenced Tuesday to nine years in state prison for sexually assaulting two teenage girls he met online. Chaney, 25, pleaded guilty to one felony count each of oral copulation of a minor under 16, contacting a child with the intent to distribute pornography to a minor, sexual penetration by foreign object of an unconscious victim and oral copulation of an unconscious person.

According to prosecutors, Chaney communicated with a 14-year-old Texas girl via a webcam based website between May 1, 2008 and July 31, 2008, and engaged in sexually explicit conversations and mutual exhibitionism and masturbation with the girl. He met with the girl while she was on a family vacation in California and had sex with her in June of 2008. The girl's mother filed a report with police. Chaney also reportedly videotaped himself sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl he had met online. The girl was unconscious at the time of the assault.

Someone convicted of a sex crime can bear very harsh penalties, and for this reason it is important that you have the proper legal representation. If you or someone you know is being accused of a sex crime, call the Hedding Law Firm today at (818) 986-2092. Our Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys have an extensive amount of experience with these types of cases and will work hard to get the best possible outcome for your unique case.

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office has charged Leroy Bragg, 34, with multiple felony counts, including human trafficking involving a minor, soliciting for a minor prostitute under 16, pandering by procuring a minor under 16 and first-degree burglary.  According to Capt. Ann Young, Bragg was arrested after the family of a 13-year-old Hawthorne girl contacted the LAPD and informed police that she was being held against her will.  The LAPD believe the Hawthorne girl was just one of dozens of women and girls.

Bragg is being held at Men's Central Jail on $1.3 million bail. He has three prior convictions for residential burglary and is facing a possible life sentence in prison. T he Los Angeles Police Department refused to give any details on the case during a news conference.

Proposition 19, which will be on the November 2^nd, 2010 California statewide ballot, is known as the Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010. If approved by voters, Proposition 19 will permit local governments to impose and collect marijuana-related fees and taxes, legalize various marijuana related activities, and authorize various criminal and civil penalties. One of the biggest arguments supporters of the proposition were using was that the criminal penalties for owning marijuana can seem too harsh, and that people caught with small amounts of marijuana shouldn’t have their lives ruined because of it.

 On October 1^st however, Gov. Schwarzenegger signed into law Senate Bill 1449, which will reduce the punishment for possession of an ounce of marijuana from a misdemeanor to an infraction. If caught with less than one ounce of marijuana there will be a fine of $100, but those who receive citations will no longer sit for a jury trial and will not carry a criminal record. This new law might weaken one of the strongest arguments of Proposition 19 supporters

A drug crime is a serious offense and can have dire consequences, but hiring a criminal defense attorney may allow you to avoid severe penalties. If you are involved with a drug crime call our office today. At the Hedding Law firm, we have combined experience of 75 years successfully representing our clients.

Actor Russell Brand was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport after allegedly pushing and hitting several paparazzi. At the time of the altercation, one of the photographers made a citizen's arrest with assistance from the LAX police. Brand was taken into custody and taken to the LAPD Pacific Division station, for a misdemeanor charge of simple battery. He angrily explained to police that the photographers were taking pictures up his fiancé's skirt. Brand was later released after posting $20,000 bail.

Simple battery is defined as any willful and unlawful use of force or violence upon another person. Simple battery can be charged as either a misdemeanor or felony. The penalties involve fines of up to $2,000 and up to 6 months of jail time.

Often situations like Russell Brand's arise, where emotions run high and people can make mistakes. At the Hedding Law Firm we have helped many clients just like you, we know the stress you are under, and are here to see you through the process. As knowledgeable criminal defense attorneys, we know that battery charges must always be taken seriously.  When we work with our clients, we do everything we can to provide them with the best legal resources, representation, and guidance. Contact us today for a free consultation.

Governor Schwarzenegger signed a bill Tuesday allowing the state to parole comatose and physically incapacitated inmates. Under the measure, state prisons will be able to release comatose and physically incapacitated inmates on medical parole. According to the governor the bill requires a screening process to ensure public safety.  "The state currently wastes millions of dollars guarding physically incapacitated inmates in comas or in similar conditions that pose no threat to the safety of others," Schwarzenegger said.

According to a court-appointed federal healthcare receiver for the state prison system, thirty-two inmates are expected to be immediate candidates for medical parole.  Of those thirty-two, 21 are housed in nursing homes or hospitals. Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) said that eventually up to 1,000 inmates may be eligible for medical parole.  The measure was approved over the objection of some Republican lawmakers who argued that it might result in the release of too many inmates to cut costs. Schwarzenegger responded by stating that any release would have to be approved by the state Board of Parole Hearings, and offenders sentenced to death or life without parole would not qualify.

If you or someone you know needs legal representation,contact our office today. The Hedding Law Firm is comprised of experienced, reputable criminal defense attorneys who are dedicated to our clients and their individual cases.