Category: Criminal Defense

New Procedures for Photo Line-Ups and Live Line-Ups Under California Penal Code Section 859.7 For the last 26 years now, I’ve had to deal with photo line-ups and live line-ups for purposes of identification in criminal cases. A lot of these procedures have been done in an improper manner which as influenced the potential witness in a case to identify my client or other clients related to cases that I’ve defended in Los Angeles county. They have now come up with new procedures pursuant to Penal Code Section 859.7.  Now the detective and the prosecutors, if they’re involved at the… Read More

Once you’re found guilty of a crime, a judge will inform you that you have 60 days to file an appeal. If you don’t file an appeal within that time frame, then you will lose the ability to file an appeal. Once you  file the appeal notice, you will be appointed counsel if you cannot afford an attorney yourself. It is important to talk to your trial lawyer about whether or not they feel that you have an appealable issue. One of the main grounds for appeal is damaging and prejudicial evidence at trial that never should have been let… Read More

If you are dealing with a criminal case in Los Angeles or the San Fernando Valley, one of the first things you’ll have to decide is whether you want to try your case or accept a plea bargain. If you are innocent or feel that you can beat the charges, then you might want to try the case. If the prosecutors have good evidence against you or doctored evidence, then you might want to have your attorney accept a plea bargain on your behalf. Your attorney will need to gather evidence of all the mitigating factors, such as character letters… Read More

Are Los Angeles County Prosecutors Still Filing Criminal Cases During the COVID-19 Pandemic? This is a good question because your first thought would be, of course they’re going to file a case if it’s a criminal case. You would think you’re not just going to let somebody get away with a criminal case in Los Angeles just because there’s a pandemic. Covid-19 – the courts are crowded and there’s issues dealing with the cases.  But the reality is, they are arresting people.  The police are giving the cases to the prosecutors, and obviously a lot of cases are being prosecuted… Read More

Is it Ever a Good Idea to Talk to Police During a Criminal Investigation? In my experience having practiced criminal defense at both the state and federal level for the past 26 years, I would say it’s almost never a good idea to talk to the police. The problem is, sometimes they tape record the statement; sometimes they don’t. When they don’t take recorded statements, I’ve noticed that my clients are complaining that either the statement is not accurately depicted in the police report or they take something that the client says out of context and are trying to use… Read More

Many people who are trying to get a nursing license will try to cut corners and end up getting investigated by the Nursing Board and also sometimes criminally because a lot of the documents that people are signing are documents that are under penalty of perjury. Therefore, if you sign the documents and you lie about the contents of the documents then you can be prosecuted criminally.  Believe it or not, prosecutors take this sort of stuff very seriously because you’re seeking a license where you have other people’s lives in your hands. You are part of a system that… Read More

More and more I see these cases being prosecuted in the Airport or LAX court where people are going into the airport and somehow getting caught with a gun, either at the metal detector, or just in general anywhere where you’re going to board a plane. Obviously, having a gun makes the authorities that  you’re going to do something really bad, and especially remembering 9-11 and all the security precautions that were put in place.  They’re very harsh on these cases.  They take no chances. Even if you say it’s a mistake they don’t care.  They’re going to arrest you. … Read More

Most people who find themselves in trouble and on the wrong side of the law obviously want to find an attorney that can help them, and a lot of people search for the best criminal defense attorney that can help them. I think the thinking on that is that, the better the attorney, the better the result, and I tell you there is definitely a lot of truth to that way of thinking because if you’ve got a great attorney — you’ve got one of the best attorneys — obviously, that attorney is going to be able to do the… Read More

This is probably one of the biggest things on people’s minds when it comes to a criminal case right now, especially with the Coronavirus.  Nobody wants to go into the county jail. Obviously, a lot of the population is either under quarantine, or has been exposed somehow to the Coronavirus.  No one wants to go into jail for that reason and also just for the fact of being isolated and alone in a lot of cases being in an environment with dangerous people. So, the factors that determine whether somebody will go to jail are big factors.  I can rattle… Read More

What information is critical to share with my Los Angeles criminal defense attorney? Could my medical history be helpful or used against me? If you think something is relevant to your case, like your medical history, you should share it with your attorney. Let your attorney make the decision of whether something is relevant. But don’t hide things from your attorney, don’t just give your attorney things you think are helpful, and don’t try to put a spin on whatever information that you have. That’s one thing that I have to kind of cut people off from. Sometimes they begin… Read More