The primary factor determining the number of criminal cases filed this year in LA is the police. If the police are upset and they feel like they are being accused in the media, they just stop arresting people. I know a lot of police officers, and I've talked to them about the whole attitude in Los Angeles County when these videotapes come out, accusing the police of beating people.

Of course, I don't know why they're mad if they have videotapes of them doing it, but a lot of this is across the country and doesn't have anything to do with Los Angeles. However, they feel that they might get in trouble for their activities, rather than simply being more cautious in what they do. What I've seen them do is just not arrest people.

Another thing they do when propositions are passing, especially all the drug and theft propositions, they stop arresting people as well, because they are mad and saying that they're just going to arrest them. They're going to let them go. Which, of course, is an over-generalization. When people commit real crimes, and prosecutors have the case, they will prosecute it.

Now, some of these drug cases where they were getting jail time and various other bad penalties have subsided to a big degree if it's a small drug or theft case. But that's not really the police's business. They investigate the cases, and then if they believe someone has committed a crime and has sufficient evidence and witnesses, they present it to the prosecutors. It's not their business whether the prosecutors prosecute it or what punishments the people are getting. They shouldn't even be getting into all of that. They're out there to protect and serve.

I see a significant slowdown in arrests over the last few years, based on the combination of police getting in trouble and these propositions that have passed, which they feel have impacted what happens to people when they commit crimes. But again, that's really not the police's business. They should just be doing their jobs out there. It's almost as though they have an attitude of, ' You want to get us in trouble? ' Well, then we won't arrest anyone, and you'll see what happens in society.

What I've noticed recently, though, is that arrests are up, and I think a big reason for that is that the police now feel comfortable. After all, they have somebody in power in the White House who is supporting the police and is very positive towards the police. I think the police feel that, since they have backup and support, they can make arrests with confidence.

So, it's really a cyclical thing, where the police are ebbing and flowing with what they're doing and who they're arresting. Fortunately, in my opinion, society has swung the pendulum to protect those who are purportedly committing crimes. The police now realize that there are going to be ramifications if they're going to beat people up in the name of, you didn't listen to what I said, so now you're going to get it. Or, they're just going to arrest people without any evidence.

The police now have to be very careful about what they do because there are checks and balances in place. Juries now believe that when there are allegations of police misconduct, such as manufacturing evidence or engaging in actions reported in the news, they are more likely to accept these claims as true. So, I think it's a good thing for society and the community because you cannot have the police too powerful; otherwise, power shifts in a bad way, and it leads to people being mistreated and not being dealt with in the right manner.

At this point in 2018, as we enter 2019, I see that the police are arresting a large number of people and being tough on crime. However, a skilled criminal defense attorney can effectively protect their client through various available means, such as videotape evidence and witness testimony. Now, often, juries and even judges will believe some of the arguments that the defense makes regarding the police's inappropriate actions.