When most people envision kidnapping, they imagine a person snatching a young child off the street, but what California law defines as kidnapping is quite different. In many cases, kidnapping does not involve the abduction of a child at all. When it does, the offense is filed as an enhanced charge punishable by even more […]
What is Mayhem Under California Law?
The crime of mayhem, defined under California Penal Code section 203 (PC), refers to maliciously disfiguring or disabling another person. When someone commits mayhem intending to disfigure or dismember another person, they can be charged with aggravated mayhem under California Penal Code 205 (PC). Several details distinguish this offense from torture and the less serious […]
What Happens if a Conjoined Twin Commits a Crime?
English jurist William Blackstone famously stated, “It is better than ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer.” That line of thinking is what makes it so fascinating to contemplate what penalties would be fair if one conjoined twin breaks the law. After all, punishing the guilty twin would invariably mean punishing the innocent […]
Fighting Pimping and Pandering Charges in California
In Hollywood movies, a pimp is someone who forces someone to sell their body for sex and then takes all of their money. These fictional pimps are willing to beat, drug, and even rape women to exert control over them. While this does occasionally happen in reality, pimping is often less clear-cut. Even friends of […]
Understanding How Bail works in San Diego, California
There have recently been a lot of changes to California’s bail system. Bail reform bills are regularly introduced in the state senate. A zero-bail system was introduced in the spring of 2020 to reduce the jail population during the covid-19 pandemic, then discontinued in May 2022. And the state Supreme Court ruled that cash bail […]
What is Looting Under California Law?
Some people may rush in to help in an emergency, while others attempt to flee. However, some people take advantage of dangerous situations by stealing other people’s property while they’re distracted. During the 2025 fires in Los Angeles, some looters even went so far as to dress like California firefighters to gain access to the […]
Understanding the Gang Enhancement Law of California
California is home to some of the nation’s longest-running and most deadly street gangs. In 1988, to curb the violence associated with these criminal organizations, the state enacted Penal Code section 186.22 (PC), known as the California Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention (STEP) Act. Unfortunately, these measures ended up being disproportionately used against minority communities […]
Is an IP Address Enough to Convict Someone of a Crime?
As the internet has become a standard part of our lives, judges have tried to figure out how our existing laws and precedents apply in the digital age. The courts must balance law enforcement’s need to investigate crimes with the Constitution’s protections against unreasonable search and seizure. Similarly, they must balance the government’s interest in […]
Can You Get a DUI for Driving While High in California?
While recreational marijuana may be legal in California, driving under the influence of cannabis is still a crime. While most people associate DUIs with alcohol use, California Vehicle Code 23152(f) (VC) allows people to be charged with this crime after driving under the influence of any controlled substance, including marijuana. Even if you have a […]
Child Abuse and Endangerment Lawyer in San Diego: 273 (PC)
There are many types of child abuse charges in California. While most people would assume child abuse would be the most common charge, in fact, child endangerment charges, filed under 273(a) (PC), are more commonly filed because they are the easiest to prove. These serious criminal offenses can result in incarceration and loss of custody […]
