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What is Proposition 64? During the November 2016 general election, California voters let the country know how they felt about criminal convictions of the personal use, possession, cultivation or distribution of small amounts of marijuana. And that was Proposition 64.  Dismiss Them All On November...

2021 Seppi Esfandi Law Scholarship Recipients Recipient #1: Thao “Annie” Le Selected by Scholarship Committee: $1,000 Law School: University of San Francisco School of Law Essay #1: Thao “Annie” Le's Essay Recipient #2: Peyten Sharp Selected by Scholarship Committee: $1,000...

2021 Seppi Esfandi Law Scholarships UPDATE We've received all the scholarships and have narrowed it down to 5. Thanks for your patience students, we expect the 2 winners to be announced before Monday October 4th! Best of luck to all of those who applied. 2021 Scholarship Recipients Recipient #1: ...

The Polymer80 So-called ghost guns are becoming a weapon of choice among criminals in Los Angeles. Now, Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer is stepping in and filing a lawsuit on behalf of Los Angeles against Nevada-based ghost gun part manufacturer Polymer80. Polymer80 is one of the countrys la...

Yes, for Certain Felony DUIs One of the first questions we hear from serious felony DUI offenders, especially those who have prior DUI convictions is: “Will my license be permanently revoked?” The thought of never being able to drive yourself to work, your kids to school, to Disneyland, the beach...

Good Questions to Ask a Criminal Defense Attorney: 1. What information do you need from me? When seeking to move forward with a criminal defense attorney, you want to know what types of information and documentation they might need from you. Not only can this query help make you a better prepared...

Residential and Commercial Burglary? This is a common question that comes up in burglary charges (Penal Code Section 459). The short answer is that a residential burglary is known as first degree burglary, and is much more serious than a commercial burglary (known as a 2nd degree burglary). To gi...

So, You Need an Attorney… Hiring the right criminal defense attorney in California can mean the difference between conviction and freedom. When your future is on the line, you need more than just legal representation—you need an advocate who understands the law, believes in your case, and knows h...

Contracting in California without a License Running a contracting business? If so, having a contractor's license is necessary. If it expires (or worse, you lack one), you can be convicted for a misdemeanor. Below, well discuss how lacking a valid license is prosecuted in California. Well also dis...

Hate Crimes in Los Angeles Los Angeles sees a wide range of crimes each year, from theft to kidnapping. In the first half of 2021, Los Angeles has seen a considerable increase in hate crimes. As a matter of fact, the city recently recorded its highest hate crime rate in a decade. In April of 2021...

Know Your Rights in Court As a defendant, you should always be aware of your rights in court. Knowing when to leverage your rights helps in many circumstances. It leads to lower sentences, dropped charges, etc. Today, well discuss a common maneuver in court. Its called an Arbuckle Waiver, and it ...

How to Defend Against Aiding and Abetting Charges Aiding and abetting is more than a phrase used on TV. California prosecutors can charge accomplices to a crime with aiding and abetting even if the accomplice did not commit the crime. Importantly, California Penal Code 31 PC says that accomplices...

ArrestArraignmentPre-trialPrelim. HearingTrialSentencingPost Sentencing in California: What Happens, How Long It Takes, and Going to Jail In California, what happens after a criminal sentencing can vary — but in many felony cases, the defendant may be taken into custody immediately. Sentencing he...

Senate Bill 300 – Reforming the Penalties for Murder Senate Bill 300 was originally introduced by Senator Dave Cortese. Proposed in February 2021, its slated to go into effect this year, and it comes with some key changes. California SB 300, aka the “Sentencing Reform Act of 2021”, will reform th...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52QNTMN8wc4 SB 384- Stop The Registration & Get off Megans List! Effective January 1, 2021, a new three-tier sexual registration has been implemented in California. This means what used to be a lifetime sexual registration requirement may be a matter of 10 or 20 ye...

ArrestArraignmentPre-trialPrelim. HearingTrialSentencingPost Stage 5: The Jury Trial Every criminal defendant in California has a right to a speedy trial. After the arraignment, the Defendant must be given a trial during a specified time period. Depending on the charge and on whether or not the d...

The Consequences of a Criminal Conviction Have you been arrested and charged for a crime? Or maybe someone close to you has? If so, you need an idea on the consequences of those crimes. That is, you need to understand how their crime is classified, and why. As a rule, crimes fall into one of thre...

In California, felony sentences can range from 16 months to life in prison, depending on the offense and circumstances. Some felonies result in state prison time, while others may involve county jail or split sentences. This guide explains how felony sentencing works in California, including how ...

Comparison of Crypto-related crimes in 2019 and 2020: New investment methods create hype among investors. This hype is a keyhole for hackers, who have now come into the light along with their schemes using cryptocurrency as their playing field. Billions of dollars of investor's funds have been su...

Stages in a criminal case: The Pre-Trial Arraignment ➡ Pre-trial ➡ Prelim. Hearing ➡ Trial ➡ Sentencing Contents 1 Stage 3: The Pre-Trial 1.1 PreTrial Conference- Prelim Setting 2 An Extremely Important Step Stage 3: The Pre-Trial PreTrial Conference- Prelim Setting After an arraignmen...

ArrestArraignmentPre-trialPrelim. HearingTrialSentencingPost Stage 4: The Preliminary Hearing For felony cases, the next stage after arraignment and possibly pre-trial, is the preliminary hearing, also commonly known as a prelim. If the arraignment is the beginning of court proceedings, and the t...

Stages in a criminal case after an arrest: Arraignment ➡ Pre-trial ➡ Prelim. Hearing ➡ Trial ➡ Sentencing Contents 1 Stage 2: Arraignment 1.1 First Court Date: 1.2 Bail: 1.3 Timing: 1.4 Entry of Plea: 1.5 Motions at Arraignment: 1.6 After the Arraignment: 2 An Extremely Important S...

Exchanging the Evidence The process of discovery is the process by which the parties in a criminal case get to obtain information from each other. Naturally, if youre being arraigned before a federal court, as a defendant youd want to have as much time to prepare as possible given that your futur...

Can You Terminate Your Sex Offender Status? Yes, you can! Just five months ago, California changed its sex offender legislation, and that's positive news for everyone. You see, California's sex offender legislation has been around for 70 years. It's antiquated by modern standards, especially with...

A Surprise Announcement from California On April 30th, California made the surprise announcement that it would increase early release credits for approximately 76,000 current inmates, include those convicted for violent offenses and for multiple felonies. Historically, California has had one of t...