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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52QNTMN8wc4 Is it Possible to be Removed from the Sex Offender List? Absolutely Yes! The new Senate Bill 384 applies to the state of California. Effective since January 1st 2021, it changes how sex offenders are categorized. How So? Previously, if an individual was...

Psychedelics in a New Light For many years, psychedelics were considered to be harmful drugs, but lately they've been used to treat mental health problems like depression with great success. Federally psychedelics are prohibited, however in November of 2020 Oregon became the first state to legali...

In Jail with No Bail? Not Anymore According to the American Bar Association, about half a million people are currently in jail because they cant afford to pay for their bail while they wait for their cases to be heard. The top lawmakers in California are hoping to put a stop to that staggering st...

1. What is AB 3234? AB 3234- Get out of Jail for free. Get your Misdemeanor Case Dismissed Under this new Misdemeanor Diversion Law of 2021. AB 3234 originated from a pilot program in Los Angeles County in 2019 which allowed Judges to dismiss cases in their discretion. In 2021, this new Californi...

Can a Bad Breakup or Divorce Lead to Criminal Charges? We all know that breakups can get ugly. But what about breakups that get so nasty they lead to criminal charges? In these instances, the crime is usually what's known as a “crime of passion” that the person regrets immediately after. Whether ...

Military Diversion for California Veterans Studies show that as much as 30% of veterans experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The courts have recognized a link between the symptoms of PTSD, including disassociation, flashbacks, sleep disturbance, and mood swings, and criminal behavior...

The Increase of Domestic Violence Due to the Pandemic The pandemic turned the lives of many people upside-down. As the coronavirus swept through the nation, even individuals who did not directly suffer from symptoms of the disease experienced other forms of loss, pain, and destruction. Studies in...

2021 Seppi Esfandi Law Scholarships School is difficult enough without having to worry about finances, that's why we've created a fairly simple scholarship opportunity for all US law students. This year we are splitting the $2000 total among two winners, for $1000 each. Esfandi Law Firm proudly a...

What is Forensic Evidence and the CSI Effect”? Categories of Forensic Evidence and CSI Effect”: A criminal defender can be confronted with many different types of evidence when defending a case: Evidence from people: police report, incriminating statements, confession from the client, sta...

Money Buys Happiness Comfort In California, the ‘cost of comfort' doesn't only apply to the free world, it also applies to jail. From $0 to $250 per day, inmates who do not want to expose themselves to the perils of county jail can pay their way into a life of luxury (by comparison to county ...

Nationwide Driving on Drugs: DUID Fatalities Surge For the first time in Driving on Drugs: DUID Fatalities Surge, there are now more drivers killed that are positive for drugs than those who were positive for alcohol. Nationwide, 43% of drivers that were tested in fatal crashes had used drugs...

If you've been arrested for solicitation of prostitution in California, it means law enforcement believes you attempted to exchange money or valuables for sexual services, a violation of Penal Code 647(b). This misdemeanor charge can result in jail time, fines, mandatory sex offender programs, an...

Wet and Reckless What is a “Wet Reckless Plea Bargain? “Vehicle Code 23103.5 If the prosecution agrees to a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a charge of a violation of Section 23103 in satisfaction of, or as a substitute for, an original charge of a violation of Section 23152, the prosecution...

Have you been arrested for Drunk in Public? Here are 10 things to know about drunk in public: 1. You are Not Guilty of Drunk in Public PC 647(f) You are not guilty of PC 647(f) if you were simply drunk in public. After all, our whole western civilization has been built and rests on a foundation o...

What is The Importance of Early Intervention? “Early intervention” refers to the window of time between a defendant being arrested and their charges being filed, usually at their arraignment. A well-connected criminal defense attorney can contact the prosecuting agency and convince them that ther...

💡 Key Takeaways Arraignments are brief plea-only proceedings: You must appear within 48 hours if in custody, simply respond “guilty” or “not guilty” to charges, and cannot argue your case or present evidence at this hearing. Having an attorney provides significant advantages: Cases...

Reminder to Graduates Please Don't Drink and Drive In Reminder to Graduates Please Don't Drink and Drive subject, Car crashes remain the leading cause of death for teens. Graduation is a time for celebration, but this also brings in the loss of rational decision-making. Couple this with reckl...

Facing Case Study: Alleged Sexual Battery with Prison Due to Case Study: Alleged Sexual Battery PC 243.4(a), Yesterday I went to a preliminary hearing on a count of PC 243.4(a)- Sexual Battery by Restraint. This code section requires a sexual touching while the victim is restrained. Although it w...

Criminal Defense Attorney Fees: The Good and The Bad In Criminal Defense Attorney Fees subject, After being arrested, you may find yourself going through the arduous task of hiring a criminal defense attorney. After contacting several, you may be asking yourself “How can some attorneys charge as ...

More Criminal Defenses to Criminal Offenses More Common Criminal Defenses subject is the second part of “common legal defenses”. To see the first part, visit: PART 1: “COMMON CRIMINAL DEFENSES” Every case is unique with several avenues of defense, so it's best to speak with a criminal defense...

Procedural DefenseFactual DefenseAffirmative DefenseCommon Defenses Common Criminal Defenses To Criminal Offenses The following are some of the more common legal defenses that may be applicable to your criminal charges. It's always best to speak with a criminal defense specialist about the detail...

Petty Theft Petty theft is a misdemeanor in California that occurs when one steals an item from another person, and the value of the item(s) stolen is $950 or less. It is considered a serious crime, but far less serious than robbery, which is a felony. In California, robbery occurs when one takes...

California Bomb Threats and False Bomb Threats Penal Code 148.1 Bomb threat reporting is actually governed by the California Penal Code, because there are so many false reports each year that the legislature has determined it to be a crime to report false bomb threats. According to California Pen...

Artificial Intelligence or Robot Lawyers in The Future of Defense Law Robot Lawyers: The Future of Defense? The first artificial intelligence attorney was hired by a bankruptcy law firm in 2016. The software is called ROSS and is designed to answer legal questions with up-to-date legal citations,...

The Current Legal Status of Marijuana Are You Being Targeted for Being From a Marijuana-Friendly State? Most states that have come to their senses about marijuana have already enacted or initiated sane laws to legalize the use of medical and/or recreational marijuana. However there are still some...