Lawrence Wolf - Part 25

Polanski May Have to Finish What the D.A. Started

According to the Los Angeles Times, film director Roman Polanski will be extradited to the United States so that he may face child-sex charges dating back to 1978. Polanksi is currently being held by Swiss officials, and is fighting the extradition. Based on correspondence sent between the two countries, extradition seems likely at this point. Reportedly, U.S. officials were tipped off by the Swiss federal office of justice that Polanski would be entering Switzerland to attend the Zurich film festival. He was then arrested as he stepped off an airplane at a Swiss airport.

In 1978, Polanski was accused of committing sexual acts with a then 13-year-old girl. Though the now grown-up 13-year-old does not wish to pursue criminal charges against Polanski, and would simply prefer it if the matter were put behind her entirely, U.S. officials have been trying to somehow get Polanski back in the country for years.

Sex charges of all kinds are a serious matter. Often times, sex offenses can be characterized by he-said, she-said accusations. Polanski’s defense attorney argues even now that improper conversations took place between the presiding judge and prosecution. In any event, it is important that all cases pertaining to sex crimes are properly handled, and that those who stand accused are given every opportunity to properly defend themselves in a court of law.

Lohan’s Legal Troubles Still Not Over

CNN.com story recently chronicled the ongoing legal troubles of actress Lindsay Lohan. According the article, a Beverly Hills judge just extended Lohan’s probation in order to give her more time to complete her court-ordered alcohol counseling treatment. To date, Lohan has reportedly not completed the program and her attendance has been less than satisfactory. While her defense attorney explained that Lohan’s career hindered Lohan from completing the program, the presiding judge warned that if she hears of Lohan missing any more meetings, she will sentence Lohan to jail time. Successful completion of the program was mandated based on a 2007 incident in which the actress ultimately plead guilty and no-contest to charges centering-around drunk driving incidents.

While the circumstances of this case are a general exception to the rule, with Lohan being afforded the right to complete the alcohol treatment at her relative leisure and around her busy schedule of acting and entertaining, not all individuals facing completion of such programs are given as much freedom in doing so. Alcohol counseling treatment is required for those individuals that are found guilty of driving while under the influence of either drugs or alcohol. After jail sentences have been served, mandatory alcohol counseling treatment must be sought out and completed at the attendee’s own expense. Successful completion of the program will then enable that individual to have a license suspension lifted after the court-ordered suspension time frame has been met.

In order for an individual to ensure that they are provided the best possible outcome in their DUI case, that individual’s best course of action is to retain the services of a skilled Los Angeles DUI defense attorney that will examine all circumstances surrounding the arrest. DUI arrests can be especially problematic in that field sobriety tests can be improperly administered and results from blood alcohol concentration tests can be inaccurate due to poorly calibrated devices used. Not all individuals that are accused of DUI are in fact guilty.

Baseball Booze and Driving Create Tragic Situations

According to a recent Los Angeles Times article, October playoff baseball may bring out the worst in some fans. That is, Orange County officials are on high alert for individuals that choose to drink during baseball games, and then proceed to operate motor vehicles soon thereafter. The high alert comes on the heels of the death of Nick Adenhart, a promising young pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In April 2009, the 22-year-old Adenhart and two of his friends were killed by an alleged drunk driver less than ten miles from Angel Stadium of Anaheim, where Adenhart had pitched earlier that night. In order to cut down on unnecessary traffic, the Anaheim Police Department asked all motorists not attending the Angels’ playoff game with the New York Yankees to please steer clear of the area.

While consuming alcohol at a baseball game is permitted, it is never a good idea to driving while under the influence of alcohol. An individual accused of DUI is innocent until proven guilty, which is something that the media often forgets. That is, field sobriety tests are only as accurate as the law enforcement officials that are administering them. Furthermore, breathalyzers and other devices used to determine an individual’s blood alcohol concentration need to be properly calibrated and maintained in order to ensure that test results delivered by the devices are accurate. If procedure is not followed or such devices are defective, then an individual that would otherwise be deemed innocent of driving while under the influence could be accused and arrested by law enforcement for a crime that the individual never in fact committed.

Car Part Thieves Accused of Multiple Crimes

According to ktla.com, two suspects were recently arrested and are being investigated for the theft of catalytic converters from cars and trucks in the Los Angeles area over the last several months. Supposedly, the suspects were seen by officers removing the car part from a parked car on the University of Southern California campus, and were detained for questioning and further investigation as to whether or not they are responsible for the 60-plus incidences to-date involving the stolen piece. The parts are deemed desirable amongst thieves for the precious metal they contain, creating the opportunity to easily sell such an item to metal scrap yards.

Theft crimes can be complicated, especially when multiple charges across more than one case are being sought by the prosecution. The article did not discuss what, if any, evidence law enforcement has that can positively link the two individuals to the other incidents of theft. Unless there is physical evidence of their involvement, or some sort of testimony linking the individuals to the other crimes, then the prosecution is going to be hard pressed convincing a judge and jury to convict the detained individuals of all supposed charges. In any event, it is critical that individuals accused of theft crimes retain the services of experienced legal counsel that can sort through the details of the charges and mount a strong defense on the individual’s behalf.

Gang Member Take-Down Hits LA in Raid

The Los Angeles Times recently reported that the Los Angeles Police Department and federal authorities teamed up in a raid that targeted a Los Angeles street gang responsible for crimes ranging from assault to drug charges to murder. The street gang in question calls multiple cities and areas in the Los Angeles area its home, has affiliations with prison gangs, and has a long history of committing violent acts against those whom they consider outsiders. The raid involved the detainment and arrest of a large number of individuals for a wide variety of charges. In such matters, it is important to remember that simply because an individual is grouped together with other such individuals being accused of crimes, it is not an automatic determination that all individuals are in fact guilty of said crimes.

Raids of supposed criminal organizations can be especially problematic in a court of law. That is, while some individuals may in fact be guilty of the infractions of which they are accused, other individuals may simply be innocent bystanders having been lumped together with other, more serious offenders. With drug crimes especially, the lines between guilt and innocence are often blurred, and charges are often blanketed over a group of individuals, even if all of those individuals are not in fact guilty of the alleged charges. In any event, it is vital that the services of a skilled Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer are retained in the event of your arrest.

Pot Dispensary Site of Robbery, 2 Shot

According to latimesblogs.latimes.com, a shooting occurred outside of a marijuana dispensary in West Los Angeles. Two people were seriously injured, and were taken to local area hospitals where they are in critical and serious conditions. Police investigating the matter believe that the shooting was an attempted robbery.

Los Angeles police officials cited an increase in crime levels occurring around marijuana dispensaries. Although marijuana is legal for medical purposes, the very fact that it is illegal otherwise can cause for some complicated matters pertaining to the law. Marijuana users that need the drug for medicinal purposes might be subject to investigation, particularly when instances of robbery and other crimes occur in such close proximity to the dispensaries.

For those that frequent marijuana dispensaries, it should not be assumed that they are involved in illicit behavior of any kind, and they should be afforded the same consideration and label of innocent until proven guilty that all other members of society are granted. Put bluntly, it is unfair for individuals that frequent an area to be profiled in such a manner. Concrete evidence is a requirement to directly connect an individual to a crime, and even such evidence must be qualified as being associated with the individual.

Parents Killing Children is an Alarming Trend

A recent story put out by the Associated Press tells of a startling trend pertaining to homicides involving children. In Los Angeles, a woman stands accused of killing her two daughters, ages 11 and 17. In Orange County, a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old were allegedly wounded by their mother. And in Ventura County, a 12-year-old boy and his 7-year-old sister were stabbed to death allegedly by their father. In all of these cases, the serious question as to why parents are supposedly willing to hurt their children needs to be asked, and the circumstances surrounding the slayings and injuries need to be thoroughly examined to determine what exactly happened.

The Los Angeles woman has pleaded not guilty to the charges being brought against her, and faces the death penalty if she is convicted. The woman was found with self-inflicted knife wounds on her own arms. This raises the question as to what her state of mind was at the time of the incident. Did she act with a clear head or in a fit of insanity? Other questions, such as the state of the home, also need to be answered to help paint a vivid picture of what the living situation was truly like, and what negative factors, if any, could have played a detrimental role leading up to the attacks.

DUI Driver Loses Lawyer, Case Postponed

According to Los Angeles’s KTLA-TV channel 5, the trial of a man responsible for a drunk-driving crash that took the lives of three people will be postponed for at least six months. Such a decision was determined after the private attorney defending the 22-year-old removed himself from the case, citing inability to adequately defend his client as the basis of his necessary leave. This particular case gained notoriety in that one of the crash victims was 22-year-old Nick Adenhart, a professional baseball player of the Angels. The motorist responsible for the accident now faces 54 years to life in prison if he is convicted of all counts, which include murder in the second degree and driving with a suspended license.

The former defense attorney in this case informed the presiding judge that his client was unable to afford the fees associated with providing him with the most effective defense. That is, the accused driver’s attorney explained to the judge that experts needed to properly defend the accused man were too expensive for the defendant to afford, and even motioned that county taxpayers split the bill for the necessary experts. Though the article did not say whether or not the judge granted the motion, it’s safe to assume that the motion was denied, particularly since the defense attorney has now quit the case.

Year-to-Date, Crime Down 7.4% Overall

Although it was speculated that crime rates would rise in such a down-trodden economy, the level of crime actually dropped an average of 7.4%, according to year-to-date statistics that were released on September 5th. According to contracosttimes.com, auto theft plummeted 17.6% year-to-date and homicides dropped almost 15%. Overall, crime levels seem to be dropping or at the very least remaining stagnant, both signs that economic misfortune is not having an impact on the likelihood that an individual will resort to committing property crimes as a means of supporting oneself.

During tough times such as these, individuals are often left wondering where their next paycheck is going to come from. With unemployment as prevalent as it is, seeing a person out and about without much direction, particularly on a work day, is a more common sight with each passing week. Unfortunately, some people, in seeing these unemployed individuals out and about, might take it upon themselves to jump to conclusions by attributing possible guilt to these out-of-work individuals simply because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

While instances of crime are down according to statistics, instances of false accusation aren’t necessarily affected, positively or negatively, by the poor economic climate. However, with more and more people becoming unemployed everyday, the likelihood of more individuals being accused of some form of wrong doing undoubtedly rises. In the event that a person is falsely accused of a crime, regardless of severity, it is crucial that anexperienced Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer is immediately contacted to help combat supposed charges and clear one’s good name.

CA Man Accused of Pushing Child to Death

According to the Associated Press, a California man currently stands on trial for the 2000 death of his 4-year-old daughter. The young girl plummeted to her death from a 120 foot-high cliff in Rancho Palos Verdes. Speculation on the part of the prosecution claims that the father, in a wayward attempt at having to avoid paying child support, threw his daughter off the cliff. On the other hand, the defense claims that the whole incident was an accident and that the 47-year-old father loved his daughter dearly and would never do such a thing. This most recent trial is the second attempt at prosecuting the 47-year-old man, with the first attempt having resulted in a mistrial due to jury deadlock. He currently faces one count of murder and “the special circumstance allegations of murder while lying in wait and for financial gain”, which carries with it a lifetime prison sentence without the possibility of parole.

Theories abound as to what happened to the little girl, and how she lost her footing off the side of the Inspiration Point cliff. The prosecution claims that the father not only wanted to avoid paying child support for his daughter, but took her life in order to exact revenge against her mother who was seeking full custody of the child. Evidence points to the fact that there were no smaller footprints near the spot where the girl allegedly fell, and that injuries sustained by the girl were inconsistent with her accidentally falling. The defense argued that the child was leading her father on the hike, and simply lost her footing at the cliff.

While the 47-year-old man is the only person that really knows what happened, it should be pointed out that all individuals are innocent until proven guilty. A person cannot be prosecuted on pure speculation. Evidence needs to substantiate the charges being brought against the person, and a jury has to believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that the individual created the crime. With such damning allegations staring him in the face, the man’s best option was to retain the legal services of a skilled Los Angeles criminal defense attorney.