Lawrence Wolf - Part 8

LAPD Captain Loses Position as Commander after DUI Arrest

A 25-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department has been removed from his position as commander after being arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. According to an ABC News report, the Los Angeles Police Captain was arrested on the 101 Freeway in Sherman Oaks. The Rampart commander was not taken to jail, but his vehicle was impounded before he was released to a friend or family member. His position has been reassigned. An investigation is imminent.

It is common for individuals arrested for drunk driving to face social and professional consequences in addition to criminal penalties. Individuals who drive for a living, or who are in a position of authority, have been known to lose their jobs after being arrested long before they get an opportunity to fight the charges in court. This is why it is important to proactively fight the charges by contacting an experienced DUI criminal defense attorney as soon as possible…

ACLU Exposes Racial Profiling During Marijuana Arrests

marijuana-smoking_3644048 According to national findings reported by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), African Americans are four times more likely than Caucasians to face charges for marijuana use. The ACLU believes that this is proof of racial profiling because African Americans and Caucasians use marijuana about equally. As reported by The Los Angeles Times, the study took into account California arrest records from 2001 through 2010. The report did not consider arrests after California decriminalized possession of 28.5 grams or less of marijuana.

Unfortunately, the arrest rate for African Americans appears to be on the rise. While the marijuana arrest rates for Caucasians have remained consistent, the arrest rate for African Americans rose from 537 cases per 100,000 people in the year 2001 to 716 per 100,000 in 2010. With regard to California, African Americans make up just over 16 percent of marijuana arrests while only making up only 6.7 percent of the population…

Long Beach Men Arrested for Felony Sex Trafficking

Two Long Beach men, aged 24 and 22, have been arrested for holding two women and a 16-year-old girl captive while allegedly forcing them to work as prostitutes. The Press Telegram states that the men were arrested during a traffic stop near The Pike at Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach. The arrests occurred after the women escaped and notified the authorities of their situation. The teenager was rescued from an Inglewood motel. One of the men faces nine felony counts while the other faces two. The charges include human trafficking, mayhem, kidnapping, pimping, pandering, and other sex crime charges.

According to the California State Attorney General, sex trafficking is the world’s fastest growing criminal enterprise. By some estimates, human trafficking is a $32 billion-a-year business. The United States is one of the top destinations for trafficking, and California’s Attorney General has stated that the state is “one of the nation’s top four destination states for trafficking human beings.”

Human trafficking involves the unlawful trade of people who are forced to work as prostitutes or laborers. Some trafficking victims are U.S. citizens, but the majority of trafficking victims are brought in from Mexico, Asia, and other countries.

More Than 500 Drivers Arrested Over Memorial Day Weekend

Police officer has pulled over a motorist and is using his flashlight to check the back seat.

More than 500 people were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Los Angeles County over the busy Memorial Day weekend. According to a CBS Los Angelesnews report, 529 people were arrested for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol countywide from Friday through Sunday. These arrests were made as part of the “Avoid the 100 Los Angeles County DUI Campaign.”

The DUI (driving under the influence) campaign that took place during Memorial Day weekend barely marks the beginning of summer DUI enforcement. Drivers in Los Angeles can expect to see increased DUI enforcement efforts this summer. If you are stopped for a DUI this summer, here are a few important DUI prevention tips to remember:

Remain polite and concise with your answers during the traffic stop.
Simply provide your name and insurance information without engaging in lengthy conversations about your recent activities.
Refuse a breath test or to take part in a field sobriety tests. You will be required under the law to take a blood test. Refusing a test at the station will result in additional criminal penalties including a lengthy license suspension.
Do not answer any questions without a DUI defense attorney present.
Do not admit fault without considering all of your legal options. It may be possible to have the charges dropped or your penalties reduced.
Call an experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorney right away.

Torrance Worship Leader Faces New Molestation Charges

A 68-year-old worship leader from Torrance who has been recently charged with molesting a 10-year-old girl now faces additional charges. The Daily Breeze reports that a new investigation took place after a family member stepped forward with allegations. The new charges stemmed from an act that allegedly took place back in 2004 near Lomita Boulevard and Anza Avenue. The worship leader has pleaded not guilty to three counts of lewd acts with children and is scheduled to return to court June 5, 2013.

Molestation is defined as an act of unwanted and indecent advances for sexual gratification. The most serious molestation charges involve minors. Any form of physical contact of a sexual nature with a child is considered child molestation and the penalties for a conviction can be severe.

Avoiding DUI Arrests During the Summer Months

This summer, you can expect to see an increase in the number of patrol cars on the roadway. There is usually heightened DUI (driving under the influence) enforcement in Los Angeles County during the summer months. There will likely be saturation patrols in beach communities and an increased number of sobriety checkpoints in busy areas, especially near bars and restaurants. However, there are a number of ways in which you can avoid being arrested for a DUI.

First and foremost, it is vital to your own well-being that you do not get behind the wheel if you have been drinking. Depending on your body mass and food recently consumed, it may only take a couple of drinks to exceed the legal limit. California Vehicle Code Section 23152 (a) states that it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

Regulators Consider Lowering Drunk Driving Limit

A set of car keys in the foreground and glass of whiskey behind.

Under current law, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 percent or higher. The enforcement of this alcohol limit results in hundreds of thousands of arrests in California each year. For example, the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs reports that there were 203,866 DUI (driving under the influence) arrests made in California in the year 2007. During that same year, there were 42,736 DUI arrests in Los Angeles County alone. The number of DUI arrests could increase significantly if the alcohol limit is reduced to .05 percent.

According to The Los Angeles Times, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is calling for government incentives to encourage states to lower their drunk driving standard. They believe that a driver with a BAC above .05 percent has impaired abilities and is more likely to cause a fatal crash. Therefore, they recommend lowering the legal limit to help reduce the number of fatal DUI-related crashes.

Alcohol-related traffic fatalities have gone down since Bill Clinton signed legislation 13 years ago requiring states to enforce a .08 percent BAC or risk losing millions in federal highway funds. It is not clear, however, as to what type of cost the NTSB’s new recommendations will have. Their suggestion of lowering the legal limit will certainly prove costly for thousands of drivers in Los Angeles. They also want more high-visibility enforcement and an expanded use of ignition interlock devices to prevent impaired drivers from operating vehicles.

Los Angeles BAC LimitAccording to The Los Angeles Times, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is calling for government incentives to encourage states to lower their drunk driving standard. They believe that a driver with a BAC above .05 percent has impaired abilities and is more likely to cause a fatal crash. Therefore, they recommend lowering the legal limit to help reduce the number of fatal DUI-related crashes.

Palos Verdes Estates Man to Register as a Sex Offender

63-year-old Palos Verdes man will have to register as a sex offender and spend 90 days in jail for allegedly molesting teenage boys he invited to live in his Rolling Hills and Palos Verdes Estates homes. The Daily Breeze reports that he pleaded guilty in a Torrance court to misdemeanor counts of sexual battery by fraud and child molestation. He was charged with fondling two teenage boys who were allegedly thrown out of their homes. He allegedly groped the boys as they stayed in his house.

The victims, who are now young men, say that they did not come forward with the molestation accusations sooner because they needed a place to live. He was arrested after these allegations came to light. As part of his plea agreement, he will be placed on probation and forced to undergo sexual impulse counseling.

California Penal Code Section 288 makes it a crime to touch a child under the age of 14 for sexual purposes. Penalties for touching a child under 14 can result in up to eight years in a California state prison. If the minor was 16 or 17 years old, the case can be prosecuted as statutory rape, sexual battery, or as annoyance or molestation of a child under Penal Code Section 647.6.

Pharmacist Arrested in Chatsworth for Illegal Storage of Opiates

A 65-year-old Chatsworth pharmacist called the authorities to report a stolen handgun only to end up being under investigation for improperly giving away drugs. According to a Moorpark Acorn report, the authorities responded to the report of a stolen handgun on Ventura Way in Chatsworth. During their visit, officials were concerned about the amount of Schedule II and III opiates stored there.

The pharmacist had been storing prescription medication for a friend whose pharmacy was shut down years ago. He turned himself in for violating California Health and Safety Code for storing the medication in an unapproved manner and he may face additional charges pending the investigation. It is unclear if he will lose his job as a pharmacist.

There are many strict laws and regulations regarding when and how controlled substances are stored and distributed. If you are a medical professional in California, such as a pharmacist, nurse, or doctor, the concerned regulatory board can pursue disciplinary charges based on a criminal conviction. There have been cases, however, where professionals have lost their licenses even after they have successfully fought the charges or had their arrest expunged from their record.

How Do Search and Seizure Laws Affect Drug Crime Cases?

It is all too common for the war on drugs to take precedence over civil liberties and privacy rights. The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution places limits on the power of police officers to make arrests and conduct searches. If you have been arrested on drug charges in Los Angeles, it is important to understand your rights. If your rights were violated during a search or investigation, it may be possible to have evidence dismissed.

According to the Fourth Amendment, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

The Fourth Amendment protects individuals from unreasonable searches but it also allows search and seizures that are reasonable. The police may override your privacy concerns and search your person, home, office, or vehicle if:

There is probable cause to believe that they will find evidence that you committed a crime and a judge has issued a search warrant.
The particular circumstances justify the search without a warrant being issued.
You are aware of your rights and gave consent for the search.