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A recent article in The Miami Herald discussed the long-winded debate over texting and driving, and whether or not texting should be banned altogether. For Californians at least, this debate ended some time ago, with texting while driving now being against the law, just as cell phone usage without a hands-free device is. However, not even half of the states across the country have imposed such rules on texting, despite the fact that there have been numerous studies warning of the dangers involved with driving while being distracted with any task other than simply driving. The article cited a study… Read More
Nevada’s The Record-Courier recently reported about a 50-year-old man who had a previous DUI felony conviction in Los Angeles in 1997, and was recently sentenced again to a second prison term for felony driving under the influence in Gardnerville, Nevada. His blood alcohol content at the time of the crash was .209, about two and a half times the legal limit. The man was sentenced to five years in prison, but could be out on parole as early as two years. Though it was reported that the man had previously sobered up since his last conviction, even attending Alcoholics Anonymous… Read More
According to The Orange County Register, an 18-year old, male from the North Tustin area was recently charged with second–degree murder for crashing his parents’ car, resulting in the loss of life of his 16-year-old, female passenger. The driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash boasting a blood alcohol content of 0.11. His female passenger, though wearing a seatbelt, died from massive, blunt-force trauma. It was reported that the young driver had previously, the very day of the crash, in fact, been warned by a juvenile court judge that driving involved taking on a… Read More
R&B singer Chris Brown pleaded guilty to assaulting his girlfriend, pop star Rhianna, in a plea deal that his criminal defense attorneys and prosecuting attorneys reached at the last second before his domestic violence trial was set to begin. The altercation occurred between the couple the night before the Grammy awards when Chris Brown received a text message from a former lover. After arguing in his rented Lambourghini, police found Rhianna bruised and bloodied on a Hancock Park side street. According to the report, Brown, who is 20-years old, will be on probation for five years, attend a yearlong domestic… Read More
In our legal system, an indictment is a formal accusation that a person has committed a criminal offense. The LA Times online published an article about one such indictment, the document charges about 40 members and associates of the Columbia Lil Cycos — a clique of the 18th Street gang — with being involved in a racketeering conspiracy that allegedly involved murder, drug trafficking, money laundering, kidnapping and other crimes. According to the indictment, the Mexican mafia, a notorious prison based organization that allegedly controls Latino street gangs were angered that a baby was killed in a botched “hit” of… Read More
A well known Fresno businessman was being held in Fresno County Jail on felony domestic violence, assault with a deadly weapon and other charges. Bail was $421,000. According to an account, the businessman had been arrested on suspicion of brutally beating a woman and holding a knife to her neck. The argument was apparently over a watch that had a value of approximately $135,000. Offices found bruises and scratches all over the woman’s arm and neck when they responded to the call for help. The California penal code defines abuse as “intentionally or recklessly causing or attempting to cause bodily… Read More
Los Angeles authorities have used DNA samples to identify three auto burglary suspects, according to an article. Police have taken one man into custody for the burglary in Los Angeles and are searching for the other two. Blood left on a door handle identified one of the individuals to his car theft. His DNA was a match for a car burglar who smashed the window of a sports car parked near 4th and Hill streets in 2007 and removed cash. In another case, blood found on a paper bag left by a car burglar in 2008 was collected and placed… Read More
The South Pasadena police department wanted to penalize drivers who were failing to come to a complete stop while school buses were stopped with their flashing red lights on. To catch drivers who were disobeying this law, they set up a sting operation to catch the violators. Now it appears that the tickets they handed out are not valid, according to anarticle in the Los Angeles Times. The $500 a piece citations were handed out by the South Pasadena police department during a sting in which two police cadets walked on and off a school bus parked on Huntington Drive… Read More
There has been an arrest in the case of two Highland Park boys who were shot and killed in Piedmont Park on March 13th. Authorities have arrested an 18-year-old and charged him with two counts of murder in California with the special circumstance of multiple murders, according to a published report in LA Times online. The arrests come after 4 months of investigations following the tragic shootings. According to authorities, someone from the community had stepped forward and accused the teen, a documented member of the Dogtown gang whose street monikers include the name “Shorty.” The shootings occurred when the… Read More
A 29 year old El Monte man, who disclosed on his application to the highway patrol that he had viewed pornography on his computer, was arrested and charged with suspicion of committing lewd acts with a minor, according to a published LA Times report. The disclosure on his application spurred an investigation by CHP officials, working in conjunction with the FBI on a multiagency task force. Hernandez also admitted having viewed illicit photos of a minor within a month of filling out the application, a disclosure that probably had more to do with the full blow investigation then his admission… Read More
