Missing Court Creates Serious Consequences Missing court can rapidly make a criminal case worse. A failure to appear (FTA) sets off a legal chain reaction — possible new charges, stricter release conditions, higher bail, or a bench warrant for your . . .
READ ARTICLEEnhancements Can Double or Triple Exposure When someone is charged with a crime, the main charge is only part of the picture. In many California criminal cases, prosecutors also file sentencing enhancements. These are additional allegations that, if proven, can add . . .
READ ARTICLEThere is No Such Thing as Off the Record In criminal cases, there is no meaningful “off the record” conversation with police. Whether you’re sitting in an interview room, speaking on the phone, answering questions on your front porch, or . . .
READ ARTICLEHow Judges Decide Release or Custody After an arrest, one of the most urgent questions is whether the person accused will be released or kept in custody while a case is pending. In many cases, that decision happens at a . . .
READ ARTICLECan Charges Be Reduced Before Trial? Facing criminal charges can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re unsure what will happen before trial. The good news is many cases don’t simply move straight from arrest to trial without opportunities for review, challenge, . . .
READ ARTICLESuppressing illegal evidence can end cases In criminal defense, few tools are as powerful as a motion to suppress. This legal motion is built on the exclusion principle, or exclusionary rule, which prohibits illegally obtained evidence from being used at . . .
READ ARTICLEWhy police reports are not the final truth Police reports are official legal documents, but they are not infallible evidentiary records. In reality, these reports are written by law enforcement: under pressure at work, based on limited information, and with . . .
READ ARTICLEDoes the Case Still Move Forward? In California domestic violence cases, many people assume a case will automatically disappear if the alleged victim refuses to cooperate or does not show in court. Unfortunately, that is rarely how the legal system . . .
READ ARTICLEWhen weak evidence kills a criminal case In the U.S. criminal justice system, the burden of proof rests squarely on the prosecution. To move a case forward and ultimately obtain a conviction, the government must present credible, admissible evidence that . . .
READ ARTICLECrimes that can be misdemeanors or felonies In California criminal law, a wobbler offense is a crime that can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony. As the name suggests, it refers to crimes that “wobble” between the . . .
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