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California has some of the strictest gun control laws and, for firearm owners, it has become increasingly important to know where you can carry a gun legally. The 1995 California Gun-Free Zone Act, or Penal Code § 626.9 PC, makes it a crime to knowingly possess a loaded or unloaded firearm in a school zone.…

In the state of California, a restraining order is a court order that protects a person from harassment, abuse, stalking or threats by another person. It includes three primary orders – a stay-away/no-contact order preventing a respondent from contacting the protected person; preventing a respondent from coming within a specific number of yards from the…

A post here earlier this month reported on an audit in the Orange County Sheriff’s Department about evidence in criminal cases being improperly booked as evidence. A second audit has reportedly found that in 57 cases sheriff’s deputies had not booked evidence in criminal cases, even though they reported that they had done so. The…

Three dozen news outlets across California collaborated on an investigative research project that resulted in the publishing a series of local news articles about “criminal cops;” police officers who have been convicted of crimes. The reports have stirred up controversy in the state capital, in police unions and among prosecutors and the public. Some legislators…

Two propositions have qualified for the 2020 ballot in California, both of which aim to undo certain provisions of recently passed criminal justice reform laws. One proposition seeks to undo provisions of Propositions 47 and 57 as well as AB 109, all of which were aimed at reducing the prison population. The other seeks to…

As the long days of summer disappear, your commute seems just a little longer in the dark, and the mood shifts toward home-body, I’ll suggest adding some white-collar crime podcasts to your listening habits. If you aren’t a podcast listener, maybe these will convert you into one. There are podcasts out there that are every…

A new law signed by Governor Newsom last Monday strengthens the standard by which police can use deadly force in California. The new guidelines are among the toughest, if not the toughest, in the country. Governor Newsom and advocates believe this law may become a model for police deadly force standards nationwide. The law significantly…

With the new California state budget, the legislature allocated $5 million to fund an experimental “restorative justice” reform initiative. The criminal justice pilot program will be implemented in San Joaquin County over five years. San Joaquin is a logical choice as it has had a restorative justice program in place for more than 3 years,…

Crime rates for 2018 are in from the California Department of Justice. The report shows violent crime cases, property crime, and juvenile crime fell in almost all regions across California. This continues the general downward trend in crimes per capita in California.  While there was a bump upward in violent crime between 2014 – 2016,…

July 1, 2019 is upon us, and that is the date major portions of Proposition 63 that will affect every-day residents of California go into effect. Proposition 63, also known as Background Checks for Ammunition Purchases and Large-Capacity Ammunition Magazine Ban Initiative, was approved by California voters in November 2016.   The initiative, and related legislation,…