Monthly Archives: March 2011

The criminal court in Torrance is composed of a number of different divisions.  These divisions hear cases from various parts of the region and each has a different Judge or commissioner to adjudicate cases.  Though the criminal bench hears both felony and … Continue reading →

Yes.  The California Supreme Court has ruled that a person charged in a criminal case has a right to choose his attorney, in one appellate court case a public defender was appointed to represent the defendant, the public defender informed … Continue reading →

A commonly asked question in many criminal trials is whether the defendant can introduce acts of misconduct against a prosecutorial witness.  Specific acts of misconduct do not run afoul of the Evidence Code .  Nor do complaints of specific acts … Continue reading →

Nowadays, due in large part to a difficult economy and high unemployment, crimes of theft are on the rise.  One of the most prevalent forms of theft is called shoplifting.  Shoplifting is a nickname for the criminal charge of petty theft … Continue reading →

A person accused of a criminal offense in California may challenge statements obtained by police by way of an evidentiary hearing to determine if any police witnesses or agents will claim that defendant made any statements or utterances following defendant’s … Continue reading →

A recurring evidentiary issue in DUI DMV suspension hearings is that of a civilian witness seeing the defendant drive and the DMV using that evidence as the basis of the action notwithstanding an absence of any police officer observations.  The … Continue reading →

The privilege of not being compelled to testify against one’s husband or wife has ancient roots.  Writing in 1628, Lord Coke observed that “It hath been resolved by the justices that a wife cannot be produced either against or for … Continue reading →

Article I, section 14 of the California Constitution provides that “[a] person unable to understand English who is charged with a crime has a right to an interpreter throughout the proceedings.”  Failure of a trial court to make inquiries regarding … Continue reading →

911 calls can constitute hearsay.  In criminal cases statements that are hearsay violate a defendant’s right of confrontation under the Due Process Clause of the United States Constitution.  In Crawford v. Washington (2004) 541 U.S. 36, the Supreme Court held … Continue reading →

Attorneys handle hundreds of cases every year to be effective representing a client’s interests in a criminal case it is important to know as much about the client as possible. To that end, most effective criminal lawyers request that their … Continue reading →