Just so that we are all on the same page here, this is not something that someone could hide under a big jacket or in a purse. These “bins” are four feet by four feet square and hold one thousand pounds of grapes each. And, with an estimated value of $50,000, or over $12,000 per ton, these were some very high end grapes which would make some very expensive wine. I’m afraid that Proposition 47 won’t help Jeffry Hill. I’m sure his lawyer already told him that Prop 47 only applies to thefts with the total loss value under $950. Please remember …

That’s right, I said don’t hire a lawyer you find on the internet. Why, you ask? There is an old saying: “Don’t believe everything you hear”, or in this case, everything you read. Lawyers hire marketing professionals to build their websites, write articles and optimize the sites so that the sites can be “found” by search engines. Reviews can be faked and put up on websites to promote unscrupulous attorneys. Upon calling the lawyer’s offices, sales representatives often field calls in an attempt to “close” leads as soon as possible and often without the client either meeting the lawyer or …

An Interview with Private Investigator David Hance After my last private investigator left to try his luck in reality television, I went on the hunt for someone new to help me conduct necessary investigations in my criminal and DUI cases. The person I found is very special. David Hance is a living, breathing, true believer. If Dave were a lawyer, he’d be a career public defender. Fortunately for me, Dave never went to law school, but he did get his PI license. Dave is a 46 year old divorced father of a 16 year old daughter. He lives in Studio …

Several years ago during what was later described as the “Economic Downturn”, I went searching for ways to get new business with a minimum of expense. I was introduced to a business networking group called Le Tip and joined an established chapter near Thousand Oaks, California. When I showed up at my first meeting, the guy who came to my rescue as I floundered around a room of total strangers was none other than attorney Mark Lester. Mark explained to me the way the group worked and taught me how to develop a 30 second “commercial” about what I do …

Alcohol and Drug Dependency Resources To me the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency (NCADD) has been nothing more than the liaison between the court and the court ordered alcohol education program after my clients have been convicted of DUI and ordered into a program. After the case settlement, we get the paperwork from the clerk, head over to the NCADD office, pay them a fee and get our referral to an alcohol school. We then call the school directly and make an appointment to go in and sign up. Some weeks or months later, after we finish the program, NCADD …

I often joke that 75% of my client’s criminal and DUI problems are brought about by substance abuse, money or relationship problems (often brought about by the first two triggers). This being said, one might imagine that there is a great deal of cross-over between my business and that of a family law attorney. Family law is not an area where I practice nor do I care to start, but I often interact with family law attorneys in the course of my regular practice. Family law generally, is an area of law encompassing divorce, child custody, spousal and child support and even …

I read the news every day. I search out articles about people being arrested almost as often. Sometimes what I find makes me sad, sometimes I find it interesting and sometimes I get downright mad. When I read yesterday about the three men in Ukiah who were caught with 59 abalone at their home, I was pleased as punch. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife were conducting surveillance on the men who illegally harvested the abalone with SCUBA gear. Officers followed the suspected poachers to their residence where they were found with the shelled abalone, scuba gear and their …

Sometimes things may not go as planned in the trial court. Maybe the jury didn’t see things the way you had hoped, or maybe there is a change in the law in the course of a case or after conviction. Maybe your trial lawyer forgot something or made a mistake. The remedy may come from a consultation with an appellate lawyer. I recently had an opportunity to speak with appellate lawyer Anthony D. Z. Tony was kind enough to have answered a few questions about his practice. I have summarized his answers and added a few comments to aid in the …

Proposition 47 Passes Making Many Drug and Theft Offenses Misdemeanors In case you have not heard yet, Proposition 47 just passed. This means that many felony drug and theft offenses will now be misdemeanors. There is an exception in the law to exclude certain defendants with prior convictions for murder, rape and certain other sex offenses and gun charges. Also, the proposition has a retroactive effect which would allow previously convicted felons to be re-sentenced under the new law. Before re-sentencing the proposition requires some kind of criminal history review by a judge in order to assure the public that …

I hope you all had a happy Halloween. This weekend, not one but two friends called to say that their children had been arrested. One was a juvenile and was released with a notice that they would be contacted in the future to appear in court. The other was a young adult arrested in Los Angeles County for DUI causing injury or felony DUI. In LA, the bail schedule says if you are arrested for DUI causing injury your bail will be set at $100,000.00. This means that if you want to post bail, it will cost you or your family between $7,000 …