Number of Juror Challenges May be Changed Number of Juror Challenges May be Changed . California Senate Bill (SB) 213 would reduce the number or peremptory challenges in a misdemeanor trial from 10 down to 6. The theory is that this will “speed up justice”. During jury selection, many people have prejudices they will not admit out loud.…
Sports Injury or Assault with a Deadly Weapon? Sports Injury or Assault with a Deadly Weapon? . Anyone who has watched professional sports or even weekend warrior sports knows You can get hurt and. Some guys play dirty. During the October 11 Dodgers/Mets Playoff game, Chase Utley allegedly slid into third base a little too late and…
Your Rights in a Vehicle Stop: Contrasting Situations Your Rights in a Vehicle Stop: Contrasting Situations. On July 18, 2013, a Texas officer stopped a young woman named Sandra Bland for failing to signal a lane change. The officer’s dash-cam activated, capturing most of the audio and video during the incident. Ms. Bland complied by pulling…
California Supreme Court Strikes Down Certain Jessica’s Law Provisions California Supreme Court Strikes Down Certain Jessica’s Law Provisions . On March 2, 2015, the California Supreme Court decided In re Taylor, and declared the residency restrictions for registered sex offenders under the Jessica’s Law unconstitutional – but only as to the way San Diego County courts applied the law. Because…
Texas prison inmate Jerry Hartfield was convicted of murder and put on death row in 1976. He has claimed innocence for many years and has an IQ or 51, about on par with the average first-grader’s ability to reason. Mr. Hartfield’s conviction was overturned in 1980 based upon misconduct in dismissing a juror who indicated he had issue…
Texting + Driving Can Lead to Criminal Charges in California Texting + Driving Can Lead to Criminal Charges in California . For those of you who feel it is just not as safe on the roads after the invention of texting, here is more fuel for the fire: The Huffington Post published this story on Wednesday,…
Domestic Violence and Equal Rights Domestic Violence and Equal Rights . It is a horrible thing to be a victim of domestic violence, involved in a relationship where a person is verbally and physically abused and made to feel powerless and hopeless. Until domestic violence was treated seriously by the courts and society, people often were heard…
The Conflict Between California and Federal Online Child Pornography Laws The Conflict Between California and Federal Online Child Pornography Laws . Two California Appellate court cases within the last 5 years have stated that California Penal Code Section 311.11 applies to files located computer’s “cache” are “knowingly possessed” within the meaning of the California child pornography statute.…
In June 2013, the United States Supreme Court decided Salinas v. Texas. The effect of this decision further nips away at our 5th Amendment Constitutional right to remain silent—part of what we all hear on cop TV shows and movies as our “Miranda rights.” In that case, Mr. Salinas voluntarily went to the police department to clear his name…
Another success story for the Innocence Project. In December 2013, former Texas judge Kenneth Anderson – who prosecuted Michael Morton before becoming a judge – served jail time for withholding exonerating evidence from the defense after he had been ordered by a judge to give any such evidence to the defense. Michael Morton’s story became known…