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There are very few crimes in California that carry such a high penalty as being charged with attempted murder. Individuals who assault another person with the intent to murder will be found guilty of this offense. These criminal charges are covered under PC 664/187(A) and require an excellent criminal defense attorney with in-depth experience dealing with these cases.

The punishment for attempted murder includes a prison sentence of any number of years to life.

Given the severity of the alleged crime and the consequences it entails, prosecutors are required to prove certain elements for the defendant to be found guilty of attempted murder. These elements include:

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The Writ of Habeas Corpus protects prison inmates from false imprisonment to ensure people are not thrown into jail unlawfully. Today, it is a highly effective post-conviction tool that can be used by inmates to challenge their sentencing conditions.

It isn’t uncommon for defendants to hire new attorneys post-conviction because appellate law requires a different skill set.

The Process of Initiating a Habeas Corpus Petition

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Child sexual abuse is one of the most vicious and reprehensible crimes regardless of where you are in the world. It can refer to a range of sex crimes involving children such as sexual assault, forced physical contact, statutory rape, sexual abuse, and public lewdness.

Under the California Penal Code, a person will have committed a sex crime if they engage in a sex act with another person without their consent. A child, defined as a person under the age of 18, does not have the legal ability to consent to sex. Thus, if a person engages in a sex act with a child, even if the child appears to have given consent, they will have committed child sexual abuse.

Many victims of child sexual abuse feel scared or embarrassed about reporting the crime. They may feel guilty, ashamed, and may even blame themselves for the abuse. Others report the abuse, but they aren’t always taken seriously by their adult caretakers – under the guise of them not able to understand what they have experienced. In either case, sexual abuse of any nature can have a devastating impact on a child’s physical and mental health and well-being.

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What is the difference between manslaughter and murder?

Simply put, the act of killing another person with malice is murder and carries a very serious charge. On the other hand, manslaughter is the unlawful killing of a person(s) without malice or prior planning.

The prosecution thoroughly reviews the specific circumstances surrounding a murder before deciding which charge is to be applied. California law mandates a maximum of only 11 years in prison in the case the assailant is convicted of manslaughter.

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On December 15, 2021, the governor of California signed SB 81 into law to dismiss sentence enhancements in the interests of justice. This bill comes at the heel of widespread activism, drawing attention to the plight of convicts spending more time than necessary in jail or prison.

Studies show that sentence enhancements for long sentences do not deter crime. The number of separate sentence enhancements that a person could theoretically face when charged with a crime is about 150. This ranges from add-ons for gang association, being on probation, or having a prior conviction. Sentence enhancements are particularly concerning if you face criminal charges that include time spent in jail or prison, meaning more time spent incarcerated if convicted.

How Sentence Enhancements Work

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SB 775 is a bill signed into law on October 5, 2021, and reforms SB 1437 laws about the conviction of aiders and abettors for murder. Inmates with murder convictions under the previous laws could be charged with murder even though they had nothing to do with it.

Bill 775 allows a defendant convicted of murder, manslaughter, or attempted murder to appeal for resentencing.

The Impact of SB 775

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It’s a documented fact that victims of child sexual abuse are at a much higher risk of developing long-term psychological, emotional, and physical disorders including depression, guilt, and anxiety. The lingering memories of sexual abuse in schools and even home are often difficult to suppress and changes how the victim thinks and acts over their lifetime. Some researchers go so far as to claim that child sexual abuse changes a person forever.

Unraveling the Grim Statistics of Child Sexual Abuse in 2022

While there are few definitive statistics that reveal how often child sexual abuse in schools occurs, many survivors are coming forward about their experiences. The Children’s Bureau from the Department of Health and Human Services reported that at least 9.2% of children were sexually assaulted.

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One of the most valuable skills that attorneys need today is a sense of awareness. It’s knowledge of the latest developments that affect people and businesses, both within your community and the country at large. Attorney Christopher Darden is one such professional who embodies this trait – and more.

After passing the California Bar exams in 1980, he was hired at the National Labor Relations Board in Los Angeles. Darden then applied for a job with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office to change his career. He relocated to the Huntington Park office, and then briefly moved to Beverly Hills, before relocating to the Criminal Courts Building (CCB) in Los Angeles in 1983.

He specialized as a co-prosecutor at the CCB where he worked in the Hardcore Gang Unit. After that, he worked for the Special Investigation Division (SID) to investigate criminal activity and corruption by public officials including law enforcement personnel in February 1988. This is also where Darden met his mentor Johnnie Cochran, who represented victims of police brutality. The two became very close partners.

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Rideshare apps have become an integral part of our lives in Los Angeles. Whether you call a Lyft or take an Uber home after a long night out, you need to stay aware of your surroundings at all times. Here’s why: Uber and Lyft drivers are just as vulnerable to accidents on the road as other drivers. This means it is imperative to know how to handle an accident in LA while using a rideshare accident.

Here’s what you should do in an Uber or Lyft car accident.

Call 911

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Bad news always comes as a shock. Most recently,  Lyft just admitted to receiving well over 4,000 cases of sexual assault.

And that’s just from 2017 to 2019 – and the more we dig, the more gruesome their history gets.

Riders have experienced many types of violence by Lyft drivers including:

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