A column in The Orange County Register talks about how the Orange County Probation Department keeps tabs on sex offenders using GPS tracking devices. The department tracks adults and juveniles on court-ordered probation supervision. The GPS Monitoring Center is apparently one of five in the nation and the only one in California that is run in-house by a government agency.
Technicians spend their days and nights behind the screens that show signals transmitted by ankle bracelets or other tracking devices worn by those on probation. This is their new way of tracking probation violators in Orange County. It works like a “virtual noose” that tightens when someone makes a wrong move. For example, on a recent day, one of the technicians spotted a convicted sex offender in a local park and alerted police officers. This technology is somewhat foolproof. For instance, an alert sounds when someone tampers with their bracelet or does not change the battery on the device.
Wearing a GPS tracking device can be an additional consequence if you have been convicted of a sex crime in Orange County. Any criminal charge should be taken seriously and vigorously defended. Having a GPS tracking device on your person 24/7 can seriously affect your personal relationships and career.
If you or a loved one has been charged with a sex crime or any other type of crime, please contact the experienced Orange County sex crime lawyers at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman. We will defend the charges and strive to get them reduced or dismissed. Please call us at (800) 349-1619 to discuss your case at absolutely no cost.
A 71-year-old man has been arrested in Los Angeles for attempting to smuggle fake erectile-dysfunction pills into the country. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the man was arrested for possession of nearly 40,000 fake sex pills that looked similar to Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra tablets. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says he had the pills hidden in his golf bag and luggage. According to the report, the estimated value of the counterfeit drugs exceeded $700,000. He now faces trafficking in counterfeit goods charges.
Under U.S. Code Section 2320, “Whoever intentionally traffics or attempts to traffic in goods or services and knowingly uses a counterfeit mark on or in connection with such goods or services shall, if an individual, be fined not more than $2,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both, and, if a person other than an individual, be fined not more than $5,000,000.”
The term “counterfeit mark” often refers to a mark that is “identical with, or substantially indistinguishable from, a mark registered for those goods or services on the principal register in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and in use, whether or not the defendant knew such mark was so registered.”
A conviction for trafficking in counterfeit items could result in years of incarceration and hefty crimes. The experienced Irvine criminal defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman have an excellent track record of getting serious criminal charges reduced and even dismissed. If you or a loved one has been charged with a crime, please call our offices today at (800) 349-1619 to begin building your defense.
Police are trying tracking down a man who they believe took pictures or videos of a woman in the restroom of an Orange County college. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, a man took pictures of a woman in the restroom of the Humanities Building at Cypress College in Cypress. Officials have released a surveillance camera photo taken of a man leaving the building.
Under California Penal Code Section 647 (3)(A):, it is illegal for “any person who uses a concealed camcorder, motion picture camera, or photographic camera of any type, to secretly videotape, film, photograph, or record by electronic means, another, identifiable person who may be in a state of full or partial undress, for the purpose of viewing the body of, or the undergarments worn by, that other person, without the consent or knowledge of that other person, in the interior of a bedroom, bathroom, changing room, fitting room, dressing room, or tanning booth, or the interior of any other area in which that other person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, with the intent to invade the privacy of that other person.”
Individuals charged with a sex crime in Orange County, such as committing a lewd act, may face serious criminal penalties and substantial social and professional consequences. Anyone charged with these types of crimes would be well advised to protect their rights and reputation by contacting an experienced criminal defense attorney.
The skilled Orange County criminal defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman help defend the rights of those who are facing serious criminal charges. If you or a loved one has been charged with a crime in Orange County, please contact us at (800) 349-1619 for a free consultation.
The number of bank robberies in the seven-county region including Orange County has fallen considerably this last year, according to statistics released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The Orange County Register reports that there was a combined total of 287 bank robberies last year from Orange, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties. Compare that to 1992, a year in which bank heists hit their peak. That year, there were more than 2,600 reported bank robberies.
What caused this downswing? FBI officials say increased partnerships between federal and local law enforcement officials, media coverage of these violent crimes, and improved surveillance technology are just some of the factors that have deterred bank robbers over the last decade or so. Specifically, surveillance camera images these days are not only much clearer, but they can be instantaneously transmitted to other agencies, making it easier for them to work together to apprehend the suspects.
Any type of robbery is considered a violent crime in Orange County under California law because the victim is present and the element of physical threat or intimidation is present. According to California Penal Code Section 211, “Robbery is the felonious taking of personal property in the possession of another, from his person or immediate presence, and against his will, accomplished by means of force or fear.” It is a federal crime to rob a bank because all banks come under the purview of the federal government.
The consequences of being convicted of bank robbery can be extremely severe, including lengthy prison time, significant crimes, and a permanent criminal record. Officials often count on surveillance videos to catch bank robbers, which increases the possibility of apprehending the wrong person. If you or a loved one has been accused of robbery or other violent crimes, please contact the Orange County robbery attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman to get more information about building your defense. Call us at (800) 349-1619 for a free, comprehensive, and confidential consultation.
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has recently released new data showing that crimes in Orange County as a whole fell during the first half of 2011, continuing a trend seen over the last several years. Orange County violent crime saw the biggest decrease, as was the case with the United States as a whole, and saw a small dip in the amount of property crime.
Among the cities with the largest drops in crime were Santa Ana, Garden Grove, and Orange, which all saw drops in violent crime ranging from 10 to 34 percent, including robbery, rape, murder, and assault. Irvine continued to have the lowest per capita rate for violent crimes of all cities in the U.S. with a population greater than 100,000, and it was recently named sixth on a list of the country’s safest cities for 2011, although the list is not affiliated with the FBI. However, Irvine had a 25 percent property crime increase in the first half of 2011.
On the other side, Anaheim was the only city in Orange County to see an increase in both property and violent crime during the first half of 2011. According to the FBI, the United States has seen a nine percent decrease in property crime since 2006 and a 13 percent decrease in violent crime since 2001.
All forms of crimes in California are met with serious and potentially life-altering consequences if a defendant is found guilty. The Santa Ana criminal defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeremy N. Goldman can represent you in court if you are facing criminal charges in Southern California. For more information on how our law team can use their years of experience to defend you against harsh criminal charges, call our offices today at (800) 349-1619.
When soldiers come home from combat, they have to deal with many challenges. Returning to civilian life can be a very difficult time for military veterans after possibly years of ongoing violence, life and death situations, and an unpredictable future. Some can successfully cope, but others face mental and emotional health issues that end up tearing apart their personal and professional lives. Some even turn to crime. Jail time is not necessarily the answer to the underlying issues leading a military veteran to crime. In order to truly help veterans who have committed crimes turn their lives around, Orange County established Veterans Court, according to KPCC.
Veterans Court is a special court that handles cases of veterans who become involved in the criminal justice system. Many are combat veterans from Afghanistan or Iraq that have committed crimes but want to deal with their issues and rejoin society. One such case involved a 29-year-old Army veteran who is in court because he threatened a man’s life through a text message. After losing a leg in Afghanistan, he had an extremely difficult time transitioning into civilian life and his anger pushed family and friends away. After receiving the proper support in Veterans Court, however, he has started to get his life back together.
Many of the veterans that come before the Court have alcohol or drug problems that wouldn’t be fixed by jail-time. The Court focuses on getting veterans the support and rehabilitation they need to recover and confidently rejoin society. Veterans that are accepted into this special system must plead guilty to their crime and then are placed on probation while they complete a four-phase recovery program, which lasts for at least one and a half years.
There are many potential mitigating factors that can affect a criminal case, but without an experienced criminal defense attorney, they will likely be ignored. If you have been arrested for a crime in Orange County, the aggressive Irvine criminal defense attorney Jeremy N. Goldman can protect your legal rights and help you avoid excessive penalties. Call today at (800) 349-1619 for a consultation.
The Corona Del Mar Patch reports that the Newport Beach area has a higher crime rate than many other cities in Orange County according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) 2010 Crime in the United States uniform crime statistics report.
The FBI report includes statistics for burglary, arson, larceny-theft, auto theft, robbery, rape, assault, and murder in Orange County cities. It identifies the average Newport Beach crime rate of 28 crimes per 1,000 residents, which comes to a total high enough to put Newport Beach near the bottom of Orange County safety rankings. Brea is at the very bottom with a crime rate of 39.9 per 1,000 residents, which is higher than larger cities like Anaheim which has a rate of 28.5, and Santa Ana which has a rate of 23.8.
For populations of less than 20,000, the safest city in Orange County is Laguna Woods which has a crime rate of 6.5 per 1,000 residents. Laguna Woods is the seventh safest city in California, followed by Rancho Santa Margarita, which has the lowest crime rate for cities with populations over 20,000. Rancho Santa Margarita’s crime rate is 7.9 per 1,000 residents. The top ten safest cities Orange County, including crime rates, are:
- Laguna Woods, 6.5
- Rancho Santa Margarita, 7.9
- Laguna Niguel, 10.5
- Aliso Viejo, 11.3
- Villa Park, 12.7
- Mission Viejo, 12.7
- Yorba Linda, 12.9
- San Clemente, 13.4
- Irvine, 13.4
- Lake Forest, 13.9
Every city experiences crime, even if they are one of the safest cities in the state. All cities, however, tend to be very aggressive when prosecuting these crimes. If you have been arrested for a crime in Orange County, the best chance of getting the charges reduced or dismissed is retaining the services of an experienced Newport Beach criminal defense attorney. At The Law Offices of Jeremy N. Goldman, we can provide you with the aggressive defense you need to protect your rights and your future. Contact us today at 1-800-349-1619 for a consultation.
More than 4,000 female inmates who are mothers, and were not convicted for serious or sexual crimes, may be released to serve the remainder of their sentence at home, according to the Los Angeles Times. They will not just be sent home, however. Mothers who qualify for this program will be required to wear a GPS-enabled ankle bracelet and regularly report to a parole officer. This new program was developed to abide by a court-imposed deadline to help resolve the state’s prison overcrowding issues. The program begins at the end of a legal battle in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the chronic overcrowding and subsequent lack of medical care as cruel and unusual punishment. Now, California is tasked with reducing its inmate population by over 30,000 by July 2013.
Since over 90 percent of California’s inmates are men, and since gender discrimination is unconstitutional, the new program is expected to expand to male inmates who are fathers. If a male inmate is the “primary caregiver” of their child, he may qualify if these other requirements are met:
• He was not convicted of a violent or sexual felony;
• He was not convicted of any crime of child abuse;
• He has not made an escape attempt in the last 10 years;
• He is not the member of a gang; and
• He does not have an active restraining order.
Some critics believe that many female prisoners were not good mothers to begin with and that the new program may result in a crime increase. However, state officials are hopeful that reuniting families will help with inmate rehabilitation as well as help prevent children from following the same path as their parent(s).
Being charged with a crime in Southern California can be confusing and overwhelming, but you still have legal rights. To learn more about getting the aggressive defense you need to protect your future, call the experienced criminal defense lawyers in Orange County at The Law Offices of Jeremy N. Goldman today at 1-800-349-1619 for a consultation.
Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that California must reduce the number of people in its prisons by over 30,000 in order to correct prisoners’ rights violations within the prison system, according to an article in The Orange County Register.
The court ruled 5-4 that, in their current overcrowded state, California’s prisons violate inhabitants’ Constitutional rights. Despite concerns about “terrible things sure to happen” voiced by Justice Antonin Scalia, the court has ruled that California must address the overcrowding, leaving corrections officials to figure out how to do so.
In Orange County, the Sheriff’s Department has considered moving some people out of prison and into the county jails. Currently, about 1,600 beds are available in county jails, which the county leases to the federal government, which uses it to house people convicted of federal crimes. It is cheaper for the state, however, to keep those convicted of state crimes in county jails rather than in prison.
California is also considering building more prisons and shipping prisoners out of state to live in prisons in Arizona, New Mexico, and other nearby states. No final decisions have yet been made.
California residents who are convicted of a crime still have Constitutional rights, regardless of the nature of the crime or how much prison time is required. The best defense when charged with any crime in California, however, is to hire an aggressive and experienced Orange County criminal defense attorney like those at The Law Offices of Jeremy N. Goldman. To learn more, call us today at 1-800-349-1619.
A recent study by the Northern California Innocence Project has concluded that the majority of acts of prosecutor misconduct in California are never reported, much less punished, according to an article in California Watch.
According to the study, California courts must tell the California State Bar about prosecutorial misconduct only if it leads to a conviction being overturned. However, 78 percent of the cases that involved prosecutorial misconduct in 2010 did not result in an overturned conviction. When the conviction is not overturned, the misconduct is written off as “harmless error,” and the California State Bar never hears about it. Without this information, the bar cannot investigate prosecutors who are frequently found to have acted badly, nor can it punish repeat offenders.
During its study, the Northern California Innocence Project found that prosecutors frequently overstepped the bounds of the law on issues like “violating defendants’ rights to silence, improperly questioning witnesses and defendants, presenting false evidence, and making improper arguments to juries.” Missteps like this may lead to juries making the wrong decisions that permanently alter the course of a defendant’s life. Worse, these actions may directly violate the Constitutional rights of those facing criminal charges.
To ensure that prosecutor misconduct does not go unnoticed in a criminal case, it’s important to have an Orange County criminal defense attorney with many years of experience on your side. At The Law Offices of Jeremy N. Goldman, we have the resources and courtroom experience to present an aggressive defense that protects our clients’ Constitutional rights and fights for the best possible outcome in each case we handle. To schedule a free and confidential consultation, call The Law Offices of Jeremy N. Goldman today at 1-800-349-1619.
