A 46-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after officials say she struck another woman with a crowbar during a fight in a Home Depot parking lot. According to The Orange County Register, the incident occurred in the 600 block of South Harbor Boulevard in La Habra. The victim apparently suffered a laceration to her head, but was alert and talking. Police said a prior bad relationship between the two women led to the fight and assault.
According to California Penal Code Section 245 (a) (1): “Any person who commits an assault upon the person of another with a deadly weapon or instrument other than a firearm or by any means of force likely to produce great bodily injury shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years, or in a county jail for not exceeding one year, or by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment.”
An assault with a deadly weapon charge can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony. The seriousness of the charges usually depends on the type of “weapon” that was used in the assault, the extent of the injuries suffered by the victim, and if the victim was a law enforcement or peace officer such as a police officer, firefighter, or some other type of emergency worker.
In order to prove an Orange County assault with a deadly weapon charge, the prosecution must show that the defendant assaulted someone and that the assault was committed with an instrument or weapon that had the potential to cause great bodily injury. Remember, the injury does not have to be severe. All that the prosecution needs to prove is that you had the ability and the intent to cause severe bodily injury to the other person.
If you or a loved one has been accused of committing a violent crime in Orange County, an experienced La Habra assault defense attorney at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman can help you understand your options. Please contact us at (800) 349-1619 for a no-cost consultation.
In what is Orange County’s first death penalty trial this year, a 42-year-old man convicted of raping and murdering a 22-year-old Costa Mesa woman in 1988 is facing the possibility of death or life in prison without the possibility of parole. According to a report by The Daily Pilot, this is a retrial in the penalty phase. An earlier jury deadlocked 10 to two concerning whether to give the man the death penalty and the judge declared a mistrial. The man was convicted in March of first-degree murder.
The prosecution sought the penalty phase retrial stating that the man’s actions, raping the woman who was pregnant and then killing her by stabbing her in the act, were “exceptionally cruel” and warrant the death penalty. The defense attorney said the defendant was raised by a mentally ill mother, which was a contributing factor in his criminal past.
California Penal Code Section 187 (a) defines murder as the “unlawful killing of a human being, or a fetus, with malice aforethought.” In some cases, the prosecution may choose to pursue the death penalty. This usually depends on the nature of the crime and the circumstances of the incident.
Murder charges are obviously life changing. Prosecutors vigorously pursue these charges because these are high-profile cases that are closely covered by Orange County media. If you or a loved one has been charged with murder, the experienced Orange County murder defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman can help you better understand your options. Please contact us at (800) 349-1619 for a no-cost case assessment.
Police departments across Orange County are starting to set up DUI checkpoints with summer approaching. The Orange County Register reports that Garden Grove police will conduct their sobriety and driver’s license checkpoint from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. on April 14. Last weekend, La Habra police as well as the California Highway Patrol conducted checkpoints at undisclosed locations. With summer quickly approaching, these DUI and driver’s license checkpoints are expected to multiply and become more widespread in Orange County.
A traffic stop or an arrest at a driving under the influence (DUI) checkpoint can have serious consequences for Orange County drivers. According to estimates by The Auto Club of Southern California, a first-time DUI conviction in Orange County can cost an individual about $12,162. This includes fines, penalties, court fees, restitution, other program costs such as alcohol education, installation of an ignition interlock device, and increased insurance costs. In addition, the driver may also be sentenced to jail time.
A number of Orange County law enforcement agencies receive special funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) specifically to conduct sobriety checkpoints. Officials are required under the law to give notice of these checkpoints. It is your right as a driver to be able to avoid going through a checkpoint. You cannot be arrested just because you turned away from a checkpoint. A police officer should have probable cause to arrest you.
If you are facing drunk driving charges, the experienced Orange County DUI defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman can help you. We will fight for your rights and ensure that you are not unfairly charged. Please contact us at (800) 349-1619 for a no-cost consultation.
A former financial officer for an Irvine tech company is facing embezzlement charges in connection with taking $16 million and then losing most of it to gambling or the financial markets. According to The Orange County Register, the 33-year-old Rancho Santa Margarita resident was arrested in New York in March and was ordered back to Orange County to be arraigned on a federal wire fraud charge. The man apparently worked as the chief financial officer for a tech company in Irvine where he earned about $180,000 a year.
He resigned earlier this year when the company experienced cash flow issues and told executives at the time that the problem was due to customers not paying on time. Following his departure, company executives discovered that he had embezzled nearly $16.1 million, the report states. All the money was apparently lost to gambling and commodity trades.
Embezzlement is what is known as a white-collar crime in Orange County. According to California Penal Code 503: “Embezzlement is the fraudulent appropriation of property by a person to whom it has been entrusted.” Embezzlement is often prosecuted as a federal crime and depending on the nature of the crime and the amount of money embezzled those who are convicted may face severe penalties including incarceration and hefty fines.
If you are facing white-collar crime charges in Orange County, the experienced Irvine embezzlement defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman can help you better understand your legal rights and options. If you have been accused of embezzlement or any other white-collar crime in Orange County, please contact us at (800) 349-1619 before discussing your case with authorities.
A 25-year-old male schoolteacher in Irvine has been arrested on suspicion of sending nude photos of himself to an underage female student at the school. According to a news report in The Los Angeles Times, the teacher at the private high school was taken into custody when he arrived at a pizza restaurant expecting to meet the 15-year-old girl. Instead, federal and local authorities were waiting for him. Officials believe there may have been other victims.
The arrest is the latest in a series of cases involving teachers across Southern California. Federal officials with the Orange County Child Exploitation Task Force have made approximately 15 similar arrests just in the last eight months, including a recent arrest concerning lewd acts by an El Rancho teacher.
Most of the recent cases discussed in this news report have to do with schoolteachers having inappropriate relationships with students or being involved in lewd conduct with students. These sex crime charges are extremely serious and can be career ending for teachers in particular. A teacher could lose his or her professional license and be required to register as a sex offender if convicted of a sex crime.
If you or a loved one is facing these serious charges, it is critical that you get an experienced lawyer on your side right away. If possible, an attorney should be involved even before charges are filed. The experienced Irvine sex crime defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman have a successful track record of protecting the rights of individuals facing criminal charges in Orange County. Please contact us at (800) 349-1619 before discussing your case with authorities.
A retrial is underway in Santa Ana regarding whether or not a 26-year-old man is guilty of the murder of a 68-year-old salesman or if he was acting in self-defense. The Orange County Register reports that a jewelry salesman was killed in a Santa Ana home on March 18, 2005. Prosecutors believe that the man and his mother made a plan to rob the salesman and kill him. The mother was convicted of first-degree murder and robbery in Orange County in 2010 and is currently serving 25 years to life in prison. Her son, however, is in the process of a retrial after a mistrial was declared in September.
According to the report, the salesman went missing after his appointment with the mother and his body has never been recovered. The defendant involved in this incident claims that he was acting in self-defense when he killed the man and that he never conspired with his mother.
There are a number of potential defenses for murder including self-defense. For example, under California law, an individual may take whatever measures necessary to prevent being raped, maimed, or robbed. A murder conviction should not result from an incident in which the defendant did not plan for the incident to occur or when there was an imminent danger of being killed or suffering great bodily injury.
Murder cases can be extremely complex. It is crucial for anyone charged with murder, homicide, or attempted murder to seek the counsel of a skilled criminal defense lawyer. The reputed Santa Ana murder defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman have a successful track record of defending those facing violent crime charges. Please contact us at (800) 349-1619 before discussing your case with authorities.
A 73-year-old man was recently arrested on suspicion of committing a lewd act in front of preschool children in Orange County. According to a report by The Orange County Register, the alleged lewd act occurred in front of the Serra Catholic Preschool in Ladera Ranch. Officials say the man was seen with his hands down his pants watching children being dropped off at the preschool. The man admitted to watching the children from the school’s parking lot. It does not appear that any children were aware of the incident and it is not clear if the man has a history of similar incidents.
Under California Penal Code Section 647, anyone “who solicits anyone to engage in or who engages in lewd or dissolute conduct in any public place or in any place open to the public or exposed to public view” is guilty of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
In such cases, the prosecution will have to prove that the defendant was touching himself with the intent to sexually arouse or gratify himself or another person. Was the defendant aware that people could see him? Was he aware that people could be offended by his actions?
This type of crime can result in jail time and heavy fines and in addition, it can also tarnish an individual’s reputation and social standing. Anyone facing these types of charges would be well advised to immediately contact an experienced criminal defense lawyer who will protect his or her best interests.
The experienced Orange County sex crime defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman have a proven track record of handling lewd act and other sex crime cases in Orange County. Please contact us at (800) 349-1619 to find out how we can help build your defense.
A 25-year-old Santa Ana man was recently sentenced to life in state prison following a mistaken identity drive by shooting death of a teenager. According to The Orange County Register, on November 27, 2007, the man was there when his friend and fellow gang member was fatally shot. Officials say that two weeks later, the man fired on a 15-year-old pedestrian in retaliation for the previous attack without realizing that the victim was not a gang member. Two days later, the authorities pulled the man over, chased him on foot, and witnessed him throwing a gun away that was linked to the fatal shooting of the innocent 15-year-old.
The man, said to be a gang member, was convicted of conspiracy, murder, attempted murder, participation in a street gang while carrying a loaded firearm, street terrorism, and sentencing enhancements. In addition to life in state prison without parole, the young man received 70 years to life in prison when he was sentenced on March 23.
It is tragically common for troubled youths to get involved in gangs and for their lives to be forever changed. While in a gang, individuals may feel pressured to commit crimes that they otherwise never would have been involved in. It is common for gang members to face unfair treatment in court because of the stigma of gang life and the preconceived notions that jurors may have against gang members. There are also many cases where wrongful charges are filed against an individual just because he or she is a gang member.
The knowledgeable Santa Ana gang crime lawyers at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman handle gang-related crimes and other violent crime charges. We have a proven track record of fighting wrongful charges. If you or a loved one has been charged with committing a violent crime in Orange County, please call our offices at (800) 349-1619 for a no-cost consultation.
A female driver was hospitalized in addition to facing driving under the influence (DUI) charges after colliding with a big rig in Orange County. According to a report in The Orange County Register, the alleged DUI collision occurred on the southbound 55 Freeway north of Victoria Street in Costa Mesa. Officials say her Toyota RAV4 crashed into the back of a big rig. She was trapped under the truck and was transported to a nearby hospital after being freed from the wreck. The report makes no mention of when she may have taken a blood test but she was arrested on suspicion of DUI following the crash.
Under California Vehicle Code Section 23152 (a): “It is unlawful for any person who is under the influence of any alcoholic beverage or drug, or under the combined influence of any alcoholic beverage and drug, to drive a vehicle.” Any time there is an arrest following an injury accident, it is important to examine how the blood alcohol content of the driver was determined and if the driver’s rights were violated during the arrest.
An experienced lawyer will review the circumstances of the case to determine the best possible defense for the suspect. It is common for mistakes to be made following an injury accident because of the confusion and chaos at the crash site. In some cases it is possible to have the charges dismissed, while in other cases a skilled defense attorney can negotiate lesser penalties and help the defendant avoid jail time.
The Costa Mesa DUI defense attorneys at Jeremy Goldman have a long history of protecting the rights of drivers and helping them avoid jail time. If you are facing drunk driving charges in Orange County, please contact us at (800) 349-1619 for a free consultation.
There are significant differences between manslaughter and murder charges in California. It is often the goal of a criminal defense attorney to have a murder charge reduced to a manslaughter charge in order to avoid lengthy jail time. Under California law, homicide is defined as the killing of one human being by another. The circumstances of the homicide will determine if the resulting charges are murder or manslaughter. Murder is defined by Penal Code 187, as “the unlawful killing of a human being, or a fetus, with malice aforethought.” This means that the fatal incident was not an accident.
When someone is killed without malice aforethought, the charges will likely be for manslaughter instead of murder. Orange County vehicular manslaughter is when someone unintentionally kills a human being while driving. Voluntary manslaughter is when someone kills another person in a moment of passion or heat of the moment without planning beforehand. Involuntary manslaughter occurs when a death results from negligence or recklessness.
All homicide and manslaughter cases have the potential to result in severe penalties including life in prison. Anyone with a loved one facing manslaughter or murder charges in Southern California would be well advised to contact a skilled attorney before discussing the case with the authorities.
The experienced Irvine homicide defense lawyers have successfully handled high-profile homicide cases. If you or a loved one is facing these serious, potentially life-changing accusations, please call us at (800) 349-1619 to discuss your case at absolutely no cost.
