Matthew J Criminal Law Blog

The "Balloon Boy" case has brought to issue the ramifications of immigration consequences within the criminal law context.  As a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney I have seen countless instances where defendants take a "deal" on a case where they otherwise be innocent in order to avoid the possibility of being deported.  This seems to be the case in the balloon incident where the husband is pleading guilty to avo... Read More

For many, the prospect of appearing in Court can be a terrifying experience indeed.  Among the questions are What should I say to the Judge?  Will the Court require that I post bail? Should I appear with an attorney? etc.

What you must understand is that no one inside the judicial system cares about your case.  The only individual that cares is a retained attorney who will be acting as your advocate.  Without an attorney you will be at the mercy of a public defender ... Read More

In California, as in many parts of the country, the law allows companies to buy information from local police departments that contain the names and addresses of persons arrested for criminal offenses.  This information is then sold to attorneys that send letters to the people soliciting legal services.  In my experience, most folks find this to be an incredible invasion of their privacy and is very unnerving to recieve at their home.  The danger exists in the sense that many of t... Read More

With the economy in the pits and many folks out of work it is no surprise to see people reosrting to criminal acts such as extortion in order to make ends meet.  The Letterman case is but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to extortion attempts against celebrities and the rich.  Due to the huge potential to make big money quick, the extortionist looks for those who have put themselves in compromising situations such as extramarital affairs and other embarrasing situations when viewed... Read More

The LAPD chief William J. Bratton is expected to announce plans to resign as chief of the Los Angeles Police Department today to take over as head of a private security firm, sources have told The Times. Bratton is expected to announce his decision at a noon press conference today. As a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney I can attest to the strong public sentiment that expresses a disagreement of his retirement.  The chief did not ... Read More

The suprising answer to this frequently asked question is yes.  California law allows both direct and circumstantial evidence to be uses to convict someone of a crime in California.  However, there is one very critical difference between the two types of evidence.  With regard to the sufficiency of circumstantial, if the facts allow two reasonable interpretations of the evidence and one points to innocence, the jury must find the defendant not guilty.  What this means is that... Read More

Last month we were informed that due to budget problems most California Courts would be facing mandatory closures twice a month.  Despite a number of protests and concerns about potential problems surrounding speedy trial rights and the requirement that in custody defendants be brought before a judge within 48 hours of their arrest, the closures seem imminent. ... Read More

The recent budget crisis in California has theatened to close Courts on given days in an effort to save the government millions of dollars, but at what cost socially? Los Angeles Criminal Attorneys will tell you that the Court system is already being taxed to the breaking point in terms of overworked and underpaid clerks, judges and staff, the Court closings will only compound the problem by increasing the work load on the remaining open days... Read More

In criminal Court there are many stages of a case, the first is called an arraignment.  It is at this stage of the case that a criminal defense attorney can really demonstrate to the client that he knows his stuff.  At the arraignment the judge will usually set bail, what this means is that a defendant can be released from jail upon the posting of a bond ensuring the person's return to Court on a future date.

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In California, if you are under the age of 21 and you have been arrested for Drunk Driving then you will face a different set of standards at the Department of Motor Vehicles and in Court as compared to someone over 21.... Read More