The First District Court of Appeal in Oakland has unanimously determined to reverse the decision of two lower courts to effectively overturn a murder charge against Jamie Thomas in the death of Samuel Navarro. This higher appeals court decision was made on the basis that jurors in the original trial were not given the option […]
When we see news items concerning the Drug Enforcement Administration, there’s usually a positive spin. For example, though Californians have been embroiled in a bout with the federal government for some time over the legitimacy of medical marijuana, and its legality (SB 420 & Prop 215) the DEA continues to make busts in the state – […]
When someone says the word “vandalism,” it usually conjures up images of graffiti or the destruction of public property like signs or private property like vehicles. However, when the public property in question is a tree like the ones in Golden Gate Park, it seems odd to call it “vandalism” when someone alters a living […]
72-year-old George Souliotes was convicted of arson (CA Penal Code §451 – malicious arson) and murder (under the “felony murder rule”) over 16 years ago. Though he maintained his innocence in the incident – the deaths of three of his tenants in an apartment building he owned (6-year-old Daniel Jones, 3-year old Amanda Jones, and […]
The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution is one that many people are familiar with – it is the portion of what is known as the “Bill of Rights” that prohibits searches and seizures that are not reasonable. It also requires probable cause for the issuance of warrants. Part of the Fourth Amendment (the […]
Until recently, there was really only one suspect in the November murder of Ravi Kumra, former owner in a Saratoga vineyard and entrepreneur – Lukis Anderson (26) of San Jose, whose DNA was found in the slain millionaire’s home. For months, local law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and defense attorneys alike have tried to figure out […]
The victim in a stabbing on Worley Road in Suisun City managed to give local law enforcement officials the name of her attacker before expiring. After an argument on the 1300 block of Worley Road, the unnamed target was stabbed repeatedly. Police have yet to release the name of the suspect, but are on his […]
How does a probation violation affect search and seizure?
It sounds like the beginning of a 1970s horror flick based on a Stephen King novel. A 16-year-old girl leaves the safety of the crowd at an innocent Homecoming dance and ends up incoherently drunk and crumpled under a picnic table, dress askew and a trail of grisly pieces of evidence – a high-heeled shoe, […]
40-year-old Rosemary Eusted was sentenced to 72 years + 120 years to life for the ongoing molestation of at least four children over a period of several years. Two were girls that spent time in her home and were 6 and 7 years old when the molestation occurred in 1997. Then, in 2005, Eusted molested […]