In this, the digital age, it’s not uncommon for people to worry about their identities being stolen. Someone manages to access your personal information and, suddenly, your bank account is empty, your credit card company is calling you, asking about charges you never made, and your entire world seems to be turned upside down. Identity […]
Typically, we hear about DNA-related evidence in cases of rape or other such crimes. Rarely is DNA evidence used in cases of fraud. But, this is exactly what happened when George Shirakawa, Jr. (ex-Santa Clara County Supervisor) sent illegal campaign mailers to unsuspecting citizens of Santa Clara County in 2010. At that time, the City […]
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 […]
Officials in the California system who have authored a bid for new rules on execution, including using a different method than most states in the U.S., have evidently not bothered to “do their homework” when it comes to state laws on the subject. The need for a change in the system and methods of execution […]
In the 1200 block of 51st Avenue, firefighters were called out to a blaze that they believe to have been an illegal grow house operation of about 60-70 marijuana plants, though about 20 of them were lost in the conflagration. It seems that faulty wiring was the cause of the fire, not arson, and no […]
Memorial Day weekend is a time for barbeques, spending time with family and friends, and taking time out of our busy schedules in order to remember those who have fought for our country. The California Highway Patrol, however, looks at it as a time of increased arrests for DUI (CA Penal Code §23152), as numbers […]
In 1989, then 20-year-old Michael Pizarro became famous – for all the wrong reasons. He was accused, and then convicted, of sexually assaulting and then murdering (CA Penal Code §187) his 13-year-old half-sister, Amber Barfield. 24 years later, no one can be sure whether or not Pizarro did it. On the one hand, there is […]
When 26-year-old Hazhir Kargaran went on a trip to Las Vegas with a few of his UC Berkeley law school pals, he may never have imagined it landing him in jail. We’ve all seen movies like “The Hangover,” in which several friends get into strange situations while on vacation in the city that advertises itself […]