When most people hear the term “driving under the influence,” they assume that the driver was illegally operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated by alcohol. In fact, DUI laws apply to more than just motor vehicles and alcohol; criminal charges can be brought against individuals who operate a variety of vehicles under the influence of […]
In many ways, drinking alcohol in college has become a rite of passage: from TV, movies, and music, college drinking is portrayed as being as inseparable from undergraduate academia as grades and all-night study sessions. To put into perspective the pervasive use of alcohol in college, a recent national survey found that within the past […]
On July 7, 2017, a fire tore through the Alta-Waverly building, a seven-story, mixed-use building under construction in downtown Oakland. The heat from the fire was so intense, it was picked up on local weather radar and there was significant concern that an industrial crane, which was being used during the construction, might collapse onto […]
Last month’s issue of The National Review featured an article by Pete Hutchison, lambasting Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeffrey Rosen’s “Collateral Consequences” memo and practice[1]. Hutchison seems to attribute all of the woes of most victims to Rosen’s directive to his office to consider the collateral immigration consequences for cases prosecuted by his office […]
First District Court of Appeals Judge Martin J. Jenkins. In a decision that rocks the foundation of the U.S Constitution and will likely have far reaching consequences, the First District Court of Appeals ruled that a private law firm’s investigation and cooperation with the District Attorney does not make the materials used in that investigation […]
Criminal Prosecution as Smoke Screen On December 2, 2016, a fire broke out in a converted warehouse in Oakland during a music and art show hosted by the managers of an art collective based inside the building. Of the more than 50 people attending the event, 36 were unable to escape the flames and perished […]
Voisine v. U.S.: Closing the Loophole The United States Supreme court, in its decision in Voisine et al. v. United States, clarifies and narrows the application of a section of federal law that was codified more than twenty years ago. In its decision, the Court unequivocally states that the primary aim of the majority decision […]
ICE has been making immigration arrests in the hallways of state courthouses recently. ICE had previously discontinued this tactic after getting bad press about arresting women applying for restraining orders, people paying traffic tickets, and even immigrants trying to get married in Kern County. The practice has resumed, at least in Los Angeles and other parts of the country. […]
Since January 2017, Summit Defense Criminal Attorneys has received numerous calls from terrified individuals who describe essentially an identical fact pattern: After a brief encounter with an another individual in a chat room and an unsolicited sexual photograph, they receive a call from an irate father who claims either an accident or medical treatment for […]
About ten years ago, I handled a criminal matter in San Jose Superior Court. It was slightly unusual because it was handled by the Attorney General’s office but otherwise, it was a routine arrested for embezzlement case (CA Penal Code 503). I had managed to convince the prosecutor to meet me for a cup of coffee […]