Fuller Law Firm
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The state of California has some of the best areas for motorcycle riding in the country, including the Angeles Crest Highway, Joshua Tree National Park, and the Pacific Coast Highway One. It is estimated that more than 800,000 people own motorcycles in the state of California. Motorcyclist enthusiasts come from all walks of life – young, old, male, female, white-collar workers, blue-collar workers, etc. Unfortunately, as popular as riding is, it is also one of the most dangerous forms of transportation. Many people who are involved in motorcycle accidents suffer catastrophic injuries and fatalities are high.
There are a number of factors that contribute to a crash, such as driver negligence or recklessness, defective motorcycle part, and weather and road conditions. These factors can lead to:
Intersection accidents – One of the most common locations for motorcycle accidents are intersections, and many of these crashes are caused by vehicle drivers attempting to take a left-hand turn, cutting in front of the motorcycle that is traveling in the other direction and has the right of way.
Many people are under the impression that shoplifting is a minor crime that young teens engage in as a dare from friends. Still, the legal reality is that in California, shoplifting is looked at as a serious crime. In fact, a conviction can result in jail time for the accused, depending on the circumstances of the allegations and if they have a prior criminal history. The following is a brief overview of the crime. For more detailed information if you have been arrested, contact Fuller Law Firm for legal assistance.
Data provided by the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention (NASP) reveal just how prevalent shoplifting actually is:
There are approximately 27 million people in the United States who shoplift. This comes out to 1 out of every 11 people. Approximately 75 percent of these shoplifters are adults.
While San Jose has a reputation for having some of the best areas for cycling – including the Hicks Road Loop, Coyote Creek Trail Loop, and the Guadalupe River Trail – it also has the reputation of being one of the worst areas when it comes to bike accidents.
According to statewide data, between 2011 through 2021, there were 2,803 bike accidents in San Jose. There were 38 people killed in these accidents and more than 2,700 people suffered injuries. San Jose had the most number of bike accidents out of all cities in the Silicon Valley area during that time frame.
Bike accident statistics during this 10-year period also revealed that the second most dangerous areas in Silicon Valley are downtown San Jose and in the area around San Jose University. This area had just under 100 bike accidents, resulting in one death and 92 people injured.
If you have never suffered a whiplash injury, you may be under the impression it is just a minor injury. However, whiplash can be a painful and complex injury, causing a variety of symptoms that leave the person who suffered the injury dealing with chronic pain and even neurological issues.
A whiplash injury can happen when there is a violent jerking of the neck, similar to the cracking of a whip. This jerking motion can damage ligaments, soft tissue, and even bones that are around the neck and upper back. Whiplash is typically diagnosed after the physician has run a series of imaging tests (X-rays, MRIs, and CAT scans) that rule out other injuries.
One of the most common causes of whiplash is vehicle accidents, however, any type of accident that causes whipping of the neck can result in damage.
One of the most stressful experiences a person can have is looking in the rearview mirror and realizing those blue flashing lights and that siren is meant for them. Any interaction with the police can be intimidating, even if you have done nothing wrong. If you find yourself in this position, there are important things you should remember in order to help prevent the event from escalating.
It is entirely normal to become nervous when you are pulled over, even if you have done nothing wrong. But if you are acting nervous, the officer may suspect that you have indeed done something wrong and request to search your vehicle. This type of situation can quickly turn into criminal charges or even worse.
Regardless of why the officer pulled you over, you do have constitutional rights that protect you. You do have to identify yourself when asked by the officer, however, you do not have to agree to a search of your vehicle. If they continue to ask questions or they arrest you, make sure to tell the officer you want to speak with an attorney. At this point, the officer is not allowed to ask any more questions.
Being convicted of any crime can have serious ramifications, but being convicted of a federal crime carries a heavy burden. One of the most inequitable areas of federal convictions revolves around federal marijuana-related offenses, especially given the changes the state of California has made regarding marijuana.
There is good news, however, for those with federal convictions in the form of a new initiative signed by President Biden in October 2022. This initiative will provide clemency for certain offenders to have their records expunged of their crimes and receive a presidential pardon.
As part of the Biden administration’s commitment to addressing the disproportionate impact that enforcement of cannabis laws has had on communities of color, the president introduced a three-step plan for pardoning federal convictions:
January 1st is not only the date many people choose to set resolutions, but it is also the date the state of California chooses as the effective date for many of the new laws that state lawmakers passed over the past several months. This year is no different. Included in the dozens of new state statutes are some key criminal laws that California citizens should be aware of. The following is a brief overview of those laws.
Under AB 2167, when an individual has been convicted of a crime, the courts are now required to consider other alternatives other than jail or prison as punishment. Lawmakers included wording in the statute that specifies their intent that the disposition of every criminal case in the state concludes with the least restrictive sentence possible. The goal is to reduce the number of people incarcerated in order to achieve better results when it comes to recidivism rates, reducing racial disparities, and better economic outcomes for those involved.
Although the media is often filled with stories about incidents where law enforcement overstepped their legal authority, there are laws in place to protect citizens when those misuse of powers occurs, especially if the citizen is charged with a crime as a result. One of the most important protections we have is the Fourth Amendment. This amendment protects from “unreasonable” searches by police. Read on to find out how this critical law can make a difference in your criminal case.
The Fourth Amendment grants the right to citizens “to be secure in their persons, house, papers, and effects.” It protects against unreasonable search and seizures by police, meaning that an officer must have a warrant in order to perform a search. A warrant is a legal document issued by a judge that gives police the right to search, however, police are required to show probable cause why they think the search is necessary for obtaining evidence of a crime.
California will soon be the first state in the nation that will automatically seal the majority of criminal records for those defendants who complete their sentences and avoid any future convictions. The new law is an extension of an earlier “Clean Slate” law that California passed in 2019 with the purpose of eliminating the criminal record roadblocks that many previously incarcerated people have in obtaining housing, jobs, education, and more.
It is often difficult for ex-offenders to successfully re-enter society with their criminal records hanging over their heads. In California, criminal record screenings are conducted by 80 percent of landlords, 90 percent of employers, and 60 percent of colleges and universities.
Under the new law, which will go into effect in July 2023, the arrest records and criminal convictions of people (on or after January 1, 2005) will automatically be sealed as long as they have not been convicted of a new felony offense for four years following the completion of their sentence. This automatic sealing also includes arrest records of people who were charged but not convicted.
People throughout California engage in a variety of business-related activities, so it is not uncommon for some individuals to occasionally face fraud accusations for certain actions they take. The commission of a fraud crime typically requires an alleged offender to obtain some kind of benefit to which they are not entitled and cause harm to an alleged victim.
The California Employment Development Department (EDD) actively encourages people to report fraud, and any person who is facing fraud allegations will want to be certain they retain legal counsel as soon as possible.
The term fraud includes a wide variety of criminal offenses. Some of the most common fraud crimes in California include, but are not limited to:
Welfare Fraud — Welfare fraud occurs when someone wrongfully obtains public assistance. This crime is prohibited under California Welfare and Institutions Code § 10980.
408-234-7563From our office in San Jose, California, we serve clients throughout the Bay Area, including but not limited to Campbell, Los Gatos, Cupertino, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Gilroy, Morgan Hill, Los Altos, Palo Alto, Saratoga, Milpitas, Mountain View, Fremont, Stanford, Union City, and Santa Clara County.
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