Updated: March 12, 2021 On March 3, 2021, California’s Second District Court of Appeal broadened the public’s right to view police misconduct records under Senate Bill 1421. Signed into law on January 1, 2019, SB 1421 broadened public access to police misconduct files under the California Public Records Act (CPRA). SB 1421 expands access to…
Advertising Materials Ventura County Wiretaps Successfully Challenged – Case Dismissed Note: This article does not constitute legal advice. The materials should be used for information purposes only. Wiretap litigation is extremely complex. You should contact a competent criminal defense lawyer immediately if you are arrested following an investigation built upon wiretap evidence. Attorney William Haney…
Oxnard Police Department DUI Checkpoint Successfully Challenged Note: This article is for information purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice. You should contact a competent criminal defense attorney following any arrest for a criminal offense. Attorneys William Haney* and Brian Weilbacher successfully challenged a DUI checkpoint established by the Oxnard Police Department. Officers constructed the…
Penal Code Section 181 – Slavery California law punishes the crime of “Slavery.” Under Penal Code Section 181, any person who does the following is guilty of Slavery: holds or attempts to hold any person in involuntary servitude; assumes or attempts to assume the rights of ownership over any person; sells or attempts to sell…
Penal Code Section 171c – Bringing Loaded Firearms And Dangerous Weapons Into State Capitol and Legislative Offices1 Loaded Firearms (Penal Code Section 171c(a)(1)) It is illegal for any person to bring to, or possess a loaded firearm in any of the following locations: The State Capitol; Any legislative office; Any office of the Governor or…
Penal Code Section 171b – Unauthorized Possession of Weapons in Public Buildings and Meetings Penal Code Section 171b punishes individuals who bring specified weapons into public buildings and meetings open to the public. This blog post is for information purposes only. In the author’s opinion, a person should always refrain from carrying anything even closely…
Penal Code Section 170 – Malicious Procurement of A Search or Arrest Warrant Under Penal Code Section 1701, any person who “maliciously” procures a search or arrest warrant without “probable cause” is guilty of a misdemeanor. A person acts “maliciously” if he intends to injure, annoy, or vex another person. A person acting with malice…
Penal Code Section 168 – Disclosing the Existence of a Search Warrant or Arrest Warrant Public officials are subject to felony prosecution for disclosing the existence of a search warrant or arrest warrant before it is served. Elements of the Offense: (1)A judge issued a search warrant or arrest warrant; (2)The defendant willfully disclosed the…
Netflix Presents Riveting “Survivors Guide to Prison” Netflix recently released the “Survivors Guide to Prison,” a chilling explanation of how the criminal justice system can go terribly wrong in important cases. Directed by Matthew Cooke, the “Survivors Guide to Prison” is a must-see for anyone interested in criminal justice reform. More importantly, the film is an…
Penal Code Section 167 – Recording or Listening to a Trial Jury1 It is a misdemeanor to record or listen to the members of a trial jury if all of the following are true: The Defendant willfully and knowingly listened to, recorded or observed members of a trial jury, AND; The jurors did not know…