Lawrence Wolf

Under New Federal Guidelines, 40,000 Drug Criminals Set For Early Release

By: Lawrence Wolf

New federal guidelines are setting thousands of drug criminals free under early release programs. According to the guidelines set by the U.S. Sentencing Commission, judges will have the legal power to set the maximum and the minimum years inmates are imprisoned for their convictions. This decision also includes those individuals already incarcerated. Any prisoner whose sentencing may be reduced should contact their drug crime lawyer to ensure all steps are in place for an early release.

How does this work?

If a prisoner has served three years of a five year sentence and the committee reduced the time for that crime downward to three years, this inmate could be released now. Inmates who are sentenced to halfway houses and home confinement can also have their original time reduced. Illegal aliens will be deported through our immigration authority when released. Shortly, almost 40,000 inmates will be qualified for early release.

Concerns

Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates states, “I think that you need to send dangerous people to prison for a very long time. But I think we need to be smart about deciding who those dangerous people are.” These concerns mostly lie with the small time drug dealers who are repeat offenders, violent, illegal gun carriers and deemed incorrigible. Many feel that they should be locked up for long prison terms because the possibility of them living productive lives away from criminal behavior is extremely low.

Bloated federal prisons

Our prisons are overloaded. The Justice Department spends nearly a third of its budget on our prison systems. If you are one of these prisoners who has questions about these guidelines, talk with an experienced drug crime attorney at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf. Call now at [number type=”1″], or visit our website today: http://www.youareinnocent.com.Sponsored by: 1xbetSponsored by: 1xbet-original.com

A Holiday DUI in Los Angeles Will Make You Pay

Millions of Americans will be celebrating the holiday Group Of Friends Enjoying Christmas Drinks In Bar season by attending social events and partying. Having fun and enjoying yourself is terrific. Doing it responsibly is even better. If you drive while under the influence of alcohol and or drugs, even prescription drugs, your decision to do so will cost you a lot of money if a police officer stops you. A Los Angeles DUI attorney will know what to do.

Costs of a DUI conviction in California

Many people do not realize how much mon
ey they will have to pay out if convicted of a DUI. According to the Insurance Information Institute of California, costs can be as much as $10,000 or more. You will have to pay for your attorney to represent you, higher insurance premiums, court costs, fines and traffic school. You will have to pay to get your vehicle out of impound at a cost starting at over $200. The bail bondsmen will charge you ten percent of your bond. Jail time will limit your ability to work. Do not forget about possible breathalyzer ignition switch costs, probation and the ability to not be able to drive for a period of time.

Implied consent

If you are pulled over while under the influence, beware. You will not have the legal authority to refuse a blood or breathalyzer test. Driving is a privilege and not a right. If you do refuse to perform either of them, you could lose your driver’s license for the minimum of one year.

A DUI can be defended

If you do find yourself in a bad situation, contact a DUI attorney at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf as soon as possible. Their attorneys possess the experience and knowledge needed to get you the best possible outcome. Call now at [number type=”1″], or visit our website today: http://www.youareinnocent.com.

Driving Under the Influence This Holiday Season Could Cost You Thousands

A DUI check point in Anaheim, CA.

Before you get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol this holiday season, stop and think. How would a conviction for driving under the influence affect you, your family and your bank account?

After factoring in fines, court costs, attorney’s fees, probation costs, traffic school and increased premiums for your car insurance, a DUI could cost you more than $10,000.

How a Holiday DUI Can Result in Financial Misery

Refusing administration of a roadside test or failing the test may result in immediate suspension of your license, and you may be taken into custody. In California and other states, you may be fined for refusing to take the test even if DUI charges are later dropped. If you are detained on suspicion of driving under the influence, you should contact a Los Angeles DUI attorney.

Costs You May Incur

Costs relating to an arrest for DUI can include:

• Impound fees for towing and storing your car.
• Bail bond, ranging from several hundred to several thousand dollars, along with a typical charge of 10 percent to a bail bondsman.
• Increased auto insurance premiums.
• Time lost from work. If you’re convicted, you may face jail time; in California, the minimum is 96 hours.
• Fines paid as part of a sentence.
• A reinstatement fee to recover your driver’s license.
• Participation in a mandatory alcohol treatment program and installation of an ignition lock in your vehicle to prevent another DUI.

If You’re Charged, Contact a Los Angeles DUI Attorney

Thousands of people die in car crashes related to alcohol every year. If you drink at holiday events, don’t get behind the wheel of your car; designate a driver or call a cab instead. If you are arrested for driving under the influence, you need representation from an experienced Los Angeles DUI attorney. Call [number type=”1″], or visit our website.

Dangers of Driving While Using Medications

blurry-driving Using a prescription medication helps the body when problems occur. Many medications reduce the symptoms of health conditions while an individual recovers. The primary problem associated with using a medication is the way the body reacts to the drug. Due to the way that prescriptions impact the body, some individuals hire California criminal defense lawyers when a problem arises while driving a car.

Dangers of Driving Under the Influence of Prescriptions

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or the FDA, individuals must be certain that a medication will not cause complications when driving. Since some over-the-counter and prescription drugs cause potentially dangerous side effects, individuals should never operate a vehicle without first discussing the potential dangers with a medical doctor.

Common side effects that cause problems while driving include:

Nausea or vomiting
Dizziness
Light-headedness
Poor attention, particularly when a medication causes a lack of focus
Vision problems
Fainting spells
Poor reaction times or slow movements

Side effects vary between medications and some side effects only occur when individuals use more than one medication, explains the FDA. Pay attention to any warning labels on a medication before driving a car to limit the risks.

Hiring a Lawyer After Being Pulled Over

California criminal defense lawyers offer services when an individual faces any legal complications after being pulled over and charged with driving under the influence of a drug. Since certain medications and over-the-counter drugs cause problems with physical health and abilities, individuals do not always understand the reasons for criminal charges. A lawyer can help determine an appropriate course of action based on the situation.

Medications help individuals heal or alleviate symptoms of physical ailments, but that does not mean that individuals can drive after using a prescription or over-the-counter drug. When charges do occur after using a medication, discuss your situation with a criminal defense lawyer with the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf. Call now at [number type=”1″], or visit our website today: http://www.youareinnocent.com.

Corporate Crime in America – The Justice Department Releases New Guidelines

judge-speaking-to-criminal The financial crisis caused millions of Americans to lose their jobs, which led to home foreclosures. Public outcries demanded the bankers responsible for the crisis be held responsible. Since then, the Justice Department has only convicted one high-level banker. This may be because the Justice Department’s efforts to charge financial criminals have failed.

Dewey & LeBoef Mistrial

The Dewey & LeBoef trial spent four months in the courtroom, followed by 22 days of deliberation. The complexities of the Dewey & LeBoef case overwhelmed the jurors to the point that they could not reach a verdict. Raising concerns that financial crime has reached a level the law itself cannot touch.

Hedge Fund Managers Acquitted

Manhattan’s District Attorney brought a case against two hedge fund managers. He charged the Bear Stearns managers with misleading their investors. The jurors had difficulty understanding what the fund managers had done. Thus, the jury acquitted both managers.

Tyson Foods and Pfizer Pay Hefty Fines

In 2011, to avoid prosecution for bribery, Tyson Foods agreed to pay a $4 million fine. In 2009, one of Pfiizer’s subsidiaries pled guilty to bribing physicians. Although no charges were filed, Pfizer did pay a $2.3 billion fine.

Prosecuting Corporate Crime

The Justice Department released new guidelines for prosecuting corporate crime. One of the most significant changes is that the department intends to focus on the individual. Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates states that people commit crimes. These people should be held accountable for their actions. She also states that the public needs to be confident that there is one justice system. A single system that applies to crimes that occur on the street, as well as crimes in a boardroom.

If you live in Los Angeles and you are accused of a white-collar crime, contact an experienced criminal lawyer at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf. Call now at[number type=”1″], or visit our website today.

Prop 47 Brings New Drug Possession Laws, Reduced Sentences

Dark and grungy prison cell at night

Over the past year, the number of inmates in California’s jails and prisons has decreased by about 13,000, largely due to the enactment of Proposition 47. Also known as the Safe Neighborhood and Schools Act, Prop 47 is expected to enrich California state coffers by more than $150 million this fiscal year thanks to reduced prison and jail overcrowding.

In November 2014, Californians overwhelmingly passed Prop 47 with the intent of ending long sentences for minor offenses such as drug possession and petty property crimes. Implementation of the new law has proven challenging, however, with some public officials and law enforcement agencies reportedly opposing the measure and failing to act. Advocacy groups, community organizations and attorneys are stepping in to assist people who are entitled to relief under Prop 47.

How has Prop 47 Changed Drug Possession Laws?

Prop 47 includes four main provisions. The law:

Reduces six common drug and nonviolent property felonies to misdemeanors. Individuals who were previously convicted of certain sex offenses or murder are excluded.
Allows for punishment to be reduced to misdemeanors. A request for re-sentencing can be denied if a judge feels that an inmate poses a risk to public safety.
Allocates savings to a state fund for treatment of drug addiction and mental illness, truancy reduction and victim support.
Allows criminal records to be amended to show misdemeanors rather than felonies.

Contact a Drug Lawyer Los Angeles for Assistance with Drug Possession Laws

As many as 300,000 people in Los Angeles County alone may be eligible for relief from Prop 47, but they must act quickly; requests for changes must be submitted by 2017. For more information about having your record amended under Prop 47, contact an experienced drug lawyer Los Angeles. Call [number type=”1″], or visit our website.

Under Prop 47, Nonviolent Criminal Felony Records Can Now Become Misdemeanors

jail-door-300x161 In the 1970s, a wave began to develop throughout our United States to enact tougher laws, even for nonviolent crimes. Our prisons became overloaded with American citizens and expensive to run. This is why California’s Proposition 47 came about.

Implementation of Prop 47

In past decades, individual states continued to strengthen their criminal justice laws. They made previous misdemeanor crimes felonies. Their enforcement meant longer years of incarceration for individuals who committed these crimes. For example, in some states stealing products from a store with a value of $500 was a misdemeanor and $1000 was a felony. The new laws dropped the amount stolen for a felony down to $500. This caused more individuals to be imprisoned.

Reclassifying felonies

Proposition 47 reclassified low level property damage and drug offenses from felonies to misdemeanors. Many prisoners were able to have their time incarcerated shortened. It kept many more individuals from being sentenced to prison time.

Effects of Prop 47

Many repeat offenders were subject to the three strikes law. This means that anyone who has three felonies could be incarcerated up to life in many states, including nonviolent offenders. Since Prop 47 reduces many of these offenses to misdemeanor charges, the three strikes law will not be nearly as prevalent. It does not apply to violent crimes.

Finding descent employment and a place to live is usually very difficult. Being able to hold a business license is almost impossible. Thanks to Proposition 47, individuals such as Sholonda Jackson from San Francisco, California, who suffers with the daily agony of not being able to move past her felony records, soon will be able too. She, along with many others, will get a second chance.

For help in lowering your felony criminal record to a misdemeanor, reach out to the Law Offices of Larry Wolf. Call now at [number type=”1″], or go to our website today.

Statutory Rape Law is Tricky – Here’s What You Need to Know

By Lawrence Wolf

Part of the complexity related to statutory rape law is the fact that each state has its own unique set of laws and different spin on the laws. Because the laws vary a great deal from state to state, it’s important to learn the laws where you live – specifically as they pertain to the following criteria.

Age of Consent

This is the age at which the state believes a person can legally consent to having sex. California Penal Code Section 261-269 identifies the age of consent for the state of California as 18 years of age. Before 18 years of age it is only lawful for a minor to have intercourse with his or her spouse.

Level of Offense

It’s not all about the age of the minor. The age of the perpetrator also impacts the “degree” of the transgression. For instance, in California those who engage in unlawful sexual acts with a minor and are within three years of the age of the minor are guilty of a misdemeanor offense. Those who have more than three years difference in age may be held guilty of a misdemeanor or a felony – as is anyone who is over the age of 21 and has unlawful intercourse with a minor under the age of 16.

While there is wide recognition of the flaws in current statutory rape law, there is little being done to address the problems the laws create. In fact, newer laws have extended the reach by raising the age of consent from younger ages to 16 from 18 in most U.S. states.

That’s why it’s so important to work with an experienced criminal lawyer. Los Angeles residents accused of statutory rape should reach out to the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf. Call now at [number type=”1″], or go to our website:www.youareinnocent.com.

White-Collar Crime Statistics Report: Prosecutions Hit 20-Year Low

Businessman Being Arrested

Federal prosecutions of white-collar crimes are down by 29 percent from just five years ago and have hit a 20-year low, according to a report based on Justice Department records. Since the Clinton administration, prosecutions have declined by more than 36 percent, with a brief increase following the financial crisis of 2008, International Business Times reports.

In analyzing thousands of Justice Department documents, researchers at Syracuse University found that the federal government prosecuted 5,173 cases of white-collar crime during the first nine months of 2015. That number represents a decrease of about 4,000 cases from 10 years ago, according to The National Law Review.

Facts Behind the White-Collar Crime Statistics

The decreased number of prosecutions may not represent a drop in white-collar crime, according to the Syracuse researchers. Instead, the decrease may echo changing policies on enforcement by different presidential administrations and government agencies.

A recent study from the George Mason University School of Law found that between 2007 and 2011, agreements for deferred prosecution and non-prosecution were used to resolve 44 percent of cases. Prior to 2003, the Justice Department rarely offered such agreements. The special agreements allow corporations and executives to avoid prosecution.

Additional Reasons for Prosecution Decrease

Justice Department budget cuts may have affected the number of prosecutions of white-collar crimes over the past several years. In 2011, the department employed 1,566 people. However, the number of employees dropped to 1,325 by 2015, a reduction of more than 15 percent. In addition, expenses for overtime, travel and consultants — necessary for carrying out complex white-collar prosecutions — also have been cut.

For more information about white-collar crime statistics, contact experienced criminal defense lawyers Los Angeles. Call now at [number type=”1″], or go to our website: www.youareinnocent.com

Local Crime News: Los Angeles Sees Increase in Violent Crime

Image of police officer arresting dangerous criminal

During the first months of 2015, crime in Los Angeles has rapidly increased, with robberies up 19% and felony assaults up 26%. The change is alarming, but the reasons are not surprising.

In the view of criminologists, the explanation is simple—sometimes trends take hold despite of what the police force is doing. Some criminologists observe, more specifically, that violent crime in cities like L.A. may have dropped so deeply in recent years that the numbers have nowhere to go but up.

It is also possible that the rise can be partly attributed to the L.A. Police Department’s crime numbers being more accurately reported. This makes sense after the investigations of the Department’s 2014 crime numbers revealed 1,200 violent assaults were mislabeled as misdemeanors–the mislabeling made crime appear to be decreasing when, in reality, it had increased by 14%.

There are also broader national trends that are influencing L.A.’s crime rate. In downtown L.A. specifically, the wide disparity between wealthy individuals and low-wage income earners has made inner city life more suffocating. Housing in Los Angeles is now the most expensive in the nation, and gentrification is forcing the poor out of their neighborhoods with nowhere else to go. Those living in these miserable conditions are prone to develop depression and commit crimes, both violent and non-violent.

Moreover, the crime increase in Los Angeles does not appear to be rooted in any surprising explanations. The bottom line is that income inequality, declining social services, widespread poverty, and crime are all resurfacing together after years of peace and quiet.

For now, it is clear that the best way to deal with criminal behavior or crimes being committed against others is to contact a Los Angeles criminal lawyer for help. Call now at [number type=”1″], or go to our website: www.youareinnocent.com