Pot Dispensary Site of Robbery, 2 Shot

According to latimesblogs.latimes.com, a shooting occurred outside of a marijuana dispensary in West Los Angeles. Two people were seriously injured, and were taken to local area hospitals where they are in critical and serious conditions. Police investigating the matter believe that the shooting was an attempted robbery.

Los Angeles police officials cited an increase in crime levels occurring around marijuana dispensaries. Although marijuana is legal for medical purposes, the very fact that it is illegal otherwise can cause for some complicated matters pertaining to the law. Marijuana users that need the drug for medicinal purposes might be subject to investigation, particularly when instances of robbery and other crimes occur in such close proximity to the dispensaries.

For those that frequent marijuana dispensaries, it should not be assumed that they are involved in illicit behavior of any kind, and they should be afforded the same consideration and label of innocent until proven guilty that all other members of society are granted. Put bluntly, it is unfair for individuals that frequent an area to be profiled in such a manner. Concrete evidence is a requirement to directly connect an individual to a crime, and even such evidence must be qualified as being associated with the individual.

Parents Killing Children is an Alarming Trend

A recent story put out by the Associated Press tells of a startling trend pertaining to homicides involving children. In Los Angeles, a woman stands accused of killing her two daughters, ages 11 and 17. In Orange County, a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old were allegedly wounded by their mother. And in Ventura County, a 12-year-old boy and his 7-year-old sister were stabbed to death allegedly by their father. In all of these cases, the serious question as to why parents are supposedly willing to hurt their children needs to be asked, and the circumstances surrounding the slayings and injuries need to be thoroughly examined to determine what exactly happened.

The Los Angeles woman has pleaded not guilty to the charges being brought against her, and faces the death penalty if she is convicted. The woman was found with self-inflicted knife wounds on her own arms. This raises the question as to what her state of mind was at the time of the incident. Did she act with a clear head or in a fit of insanity? Other questions, such as the state of the home, also need to be answered to help paint a vivid picture of what the living situation was truly like, and what negative factors, if any, could have played a detrimental role leading up to the attacks.

DUI Driver Loses Lawyer, Case Postponed

According to Los Angeles’s KTLA-TV channel 5, the trial of a man responsible for a drunk-driving crash that took the lives of three people will be postponed for at least six months. Such a decision was determined after the private attorney defending the 22-year-old removed himself from the case, citing inability to adequately defend his client as the basis of his necessary leave. This particular case gained notoriety in that one of the crash victims was 22-year-old Nick Adenhart, a professional baseball player of the Angels. The motorist responsible for the accident now faces 54 years to life in prison if he is convicted of all counts, which include murder in the second degree and driving with a suspended license.

The former defense attorney in this case informed the presiding judge that his client was unable to afford the fees associated with providing him with the most effective defense. That is, the accused driver’s attorney explained to the judge that experts needed to properly defend the accused man were too expensive for the defendant to afford, and even motioned that county taxpayers split the bill for the necessary experts. Though the article did not say whether or not the judge granted the motion, it’s safe to assume that the motion was denied, particularly since the defense attorney has now quit the case.

Year-to-Date, Crime Down 7.4% Overall

Although it was speculated that crime rates would rise in such a down-trodden economy, the level of crime actually dropped an average of 7.4%, according to year-to-date statistics that were released on September 5th. According to contracosttimes.com, auto theft plummeted 17.6% year-to-date and homicides dropped almost 15%. Overall, crime levels seem to be dropping or at the very least remaining stagnant, both signs that economic misfortune is not having an impact on the likelihood that an individual will resort to committing property crimes as a means of supporting oneself.

During tough times such as these, individuals are often left wondering where their next paycheck is going to come from. With unemployment as prevalent as it is, seeing a person out and about without much direction, particularly on a work day, is a more common sight with each passing week. Unfortunately, some people, in seeing these unemployed individuals out and about, might take it upon themselves to jump to conclusions by attributing possible guilt to these out-of-work individuals simply because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

While instances of crime are down according to statistics, instances of false accusation aren’t necessarily affected, positively or negatively, by the poor economic climate. However, with more and more people becoming unemployed everyday, the likelihood of more individuals being accused of some form of wrong doing undoubtedly rises. In the event that a person is falsely accused of a crime, regardless of severity, it is crucial that anexperienced Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer is immediately contacted to help combat supposed charges and clear one’s good name.

CA Man Accused of Pushing Child to Death

According to the Associated Press, a California man currently stands on trial for the 2000 death of his 4-year-old daughter. The young girl plummeted to her death from a 120 foot-high cliff in Rancho Palos Verdes. Speculation on the part of the prosecution claims that the father, in a wayward attempt at having to avoid paying child support, threw his daughter off the cliff. On the other hand, the defense claims that the whole incident was an accident and that the 47-year-old father loved his daughter dearly and would never do such a thing. This most recent trial is the second attempt at prosecuting the 47-year-old man, with the first attempt having resulted in a mistrial due to jury deadlock. He currently faces one count of murder and “the special circumstance allegations of murder while lying in wait and for financial gain”, which carries with it a lifetime prison sentence without the possibility of parole.

Theories abound as to what happened to the little girl, and how she lost her footing off the side of the Inspiration Point cliff. The prosecution claims that the father not only wanted to avoid paying child support for his daughter, but took her life in order to exact revenge against her mother who was seeking full custody of the child. Evidence points to the fact that there were no smaller footprints near the spot where the girl allegedly fell, and that injuries sustained by the girl were inconsistent with her accidentally falling. The defense argued that the child was leading her father on the hike, and simply lost her footing at the cliff.

While the 47-year-old man is the only person that really knows what happened, it should be pointed out that all individuals are innocent until proven guilty. A person cannot be prosecuted on pure speculation. Evidence needs to substantiate the charges being brought against the person, and a jury has to believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that the individual created the crime. With such damning allegations staring him in the face, the man’s best option was to retain the legal services of a skilled Los Angeles criminal defense attorney.

No Driving Until You Pass Your Breath Test

According to a story from the Los Angeles Times, California drunk drivers that have been convicted of DUI may have to take a Breathalyzer test every time they want to drive their cars. That is, a bill proposes a new program that would place ignition-locking breath analysis systems into the automobiles of those individuals that have been convicted of driving while under the influence. Such a device would force motorists to have to pass a blood alcohol concentration test before their cars are permitted to start. The bill is currently awaiting approval from Governor Schwarzenegger, and is set to run in Los Angeles, Alameda, Sacramento, and Tulare counties.

According to the bill, the ignition-locking systems would take the place of a convicted motorist’s restricted license. Furthermore, it would be expected of motorists to pay for the installation of the devices and it creates the interesting question as to how law enforcement and probation officers would be able to enforce such a program. Ultimately, there are numerous issues that could arise that would prove the program to be relatively ineffective in curbing driving while under the influence.

For starters, a restricted license is very different than an automobile that does not start unless a breath test is passed. That is, while a restricted license will follow convicted motorists around from vehicle to vehicle, the Breathalyzer will not. All one would need to do to essentially circumvent the system would be to use another person’s car instead of their own, which begs the question as to how exactly a program such as this would prove to be successful.

Credit Card Cop Arrested for Fraud

The Las Vegas Sun recently reported that a North Las Vegas Police detective has been arrested for allegedly using a department credit card to make personal purchases. The 39-year-old has been placed on paid administrative leave while the investigation is being handled. The week-long investigation that led to his arrest was prompted when the department credit card went missing.

The accused detective has been charged with three counts of credit card fraud, and three counts of accepting merchandise obtained by unlawful use of a credit card, all considered felonies. If convicted of a felony crime, a person’s future is put in jeopardy and may face lengthy prison time, hefty fines capable of putting one in debt, and many other consequences.

In any event, it is important to remember that accusation of a crime does not necessarily mean that you will be found guilty. In is essential that the services of a skilled criminal defense attorney are sought to ensure that you are afforded the strongest possible defense in relation to an understanding of the extent of the charges against you.

Prison Pop Cut Could Mean More Arrests

It was recently reported on cbsnews.com that a panel of federal judges has decreed that the state of California must reduce its prison population by as much as 40,000 inmates, all in hopes of alleviating overcrowded prisons and improving the time and attention allowed for inmate health care. The current population of about 150,000 would be cut down to about 110,000, and a plan for doing so must be made by the state of California within a time period of 45 days.

An article in the Los Angeles Times article recently stated that “the governor and most legislative leaders back a plan that would reduce prison populations by as many as 37,000 over the next two years using a combination of early releases, changes in parole policies and shifting some prisoners to county jails.” While this idea seems relatively sound, it has received backlash from law enforcement and victim’s rights groups, who believe that putting convicted prisoners back on the streets could pose a risk to the well-being of California’s general population.

Furthermore, in putting pervious offenders back on the streets, in can be assumed that law enforcement officials opposed to the idea may profile these recently released inmates, or simply become much stricter in their practice of arresting individuals for committing crimes.

White-Collar Pastor Accused of Embezzlement

The Press Enterprise, pe.com, recently ran an article that talked about a pastor that has been accused of embezzlement and money laundering. The Compton-area pastor pled not guilty to both counts. The Double Rock Baptist Church has accused the former pastor of diverting funds from church bank accounts and using the funds for personal projects in his Corona home. If convicted, the pastor could face more than seven years in prison.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office has been investigating the preacher for some time now, even searching his home in 2008 and confiscating financial records that may have aided in securing his arrest. After the search, members of the church were threatened not to cooperate with the investigation at the risk of being barred from the church. While evidence collected and witness testimony will more than likely procure a conviction against the pastor, not all cases of white-collar crime in Los Angeles are as clear cut.

The trust given to those in charge of finances is tremendous. However, just because a person has access to funding does not mean that the person is going to, or already has, embezzled it.

Jackson’s Doctor Admits to Dosage that Doesn’t Add Up

According to the Los Angeles Times, the reported levels of the anesthetic propofol which contributed towards Michael Jackson’s untimely death are relatively too low to have posed any sort of risk to the pop star. Jackson’s doctor claims to have administered a dosage of 25 milligrams to Jackson, who was dependent on the drug to fall asleep nightly. However, according to medical experts, a dosage that size taken by a patient such as Jackson, someone who was accustomed to taking the drug and had therefore built up a tolerance for it, would have little effect, if any at all, on his well-being.

The article goes on to report that in a three-hour interview with police, Jackson’s doctor claimed that he was attempting to wean the singer off of the drug, and that Jackson typically received a dosage totaling 50 milligrams. On the day of his death, Jackson was given a host of other sleep aids prior to the admitted 25 milligram dosage of propofol, leading some to question whether or not a lethal combination of medications could have ended Jackson’s life.

Even more problematic is the argument by experts that propofol, given in either a 25 milligram or a 50 milligram dosage, is not powerful enough to aid with sleep in the first place, causing some to question the validity of Jackson’s doctor’s claim, particularly since preliminary toxicology reports told of “lethal levels” of propofol present in Jackson’s blood.