Lawrence Wolf - Part 19

How to Choose a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney to Fight Drug Charges

California drug charges can have extremely serious consequences for your life. Some of the punishments for drug offenses include prison time, fines, court-ordered rehab, the loss of professional licenses, and more.

If you have been charged with a California drug crime, such as possession of cocaine or methamphetamine, manufacture of cocaine or methamphetamine, or sales of illegal drugs, you need to hire a very skilled lawyer. It is best to hire an attorney who focuses solely on criminal law, rather than a general practitioner who dabbles in criminal law on the side.

You should look at an attorney’s reputation. If you have worked with other lawyers, call them to ask for recommendations for a criminal attorney. Ask friends or family members for recommendations. You could also look at websites that provide reviews from clients to see what former clients think of their experiences with an attorney.

California criminal defense attorneys also need significant experience in drug offenses. A lawyer may have years of experience in white collar crimes or violent crimes, but has never handled a drug crime before. It’s best to locate an attorney with a significant amount of experience defending against drug charges.

Once you have gotten a few names, check out the websites of the attorneys. Do their websites show a lot of up to date knowledge and experience with drug charges? Consider calling the attorneys to see if they would consult with you before you select one. Do you feel comfortable with the attorney? Do they inspire confidence? Do your personalities mesh well together?

If you are searching for a Los Angeles drug crimes attorney, contact the knowledgeable lawyers at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf. Contact us today at [number type=”1″].

Fewer than 300 Murders in Los Angeles for First Time in Decades

For the first time since the late 1960s, Los Angeles has had fewer than 300 murders in the city in 2010, according to latimes.com. In the early 90s, there were over 1,000 murders in the city for three consecutive years.

The statistics are promising, not only because of the huge decrease in murders in the city, but also because a large number of the murders, as well as other violent crimes, are viewed as “repressible.” Repressible crimes are those which can be prevented with an increase in the police force, or improvements in the nature of police work. Crimes which are not repressible are crimes that no amount of police work could prevent, such as domestic violence.

About 50 percent of the murders that occurred this year were gang crimes. Gang crimes are repressible in large part. Gang crimes are considered repressible because Los Angeles has seen a big decrease in gang crime due to efforts such as community programs and early intervention.

Have you been charged with a violent Los Angeles crime, such as homicide or murder? If so, you may receive 25 years to life in prison, or even the death penalty, under California’s mandatory minimum sentencing laws. Whether or not a crime is considered a violent crime depends on whether or not a weapon was used, whether or not the crime was intentional, and how seriously the victim was injured.

If you have been charged with a violent crime, contact the Los Angeles violent crime defense attorneys at The Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf by calling [number type=”1″]. We have extensive experience in defending against a variety of criminal charges.

Los Angeles Police Seize More Than $4 Million in Counterfeit Goods

The largest antipiracy raid in Los Angeles history occurred this month, according tolatimes.com.

The Los Angeles Police Department arrested 10 individuals and seized over $4 million worth of counterfeit goods. The raids began in November and ended on December 20. The raids were conducted by L.A.’s antipiracy task force. Dozens of officers from the LAPD, as well as investigators from private companies, were involved in the raids.

The counterfeit goods included CDs, DVDs of recently-released movies such as “Tron” and “The Tourist”, purses, sunglasses, and other goods. Much of the merchandise was seized from vendors and downtown flea markets. Gangs were said to be responsible for most of the piracy.

According to officials, counterfeit goods cost local area businesses over $5.2 billion each year in lost revenue, and $4.4 billion in lost wages. Since 2004, the LAPD’s antipiracy team has made 498 arrests and seized almost $100 million worth of illegal merchandise.

Counterfeiting is a serious crime. White collar crimes, such as counterfeiting and forgery, can be prosecuted by state or federal officials, or both. Penalties for such crimes usually include fines, restitution, and sometimes prison. Many individuals accused of a white collar crime are not aware of their legal rights, which may increase the chances of illegal search and seizure taking place as well as other rights violations.

If you are ever questioned in connection with a white collar crime, do not talk to officials or submit to any police questioning until you have talked with a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney. The attorneys at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf have been helping defendants navigate the criminal justice system for over 30 years. For a free consultation, call us today at [number type=”1″]. Our aggressive lawyers will defend your rights and help you obtain a successful case outcome.

LAPD Finally Clearing Backlog of Rape Kits

Over the past two years, the Los Angeles Police Department has almost finished testing over 6,000 untested rape kits, according to DailyNews.com.

For six years, the LAPD has been aware of the problem of the untested rape kits and has been struggling to keep up-to-date with testing the kits. However, no action was taken until advocacy groups and a former L.A. controller publicized the problem. The LAPD then began collecting funds to send the kits to private labs for testing, as well as hiring more crime analysts in spite of a hiring freeze. As a result, only 35 rape kits remain to be tested from the original 6,000.

However, once the kits have been tested, the work is not over. The LAPD then must review the results and send the DNA information to federal databases. The databases then search for a match through millions of profiles of individuals whose DNA is on file. The LAPD has received over 2,500 new kits since December 2008 that require testing, which is when they began working on testing the backlogged cases. Of those, almost 1,000 are untested. The LAPD believes the lab will be able to handle the new cases when the new analysts finish their training.

These untested rape kits could be very problematic. An individual could be convicted of a rape or sexual assault without the kit, be sent to prison and have their life turned upside down, only to later find out evidence existed the whole time that could have resulted in the case being dropped.

If you have been accused of a sex crime in Los Angeles, contact the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf to speak with one of our California sex crime defense attorneys. In most cases, sex crimes in California are felonies, which can carry life-changing sentences and heavy penalties. Contact us today for a free consultation by calling [number type=”1″].

Huntington Beach May Post Names of Drunk Drivers on Facebook

The city of Huntington Beach is considering posting the names of suspected drunk drivers on Facebook because its local newspaper quit publishing these instances and the names of those accused of drunk driving, according to NBCLosAngeles.com.

Last summer, Huntington Beach began a tough campaign against drunk driving, including an increased number of police officers focused on drunk drivers, posting names of those arrested for drunk driving, and sending letters to bars if one of their patrons was arrested for a DUI. Huntington Beach has one of the highest rates of arrests for DUIs for a city its size in the state of California. In 2009, the city had 274 collisions that were related to alcohol use, and 1,687 drunk driving arrests. The idea of posting names of those suspected of DUI was suggested at a city council meeting in November. The city’s attorney is currently looking into the issue to see if there are any legal barriers.

This story is an example of how damaging a drunk driving arrest can be to a person’s reputation, particularly to someone in a public position or a position of trust. Although there are many valid defenses to a charge of drunk driving, Huntington Beach’s policy doesn’t give individuals a chance to prove their innocence before publicizing their arrest to the community.

If you have been charged with a DUI in California, contact the experienced California DUI defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf. Our lawyers will work hard to formulate a successful defense on your behalf and help you navigate through the criminal justice system successfully. Call us today for a free consultation at [number type=”1″].

Police Report Sophisticated Gang Behind Violent Robbery at Port of LA

A violent robbery occurred at the Port of Los Angeles on Sunday, November 28. Investigators believe the robbery was conducted by an organized gang, reports The Los Angeles Times.

Allegedly, the incident began when a man posed as a lost driver and then asked a security guard for directions outside a cargo depot. The guard stepped outside his security booth, and two men reportedly struck him in the face. They then allegedly bound and gagged the security guard and another employee in an office. The employees were warned the men were armed and dangerous.

Then, several big rigs pulled into the yard and began hauling loaded trailers away from the depot. As of yet, the contents of the trailers have not been publicly disclosed. In addition, a big rig and two more trailers were stolen earlier that day, but it’s unclear if the two thefts are related. Afterwards, the security guard and the other employee were found and taken to an area hospital with minor injuries.

According to investigators, these types of robberies are often associated with organized gangs. More than $10 billion in merchandise is stolen by cargo thieves every year. For many years, the Los Angeles area has been a center of cargo crime.

Individuals who are charged with multiple criminal offenses, especially violent and theft related crimes face serious penalties if convicted. If you have been charged with a Los Angeles theft crime, you need a very skilled and aggressive attorney on your side. The Los Angeles theft criminal defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf have extensive experience in protecting the rights of individuals charged with a crime in California. Contact us today for a free consultation at [number type=”1″].

Ginger Kicking in Calabasas Not Deemed Hate Crime

Adolescents are very impressionable. Unfortunately, the media realizes this very notion, yet fails to monitor materials that profess concepts that may be misconstrued by some young minds. According to the Los Angeles Times, one such incident in Calabasas was emblematic of this very idea. Reportedly, middle school students acted upon a request sent out via a Facebook message. The message declared that it was “Kick a Ginger Day” (with “Ginger” being a term in reference to those individuals with red hair, freckles, and fair skin). The concept was proliferated by the animated, adult-humored television comedy “South Park.”

While the TV episode’s supposed intention was to depict the irrationality of discrimination, its message was clearly taken quite literally. Reportedly however, the injuries sustained by the 12-year-old boy were not severe. In fact, a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lieutenant declared that the incident did not meet the criteria of a hate crime, which many angered individuals had labeled it. It should be noted that police are investigating whether or not assault with a deadly weapon took place.

TSA and LAPD Announce “See Something, Say Something” Campaign

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Los Angeles Country Metropolitan Transportation Authority have joined forces to bring the “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign to Los Angeles, according to USA.net. The campaign aims to raise public awareness of terrorism.

The campaign was originally implemented in New York City, and has been funded by a $13 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security. The program encourages the public and key transportation employees to see and report any signs of terrorism or crime to the property authorities.

The campaign hopes to encourage citizens to tell the authorities if they see any suspicious items, particularly while traveling, or have any information they would like to share. Recently, an al-Qaeda group from Yemen sent an unknown number of packages that contained printer cartridges with a deadly explosive that was concealed as ink. As a result, U.S. authorities have grounded all cargo from Yemen and Somalia. They also banned toner and ink cartridges of over 16 ounces in domestic or international flights.

With their campaign, authorities are hoping to prevent terrorist attacks such as the attempt with printer cartridges, especially during the busy holiday travel season. The campaign has already been featured in New York and D.C. airports, public transit, radio stations, and more.

With all the extra scrutiny being given to travelers, it is becoming more common to be accused of a crime for carrying forbidden items while traveling. If you are accused of acrime in Los Angeles this busy travel season, call the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf at [number type=”1″].

Five-Year-Old Boy Killed on Halloween in Alleged Gang Shooting

Tragically, a five-year-old boy was gunned down in an alleged gang attack while getting ready to go trick-or-treating, according to The Los Angeles Times.

The young boy was posing in a Spiderman costume in his backyard in Los Angeles. The attack is suspected of being misdirected gunfire between the Crips and the Bloods, two notorious rival Los Angeles gangs. The young boy was hit in the head with a stray bullet and died immediately. Although the boy’s house is in the middle of an area notorious for gangs, no one in his family is connected to a gang.

Along with the shooting of the young boy, his uncle was hit in the wrist and his grandfather was hit in the leg. The young boy was the 32nd person killed within a 12 square mile radius that is one of the most dangerous areas in Los Angeles. Typically, children are not targeted by gangs, although children are sometimes hit by stray bullets.

In prior years, a killing such as this one would have resulted in many more revenge killings. Now, however, gang interventionists are paid by the city to work the streets in order to stop retaliations. Residents in the area immediately provided details about the killing to police, who arrested two alleged members of the Kitchen Crips gang.

Individuals involved in a gang are often viewed as guilty until proven innocent. If you have been charged with a violent crime in relation to alleged gang activity, contact our experienced Los Angeles murder defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf. For a free consultation, call us at [number type=”1″].

Huge Medicare Scheme Uncovered, Dozens Arrested

Members of a crime ring based in New York and Los Angeles have been arrested for defrauding Medicare, according to The Wall Street Journal. It is the largest Medicare fraud operation in history.

The crime ring defrauded over $35 million from Medicare, starting in 2006. They submitted $100 million in fake bills, but only received $35.7 million in payments. Experts say Medicare has been especially vulnerable to fraud, although improvements have been made.

The criminals used doctor and patient identities to set up dozens of fake clinics across the country that were nothing more than post office boxes. The organization also stole the identities of these doctors and patients, including over 2,000 from a medical center in northern New York. Separate from this white collar crime, members of the group staged car accidents in order to submit claims to insurance companies.

The man behind the operation was a high-level organized crime figure from the former Soviet Union, arrested in Los Angeles. A total of 44 people were charged, although three remain at large. Most were members of a group from Armenia, but some of those arrested were doctors, lawyers and patients. Charges include health-care fraud, racketeering, identity theft, bank fraud and money laundering.

If you have been charged with a white collar crime in Los Angeles, contact Lawrence Wolf. As a skilled Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, Mr. Wolf will help you find the best possible defense for your case. To ensure that your rights are protected, call today at [number type=”1″]for a free consultation.