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Lawyers who take advantage of the media’s many advertising methods have recently come under fire. It’s been argued that advertising on radio, and especially television, places the profession in an unsavory light. But used properly, media advertising can be valuable to criminal defense attorneys trying to make themselves available to a wide audience and to potential clients. I spoke with Jeffrey Berns of Berns & Ghiglia in Canoga Park about their extensive advertising campaigns, their advertising philosophy and their results. For every fifty inquiries Berns & Ghiglia receive from a radio ad, one is secured as a client; yet, during… Read More

Police who operate insurance fraud stings search for specific signs when attempting to ensnare criminal defense attorneys and other professionals. Additionally, staged accidents do not appear criminal in any way. Attorneys who miss the less obvious signs may imperil their profession and practice. The following signs are considered as red flags by police investigators and will trigger further investigation by them. If you encounter these signs, consider the case carefully. You may want to report your suspicions to an insurance fraud hotline after consulting with legal counsel. (See “Insurance Fraud Hotlines,” on the other side) The driver of a vehicle… Read More

A recent story in the LA Times details a story about two Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton who will be arraigned on Friday, July 25th on charges of murder. Authorities believe that the two men shot a fellow Marine over stolen drug money. Lance Cpl. Christian Carney, 21 of Manorville and Pvt. Alvin Lovely, 20 of Dallas are accused of killing Pvt. Stephen Serrano, 20 of El Dorado, Calif., on May 13 because they believed he had stolen money they had made while selling cocaine and ecstasy during their time at Camp Pendleton. A third, unnamed marine, was taken to… Read More

Attorneys have become the targets of police stings as the result of law enforcement’s crack down on insurance fraud. Law enforcement is reacting to an outcry of employers and citizens who have been hit in the pocketbook by insurance fraud. California law now broadly defines fraudulent activity, expanding an attorney’s vulnerability to prosecution. Since the law’s enactment, extensive funds to combat fraud have now become available. The result is that Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys are under siege. “We’ve stepped up siege and fraud investigation considerably,” reports Denis Zine, Traffic Enforcement Supervisor with the Los Angeles Police Department. “Our investigations… Read More

Did you know that there are news ways to get a drivers license reinstated? Not everybody who is convicted of drunk driving in California is a hopeless case. Sometimes there are special circumstances as well as successful rehabilitation. Normally a person who receives a second conviction for drunk driving will lose their drivers license for one year. However, there is a procedure, unknown and unused, that can result in reinstating their driver’s license after only six months. (Please feel free to call us for specifics.)

Here are current phones numbers of self-help groups/programs which might be of help to your clients: – Alcoholics Anonymous (213) 387-8316 – Battered Wives and Help for Batterers(Forte Foundation) (818) 788-6800 – Because I Love You (Parent Support Group) (213) 659-5289 – Children of the Night (818) 908-4470

Keep This On Hand for the Midnight Phone Call If your client ends up in jail, you may get a frantic midnight phone call. If that person is a celebrity, the situation could be even more delicate. Here is a helpful list to keep at your home and office to make sure that everything is covered: – Urge your client to stay calm. Assure them that you or an experienced criminal defense attorney will help them. – Advise them to maintain a polite, well-mannered demeanor with the police. It won’t help to antagonize anyone. – Advise them to resist asking… Read More

Tip Your Client: A Little Knowledge May Diffuse a Dangerous Situation Advise Your Clients: It is critical to contact an experienced criminal defense attorney immediately upon being contacted by any individual involved in law enforcement. Never wait to see what develops or hope that it just goes away. Carrying a firearm within the interior of a vehicle is legal only if the firearm is unloaded and not concealed. If stopped for “driving under the influence” in Los Angeles, you are not required to take any field sobriety test (touch the nose or walking a straight line). However, you are required… Read More

The entertainment industry is a fertile field for fraud. Between the psychological attraction of fame and fortune and the undeniable opportunities for talented people to make large sums of money, which they may have difficulty keeping track of, Hollywood abounds withcrimes of fraud. Unfortunately, much of it goes unreported. Since avoiding these situations is often preferable to reporting them, here are some of the rackets, cheats and scams to warn your clients about and hopefully some ways to prevent them: Embezzlement. Unfortunately, “creative types” tend to disengage themselves from the details of their financial affairs, placing equal amounts of trust… Read More

The situation often arises where an attorney has a client in a spousal or child support hearing who is called to testify as a witness regarding their ability to pay their wages in substantiation of support payments. Recent cases have shown that it is prudent to advise one’s client of his rights against compelled self-incrimination, as established by the Fifth Amendment and the ramifications of perjury because the family court has no legal obligation to issue such warnings during the proceedings. Authority was established in People v. Berry, C.A. 4th No. D0114717 (91 Daily Journal D.A.R. 6604), where it was… Read More