Being arrested for a crime does not necessarily mean you will be convicted. Often we can help you get charges reduced or dismissed, and avoid jail and a criminal record.
California Criminal Defense
Being arrested for a crime does not necessarily mean you will be convicted. Often we can help you get charges reduced or dismissed, and avoid jail and a criminal record.
California DUI
DUI arrests don't always lead to convictions in court. Police officer mistakes, faulty breathalyzers and crime lab errors may get your charges reduced or dismissed. Visit our California DUI page to learn more.
Lawsuits for Dangerous Drugs & Medical Devices
Shouse Law Group represents victims throughout the U.S. who suffered serious complications and injuries from dangerous drugs and failed medical devices.
California Personal Injury
If you've been injured in an accident, our personal injury lawyers will fight to get you compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and even punitive damages.
24/7 Help:
(855) 999-7755
Please note: Our firm only handles criminal and DUI cases, and only in California. We do not handle any of the following cases:
And we do not handle any cases outside of California.
Call Us NowPosted on
Not anymore. As of December 8, 2020, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office (LADA) is no longer seeking the death penalty in pending or future murder cases. And for defendants currently on death row, LADA is no longer seeking an execution date.
Prosecutors in California other than in Los Angeles County may still seek the death penalty in special circumstances murder cases and other capital offenses. But on March 12, 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom placed a moratorium on implementing the death penalty. Therefore, present and future defendants on death row will not be executed as long as the moratorium is in place.
The most common California crime that potentially carries the death penalty is special circumstances murder. (The other possible penalty is life in California State Prison without the possibility of parole.) Special circumstances murder is killing plus certain aggravating circumstance(s), such as:
Now that LADA is no longer seeking the death penalty, it has disbanded is Special Circumstances Committee.
Other, rarer California crimes that potentially carry the death penalty include:
Murder (PC 187) done without a qualifying aggravating circumstance does not carry the death penalty. Instead, it carries 25 years to life in state prison.
There is a moratorium on the death penalty in the entire state of California.
Capital punishment is inseparable from racism. A disproportionate amount of people put to death are people of color. By ending capital punishment in Los Angeles County, LADA is stopping race-sanctioned lynchings.
Furthermore, the death penalty has no deterrent effect on crime. So putting people to death serves no purpose and does not protect public health and safety.
Additionally, capital punishment is costly taking into account all of the litigation and appeals. Simply incarcerating the person for life without parole is less expensive.
Finally, there is always the risk that the state will put to death people who are factually innocent. By eliminating the death penalty as an option, there is no chance that an innocent person will be executed for a crime he/she did not commit.
Read the LADA Special Directive 20-11 for the full policies.
A former Los Angeles prosecutor, attorney Neil Shouse graduated with honors from UC Berkeley and Harvard Law School (and completed additional graduate studies at MIT). He has been featured on CNN, Good Morning America, Dr Phil, Court TV, The Today Show and Court TV. Mr Shouse has been recognized by the National Trial Lawyers as one of the Top 100 Criminal and Top 100 Civil Attorneys.
Part-time employees may get vacation time. While there are no state or federal laws that require it, many employers provide vacation time for their part-time employees. Sometimes, it is even paid time off (PTO). When vacation pay is provided, the policies and practices must comply with state labor laws. Are there state or federal laws ...
Maybe. Teachers and prospective teachers may face difficulty in gaining employment or maintaining their educator positions, with a DUI or DWI conviction on their record. The true answer to this question typically depends on the severity of the DUI and the jurisdiction in which the teacher works. With regards to new teachers, they are subject ...
While plaintiffs’ lawyers generally want to settle a case quickly, there are 5 common reasons why a personal injury case can take a long time to settle: the medical treatment is still ongoing, working the case up further may increase the settlement, there are still factual or legal issues to resolve, the court is backlogged, ...
1) Dogs are “dangerous” if they have bitten or been aggressive two times in 18 months A Clark County Animal Control officer can declare a dog dangerous if – on two separate occasions in an 18-month period – the dog: Behaved menacingly to a degree that would lead a reasonable person to defend him/herself against ...