Every crime in California is defined by a specific code section. Our attorneys explain the law, penalties and best defense strategies for every major crime in California.
Crimes by Code
Every crime in California is defined by a specific code section. Our attorneys explain the law, penalties and best defense strategies for every major crime in California.
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.
Post Conviction
A criminal record can affect job, immigration, licensing and even housing opportunities. In this section, we offer solutions for clearing up your prior record.
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California is likely to experience a very strong El Nino this year. This means that floods, windstorms, mudslides, severe car accidents and other natural and man-made disasters may be rampant.
This means that California cops may be making a larger-than-usual number of arrests for the following crimes:
Sightseeing at an emergency. Penal Code 402 PC sightseeing at an emergency is the act of going to or remaining at the scene of an emergency and thereby preventing emergency personnel (firefighters, police, EMTs) from doing their job. This California misdemeanor offense is often charged in connection with car accidents and crime scenes, but lingering at the scene of a natural disaster can lead to these charges as well.
Unauthorized entry into a closed emergency area. Penal Code 409.5 PC unauthorized entry into a closed emergency area is charged when someone goes into an area that has been closed to unauthorized people because of a disaster or other emergency and remains there even after an official tells them to leave. For example, entering an area that has been closed due to flooding in defiance of an official command can lead to charges under this law. PC 409.5 is also a misdemeanor.
Looting. Penal Code 463 looting occurs when someone commits either burglary, grand theft or petty theft during a state of emergency declared by a state or local government. Looting is the most serious of the crimes we’ve just listed–depending on the circumstances, it can be charged as either a misdemeanor OR a felony.
Police and other law enforcement have a hard job during times of natural and man-made disaster. But they are also human and can make egregious mistakes when they are under stress. Often charges for one of these three crimes arise from a situation where a police officer misinterpreted a person’s innocent behavior during a disaster and accused them unfairly of committing a crime. (Refer to our article explaining the difference between robbery and burglary in California law.)
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, 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.
Yes. Nevada convictions of the following four types of criminal offenses can never be sealed from a person’s record and will therefore always show up on background checks: Felony charges of intoxicated driving (DUI) Crimes against children (under 18) Sex crimes Invasion of the home with a deadly weapon Note that any criminal case that ...
Nevada jails are county- or city-run detention facilities that house people who have been arrested, are awaiting trial, or who are serving misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor sentences. Nevada prisons are state-run detention facilities that house people who are serving felony sentences. Who goes to jail in Nevada? Jail inmates consist of four main populations: People ...
Penal Code 632 PC - When is "eavesdropping" a crime?Watch this video on YouTube Under California law, eavesdropping is the crime where people listen in on a private conversation without the knowledge or consent of the parties, and use either a recording device to record the conversation or an amplifying device to help hear the ...
What Happens if You Get a Probation Violation in a DUI Case? If people violate a term of their probation in a DUI case, a probation officer or police officer can take them into custody pending a probation violation hearing. At the hearing, the judge has the discretion to reinstate the probation, modify the probation ...