Los Angeles Criminal Lawyer Blog

L.A. Now reports that a Claremont man, Martin Calvin Yarbrough, has been arrested on a suspicion of making criminal threats.

The man is accused of sending threatening letters containing a powdery substance to the Los Angeles County children's courthouse and the Department of Children and Family Services.

California Penal Code Section 422 defines a criminal threat as an intentional and willful threat of harm made to another with the intention of making the person fear for his or her safety, or the safety of his or her immediate family. If you have been accused of charged of making criminal threats, it is important to contact a skilled Los Angeles criminal defense at once to discuss your options and begin preparing your defense.

Here, the Claremont man has been indicted on 13 counts of making threats and hoaxes. If convicted of all counts he faces up to 65 years in prison.

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According to the Pasadena Star-News, two men - one from Los Angeles and another from Lancaster - were arrested on suspicion of trying to steal an historic light pole from a Pasadena neighborhood. The two face charges of grand theft and felony evading.

If you have been arrested for any California criminal charge, an experienced Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer can protect your rights and challenge the evidence against you.

Under California law, theft of any item valued at $400 or more is charged as felony grand theft. Here, the replacement value of the poles with aluminum replicas is $3000. Replacing the posts with bronze replicas is not possible - each is 300-400 pounds, built in the 1920s and considered "historic and irreplaceable."

A first report of a stolen bronze light pole was filed on Friday. Early Saturday morning Pasadena Public Works workers were on the lookout for anything suspicious when they saw a white van being used to push over a light pole. Over the past two years, 15 light poles have been stolen from Pasadena streets.

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A Manhattan Beach police officer plead not guilty to misdemeanor hit-and-run charges for leaving the scene of an accident. An L.A. hit-and-run occurs when anyone is involved in a car accident that causes property damage, injury, or death and doesn't stop. California requires you to stop as soon as possible to exchange information.

If you have been charged with a Los Angeles hit-and-run, contact an experienced L.A. criminal defense lawyer immediately. Charges from a hit-and-run are in addition to any charges filed as the result of an accident. A knowledgeable Los Angeles criminal defense attorney may be able to get hit-and-run charges dismissed or reduced by negotiating a civil compromise where the victims receive compensation for their damages in exchange for agreeing to dismiss or not file charges.

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The Pasadena Star-News reports that violent crimes, including homicides, are down in Los Angeles to the lowest level since 1965. Statistics show that the homicide rate has been dropping steadily, since 2005. The total number of homicides reported was less than 200, the first time since 1973 that the figures were that low.

Crime rates were lower in many difference types of crime including murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, grand theft auto, and arson. But for those under investigation for a crime, the stakes remain high. An experienced L.A. criminal defense lawyer can mean the difference between freedom and a conviction.

The biggest decrease was reported at the San Dimas station with 14.9% fewer major crimes since 2009. South El Monte also reported a significant decrease in crime.
Reasons for the decrease in crime are unknown, although police are quick to take credit, citing "suppression, prevention, intervention, and technology" as contributing to the decrease in crime.

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The Long Beach Post reports that police have arrested a man for a sexual assault case that occurred 13 years ago after linking DNA evidence to the suspect.

The alleged assault occurred in 1998 when the suspect was 19. Police claim that he entered the home of a 33-year-old woman and sexually assaulted her at gunpoint. The Long Beach Chief of Police commented that "[c]ontinuing advances in DNA testing have allowed detectives to re-visit cold cases and identify suspects, which was not possible before these advances."

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A Santa Clarita man has been arrested for a fatal hit-and-run in North Hollywood. According to Santa Clarita news, a young man was driving northbound when he struck and killed a man crossing the street. Under California law, if a driver is involved in a car accident that causes property damage, injury, or death her or she is required to stop as soon as possible in order to exchange vital information. The failure to stop may lead to serious criminal charges.

Punishments for leaving the scene of a crime include large fines and jail or prison time, as well as driver's license suspensions. When an accident causes a death - even if the driver is not at fault - the driver may be charged with a felony and subject to lengthy prison sentence.

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The L.A. Times reports that a judge has thrown out all the guilty verdicts on drug charges, including conspiracy, except one misdemeanor conviction handed down this fall by a jury in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial.

L.A. County Superior Court Judge Robert Perry cleared Howard K. Smith of all convictions and dismissed two conspiracy counts against psychiatrist Khristine Eroshevich. One of her felony convictions was dismissed and another reduced to a misdemeanor. Acknowledging that in some cases doctors make a living being "pill pushers," Perry stated that this was not the situation here. The charges were thrown out due to the prosecution's misunderstanding of conspiracy law.

An experienced L.A. Criminal Defense Lawyer can challenge erroneous charges and poke holes in a lack of evidence.

Here, observers note that the judge saw through the prosecution's "misapplication of the law ... lack of preparation and lack of foresight." The defendants were simply trying to protect Anna Nicole Smith's privacy and acting out of a "heartfelt desire to help a friend" rather than conspiring to commit a crime.

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According to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, police arrested a man donning hospital scrubs, a Darth Vader mask, black wig, gloves and carrying a hatchet after in a Rowland Heights grocery store. The "Darth Vader" robber had allegedly stolen an undisclosed amount of money from a bank inside the store.

Based on tips, detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department arrested a man who worked at the same grocery store. Bail was set at $100,000.

California law defines robbery as theft through the use of force or fear. Because of the element of force or threat of force, it is considered a violent crime and constitutes a "strike" under California's "Three Strikes" Law. Where a weapon is used, sentencing enhancements may apply. Here, the use of a hatchet may subject the man to potentially increased jail time.

If convicted, the man faces potentially serious penalties. An experienced Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer could help reduce or eliminate the charges. For example, a skilled attorney can point out errors in the prosecution's case by questioning eye witness testimony and other tips that led to this man's arrest.

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