Los Angeles Criminal Lawyer Blog

According to the L.A. Times, one man has been arrested and the search continues for two others connected to the near-fatal Brian Stow assault, the San Francisco Giants fan attacked at Dodger Stadium.

Giovanni Ramirez has been taken into custody and is being accused of being one of two men who assaulted Stow after a Giants/Dodgers baseball game earlier this year. Detectives are preparing to conduct line-ups later in the week in an effort to identify the other suspects.

Here - the charges and potential penalties will be quite serious. Although Los Angeles assault and battery charges may range from less serious misdemeanor charges to serious felony charges, where significant injuries exist, the crime will be charged as a felony. Further, in some cases an assault or battery conviction will be considered a strike under California's "Three Strike Law." This means that if you have two prior violent felonies, you may face 25 years to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

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A Los Angeles Transportation Security Administration officer was arrested on a suspicion of theft at LAX for allegedly stealing items from a traveler's suitcase. The 31-year-old TSA agent faces charges of felony grand theft.

If you have been arrested on theft charges, it is important to contact an experienced Los Angeles theft defense lawyer immediately to begin investigating the charges and preparing your defense.

Los Angeles theft crimes cover a broad range of activities, but include those criminal acts of taking another person's property or money without his or her permission. The crimes can be charged as felonies or misdemeanors based on the value of things stolen. Where the value of an object is less than $400, the crime will generally be considered a misdemeanor.

"Theft crimes" include various actions such as:
• taking property by false pretenses
• embezzlement
• larceny
• identity theft

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According to L.A. Now, the Calabasas high school students arrested on charges of Los Angeles vandalism wrote racist graffiti on the school walls because they felt they had been "mistreated during the school year." The boys indicated that they were not targeting a specific ethnicity or religion - making it a potential hate crime - but rather the writings were aimed at individuals who had upset them throughout the year.

If you have been charged with either felony or misdemeanor vandalism, it is important to contact a Los Angeles vandalism defense attorney right away. Because several factors exist that can lead to penalty enhancements - such a whether conduct involves suspected gang members or could be considered a hate crime - it is important to get an attorney on your side immediately to start an investigation and begin preparing your defense.

Here, two teen boys were booked for felony vandalism and a third is expected to be arrested. Law enforcement has stated that they will seek criminal prosecution and reimbursement.

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Van Nuys news reports that law-enforcement has seized thousands of marijuana plaints from an indoor pot-growing facility in the San Fernando Valley. The seizure is part of a larger drug crime investigation that may extend into additional Los Angeles area communities.

Drug searches were also conducted in Canoga Park, Sherman Oaks, North Hills, North Hollywood and Palmdale. No arrests were made initially, but several individuals were targeted.

In order to reduce the number of drug crime both State and Federal law enforcement agencies hand down harsh punishments to any one arrested on a suspicion of a drug crime. If you have been arrested on any drug charges, you need an experienced Los Angeles drug crimes attorney to prepare your defense.

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According to the Los Angeles Times, a former risk manager for the city of Fullerton has been arrested for allegedly stealing $35,000 in city funds by approving false claims. Included in the felony charges are grand theft, burglary and embezzlement. Police assert that he had two accomplices working with him - a cousin and his girlfriend.

Generally, Los Angeles theft crimes are defined as the taking of another person's property or money without permission. These crimes may be considered felony grand theft or misdemeanor petty theft, depending on the value of money or property stolen. Under California law, grand theft applies where the value of the property is more than $400, with punishment including possible jail or prison time.

Here, due to the amount of money at issue, the risk manager has been charged with a felony. However, whether the prosecution can prove these claims is unknown. Often, accounting errors - rather than criminal activity - can explain inconsistencies.

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