It may seem unlikely to picture your life outside of prison in California. Facing criminal charges may seem like the end of the world, especially if the repercussions have stripped you of freedom. Contrary to the common narrative, your past does not have to control...

Criminal law is a general term for the system that covers criminal offenses. Regulating the laws, charging individuals with crimes, administering trials and issuing penalties to offenders are all part of the criminal law and justice system in California. Criminal law...

Some people ignore pending legal issues until they have no other choice. For example, a surprising number of people don't act to protect themselves when they learn they are the focus of a police investigation. Instead, they wait until the police arrest them. However,...

Working in accounting can be a dull, even tedious career. You input purchase order information, validate timeclock information for payroll and tax purposes, and generally make sure that the company doesn't run into the red. You may have to do several different kinds...

Alcohol seriously affects people's judgment and behavior. While alcohol consumption or drunkenness won't necessarily change your personality, it can increase the likelihood of you following through with a bad idea or ignoring possible consequences.   Those under the...

Many criminal cases in California are resolved through plea bargaining. A plea bargain is a negotiated deal for the defendant to plead guilty in exchange for reduced charges or a lighter sentence. Areas of negotiation There are three main areas of the criminal case...

Many criminal defendants across the country and in California are ultimately forced to make a difficult choice: Do they take a plea bargain, or do they push forward with a trial? This is a deeply personal decision and one that can have major, life-long ramifications...

Hot pursuit is an exception to law enforcement needing a warrant to enter a home to make an arrest in California. The purpose of hot pursuit If chasing a suspect connected to a recently-occurred felony and said suspect enters a private house, criminal law says...

When police in California want to search your property, they need to establish probable cause. This means that they cannot search just because they feel like it. Instead, they need to provide a reason behind why they suspect someone is committing a crime. Their...

A commonly charged offense in the state of California is burglary. With that noted, you may be like many people who have questions about what exactly constitutes the crime. For example, you may wonder whether burglary is a theft crime. The short answer is generally...