Los Angeles Criminal Law Blog

While developing into adult human beings, teenagers experience a number of impulsive thoughts and engage in alarming activities, including crimes. The truth is, teenagers behave in ways that are irrational, dangerous, emotional, reactive to stress and impulsive. They have different ways of approaching social situations, solving problems and making important decisions. Furthermore, they are less likely to think about the consequences of their actions and change their dangerous behavior as a result. Although people may think of this as normal teenage behavior, there is actual scientific evidence supporting these behaviors.

Researchers have found that the area of the brain responsible for experiencing aggression and fear develops early in teenagers. On the other hand, the frontal cortex, which is responsible for controlling our ability to reason, problem solve and think things through before acting, develops later. There are other areas of the brain that are developing during adolescence, including strengthening nerve cell connections and growing better communication pathways.

If you are charged and convicted of driving under the influence in California, you may be required to install an ignition interlock device in your vehicle. Interlock devices allow you to drive to work, school and run important errands safely, even when you have had your traditional driver’s license revoked because of a DUI conviction. Tulare, Los Angeles, Alameda and Sacramento counties all require ignition interlock devices with DUI charges. In other counties in California, however, it is up to the discretion of the judge presiding over the case.

Once you have an IID installed in your vehicle, you must give a clean breath sample in order to start your car. Rolling retests are also required during the drive to keep the vehicle going. If your BAC level measures above the preset level, the car will either not start or will power down. All of the information regarding start-up attempts, BAC levels and lock-outs is recorded in the IID and is transferred to law enforcement authorities during the vehicle’s inspection. Every 60 days, your vehicle must be inspected and calibrated by a state certified installer.

If you have a California criminal record and you find that it is having a negative impact on your day-to-day life, you are not alone. Having a criminal record presents inevitable hurdles for state residents, who may find that their record follows them around, potentially affecting everything from where they can live and work to whether they can vote. At the Kosnett Law Firm, we understand just how much your criminal record can haunt you, and we have helped many clients with California criminal records work to reduce the damage their criminal records cause them.

Per the Judicial Branch of California, state residents who have existing criminal records may be able to have their records sealed or dismissed, depending on several factors, and provided their situations meet certain circumstances. Essentially, sealing your records makes them invisible to the general public, meaning they typically should not appear when, say, prospective employers run a search on you.

If you face theft charges in California, your specific charge may be for robbery or burglary as opposed to theft per se. As FindLaw explains, these three white collar crimes are similar to, but different from, each other, especially when it comes to what the prosecutor must prove in order to convict you.

Theft, robbery and burglary all are property crimes. To convict you of theft, which also goes by the name of larceny, the prosecutor must prove that you stole someone’s personal property with the intent both to do so and to permanently deprive your alleged victim of the property.