California lawmakers don’t care if you were simply bored and decided adding some graffiti to a church wall would make life more interesting, if you were angry and knocked over some headstones in a local cemetery, or if you disagree with a particular religion and...
Bail money isn’t something anyone sets aside, and you never set it aside with the idea of using it to bail a loved one out of jail. As much as you might want to help out a recently arrested loved one, if you can’t afford...
The issue of when the police can and can’t conduct a search without a warrant has always been a sensitive issue. It’s also an important issue and one that should be explored with every single case that involves searches and evidence. The reason it’s so important...
Bail is a great part of the American judicial system. Paying bail means you don’t have to stay in jail while you wait for the legal system to handle your case, a process that takes an incredibly long time. Since you can spend this time...
Thanks to built-in cameras on smartphones, most of us have a camera at our disposal 24/7. We’re able to record everything. We use the phone camera for selfies, points of interest, and to record the actions of others. We’ve grown so accustomed to taking photos...
Finally! Halloween is here! Not only does that mean cooler weather, pumpkin spice coffee, and an excuse to snuggle up with a good book rather than going out, kids will tell you that it’s time for free candy. While kids love trick-or-treating, parents often have mixed feelings...
The first time the term “road rage” was officially used was during the 80s when a team of broadcasters decided the term perfectly summed up the cause of a highway shooting. Since that broadcast, road rage has become a regular part of our working vocabulary....
Unless you have the card owner’s permission, it’s illegal to use a credit or debit card that doesn’t belong to you. It doesn’t matter if you found the card lying in the middle of a parking lot, have the card that belongs to someone who...
There are many great reasons to live in California. There’s also one huge drawback. In exchange for easy access to beaches and year-round wonderful weather, you always have to be prepared for an earthquake. The good news is that most of the earthquakes California experiences are...
Social media has had a strange impact on many people. There is a sense of anonymity and protection associated with the internet that makes us feel comfortable saying things via social media that we would never dream of saying in a real-world situation. The good...
Most of us know that the police can’t simply walk into our homes and start searching it unless you’ve given them permission to do so, or if they’ve gone through the correct legal channels and acquired a warrant. The same is true when it comes to...
The best way to think about hit and run incidents in California is that they are illegal. Fleeing the scene of an accident only makes the situation worse.
A hit-and-run accident is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the term used to describe someone who hits something (car, dog, human, mailbox, etc.), and rather than waiting and making sure the accident is properly reported, they flee the scene. While it is sometimes plausible that they didn’t know about the accident in most cases, the fleeing driver knows exactly what they are doing.
California lawmakers have zero patience for hit and run drivers and have passed strict laws that lay out exactly what will happen to any driver who causes an accident and then flees.
Vehicle Code 20002 VC covers the issue of misdemeanor hit and run in California. Vehicle Code 20001 VC is all about felony hit-and-run accidents. When you read through the two-vehicle codes you’ll notice that only one thing distinguishes one from the other, and that thing is injuries. Misdemeanor hit and run accidents charges are brought against drivers that cause an accident that only involves property damage, but if someone was hurt or killed as a result of the incident, you’ll be charged with felony hit and run. Since you fled the scene, you won’t even know how serious the charges are until you’re either caught or somehow able to gain access to the incident report.
If you’re convicted of misdemeanor hit and run in California, your sentence can include spending six months in jail, being issued a fine of $1,000, and having to make restitution. You will also have 2 points added to your driving record plus face any tickets/charges/fines are connected to whatever dangerous driving habit is triggered the accident.
If you’re convicted of a felony hit and run in California, the VC states that: