Blog

know-before-you-fly-your-drone As the weather warms up and gets nicer, and people are beginning to venture outside once again, they are looking for something to do. One thing that is a lot of fun, and doesn’t create or need a crowd of people is flying a drone. Drones give people a bird's eye view of the area and it can be quite exhilarating to see. Whether it is someplace new, or someplace a person has lived all their life, seeing things from the air is very different from seeing things from the ground. The thing is, a person needs to be careful when flying a drone, or else they could end up in trouble with the law. There are several laws that a drone pilot has to follow here in California, and the nation as a whole, to avoid getting into trouble with the law.

Federal Drone Laws

For starters, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires that all drones over 0.55 pounds, or 250 grams, be registered. All registered drones will be given an identification number that must be displayed on the drone at all times. This number will be valid for 3 years and enables the drone to be identified and linked back to the registered owner. A person must be 13-years-old or older to register a drone in their name. A very important law for drones applies to airports. Drones cannot be flown within a 5-mile radius of any airport. This is for safety reasons, to help prevent any aircraft from colliding with a drone. If a person wants to fly a drone within 5 miles from an airport, they need to contact air traffic control or airport management to get permission. When a person does this, they will be asked a couple of questions, such as how long they plan on flying and where they plan on flying.
  • If a person is flying their drone for work, then they need a special license to do so.
  • All drones must be flown within the line of sight of the operator.
25 June, 2020 /
laws-that-minors-can-break-but-adults-cannot Everyone knows what crimes are and what would happen if they were to commit one. This is just something that people learn over time. However, there is something about laws and crimes that people know, without ever really considering. What a lot of adults may not consider, is that there are somethings they can do without fear of breaking a law, while a minor would face legal trouble for doing the same.

What Are Status Offenses?

According to the law, there are plenty of things out there that adults can do, but minors cannot. This leads to an interesting section of the law where things are considered illegal, but only for minors. This means these acts can’t be crimes, because adults can do them pretty much any time they want. This is why the term status offense exists. A status offense is any activity that a minor could get in trouble for doing simply because of their age at the time of the act. It is estimated that 20% of all juvenile arrests are due to status offenses. Some of the most common status offenses that a minor can be charged with include: Being uncontrollable by parents or guardians.
25 June, 2020 /
can-marijuana-legally-be-smoked-in-public. Back in 2016, Californian voters chose to approve the legalization of the recreational use of marijuana. The law went into effect at the start of 2018, and so for the last two years, people have been able to enjoy marijuana recreationally. However, even though marijuana usage has been legal for 2 years, there is still a lot of confusion around the law. Two years isn’t a lot of time in legal terms. Many of the laws that people are familiar with have been around for decades, which is why people are so familiar with them. Since the marijuana laws are so new, the general public hasn't had enough time to get to know every single detail. This is why some people are still confused
22 June, 2020 /
dont-make-your-home-an-easy-target-for-theft Everyone's home is their safe haven. A person's home shelters them from the outside world and keeps them and everything they care about, safe. This is why people are so protective of their homes. There are a lot of important things there for them to keep safe from would-be criminals. One California girl is being praised for her quick thinking and reaction when a would-be intruder approached her home. The man could have been attempting to do who knows what, but thanks to the young girl’s fast reaction, he quickly fled the home.
22 June, 2020 /

When it comes to friends and family, most people will do whatever they can to help out their loved ones. If someone that they care about is in trouble, they will not rest until they have helped get their loved one out of trouble. This...

18 June, 2020 /
what-is-disorderly-conduct When it comes to laws, there are plenty of terms that people hear regularly. Despite that, some of the terms are a bit unclear for people. Take for instance disorderly conduct. What exactly does that term mean? What counts as disorderly conduct? Disorderly conduct is a broad term that covers a variety of different acts that could be considered disruptive to the general public. Knowing this can help a person avoid getting into any trouble with the law.

California’s Disorderly Conduct Laws

There are a couple of different laws here in California that can fall within the category of disorderly conduct. For starters, there is Penal Code (PC) 647. This is California's primary disorderly conduct law and covers a variety of different activities. Some other laws that can be considered disorderly conduct include:
  • PC 404 Rioting
  • PC 415 Disturbing the Peace
  • PC 416 Failure to Disperse
  • PC 602 Trespassing
16 June, 2020 /
whats-the-difference-between-gta-and-joyriding A home is probably the most important thing that a person can own. Right behind that is a car. Having a vehicle allows a person to travel easily and efficiently. With a car, a person can run errands and go to work to earn money for all of their expenses. Owning a car is a very big deal. Since cars are so important and expensive, it is no wonder that there are laws against stealing motor vehicles. This crime is such a big deal that it gets its own law. Motor vehicles are some of the only possessions that a person can own that is protected by its own law. Every other item is simply protected under regular theft laws.

What Is the Crime of Stealing a Car?

All theft in California is broken up into two different categories, grand theft and petty theft. The distinction between these two crimes is the value of whatever was stolen. If the total is less than $950, then it was petty theft under Penal Code (PC) 488. It the value was over $950, then it is grand theft under PC 487. Cars get a special distinction under PC 487(d)1 called grand theft auto (GTA). This makes the crime of grand theft auto a subsection within the crime of grand theft. This is because most cars are valued at over $950. Under PC 487(d)1, grand theft auto is defined as a person taking another person's vehicle without their permission, with the intent of depriving that person of the vehicle, either permanently or for some time. Another, similar but different crime, is joyriding. Vehicle Code (VC) 10851 defines joyriding and it sounds almost identical to grand theft auto. The key difference between the two crimes is the intent. With grand theft auto, the person intends to steal the car, whereas with joyriding, the person has no intention of stealing the car, just taking it for a drive.

What Are the Penalties for GTA and Joyriding?

Since grand theft auto is a subsection of grand theft, it carries the same penalties. This means that the crime is a wobbler and can be charged as either a misdemeanor or as a felony depending on the facts of the case and the person’s criminal record. Despite this fact, the crime is typically charged as a felony here in California. As such, the crime of GTA can come with the following penalties:
  • 16 months, 2 years, or 3 years in county jail.
  • A max fine of $10,000.
16 June, 2020 /
what-is-solicitation

What Is Solicitation?

There are things out there that some people might want to do, but can't because it is illegal. For most people, that is enough for them to let the idea go altogether. However, some people still want to do whatever illegal thing it was that they were thinking of, and they might just have a way around the law. To stay out of trouble and still get the illegal task done, some people resort to hiring someone else to do the deed for them. They think this leaves them free and clear, but it does not. Hiring someone to commit a crime is just as illegal as committing the crime itself.

The Definition of Solicitation

The act of hiring or convincing someone else to commit a crime is referred to as solicitation. This crime is covered under 2 different laws, Penal Code (PC) 647 and PC 653(f). PC 647 is solely concerned with someone soliciting another person for lewd acts and/or prostitution. If a person tries to convince another person to commit a lewd or sexual act in public, then they are guilty of disorderly conduct. The same is true if a person tries to solicit another individual with prostitution. Meanwhile, PC 653(f) covers solicitation of pretty much every other criminal act. Some examples of crimes that are covered under this law include:
  • Arson,
  • Assault,
  • Burglary,
  • Extortion,
  • Murder,
  • Rape,
  • Robbery,
  • And theft.
04 June, 2020 /

Transporting Marijuana in California Nearly four years ago, Californians voted to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in the state. That law went into effect in 2018 and as such, there is still some confusion about what is and isn’t legal when it comes to marijuana...

02 June, 2020 /

Is Blackmailing Illegal in California? Blackmailing is never fun, especially when you are at the receiving end of it. The trope of someone finding some secret of another person and then using it to get the victim to do whatever they say shows up a lot...

02 June, 2020 /

One of the great things about living here in the United States is that people can always speak their mind. The First Amendment to the Constitution grants every US citizen the right to freedom of speech and peacefully protest. This way, if someone doesn't like...

18 May, 2020 /
Difference-Between-These-3-Crimes

Is There a Difference Between These 3 Crimes?

When it comes to the criminal legal system, there is a lot that the general public may be misinformed on, and it’s understandable. California has thousands of complex laws and ordinances filled with cryptic language known as legalese that contribute to misconceptions. A common misconception is that theft, burglary, and robbery are all the same crime. However, they are not. The law views each one differently. Each crime has specific circumstances tied to it that helps distinguish it from the others.

What Is Theft in California?

Theft is defined under California Penal Code (PC) 484 as the wrongful taking of someone else's property. This can be done in a number of ways, such as taking an item, or money, when no one is looking or lying to get someone to hand over an item or money. This crime is broken up into two categories, petty and grand. Which category a person falls into depends on the monetary value of what was stolen. If the monetary value of the stolen goods is under $950, then the thief will be charged with petty theft. If the monetary value is over $950, then the person will face grand theft charges. The consequences for theft are dependent on which version a person has been accused of. For petty theft, a person faces misdemeanor charges that come with:
  • Up to 6 months in county jail
  • A max fine of $1,000
18 May, 2020 /