Orange County Bail Bonds

is-it-legal-to-drive-with-earbuds-in-california Bluetooth headphones that let us do everything from answer phone calls to listen to our favorite tunes were invented, it seems like we always have earphones inserted into our ears. It’s so easy to listen to your favorite music or audiobook while you’re getting ready to go and leave the earbuds in once your driving. What some people don’t realize is that continuing to use their earbuds while driving isn’t legal in California. For years, driving with headphones on has been illegal in California. Many lawmakers assumed that earbuds fell into the same category as headphones, but as is always the case, someone protested that they weren’t the same thing. Rather than argue with every single driver who got pulled over for wearing earbuds, California lawmakers passed a law that officially made it illegal to drive with earbuds. The new law means you can’t wear headphones, earbuds, or a single ear Bluetooth earpiece while you’re behind the wheel.

Why Can’t You Wear Earbuds While Driving in California?

You might not think that your earbuds impact your ability to safely drive but California lawmakers disagree. There are a few reasons why they have made it illegal to wear earbuds while driving, including:
  • Earbuds, particularly noise-canceling earbuds make it important to hear sounds, such as train whistles, sirens, and honking, that are happening outside your car. Failing to hear the sounds increases the likelihood of you getting into an accident.
  • Listening to things via earbuds can pull your attention away from things that are taking place on the road in front of you, such as a child running across the street or a school bus turning on their flashers.
  • Earbuds encourage you to answer your phone while driving, something that drastically increases the risk of you getting into an accident.
16 October, 2020 /

Signs warning drivers about the dangers of picking up hitchhikers litter the sides of California’s highways. Upon seeing these signs, most of us assume that we’re close to one of the state’s prisons and that cops are worried that a hitchhiker could be an escaped...

16 October, 2020 /
handling-hate-crimes-in-california Hate crimes are a far bigger problem than many people realize. Data collected by the Justice Department indicates that starting in 2013 and ending in 2017, there were approximately 55,000 gender-related hate crimes in the United States. As if the number of hate crimes wasn’t already scary enough, recent stats indicate that there is a problem in how theses crimes are documented by the authorities. A recent batch of statistics indicated that police departments around the country dealt with just 215 gender-related hate crimes. At first, that sounds great, the number has gone way down, but the number of problems the police reported is just 3% of the same type of hate crimes the FBI dealt with during that same period.

What are Hate Crimes

On the surface, hate crimes appear to be leveled at just one or a small group of people, but experts know that hate crimes are more. While only a few people might draw the actual anger and bias of the person who is dishing out the hate, it is a problem that impacts everyone. It’s an attack on an entire, large group of people and an attack that shakes the self-esteem of the entire country. A hate crime is a nasty attack that is directed at someone because they represent a specific group of people. Examples of hate crimes include crimes that are initiated because the attackers are upset about their victim’s:
  • Nationality
  • Gender
  • Religion
  • Sexuality
  • Disability
  • Race/ethnicity
15 October, 2020 /

Like all other states, California has taken a hard stance on drunk driving. It isn’t tolerated. If you’re caught behind the wheel after having just a little too much to drink, you’ll face steep consequences that will have a major impact on the overall quality...

15 October, 2020 /
the-reality-of-prop-25 The November third election is a big one for California voters. Not only do they have to decide which candidate they want in the Oval Office, but they also must decide if they want to vote for or against, Proposal 25.

What is Proposal 25

The goal of Prop 25 is to end the current cash bail system. If it passes, California would be the first state to do away with this system. Instead of using a tried and true cash bail system, the state would create a system that would run a “risk-assessment” on suspects. Each suspect would be assigned a risk which would categorize them as:
  • Low-risk
  • Medium-risk
  • High-risk
13 October, 2020 /

The pandemic has been running our lives since March. There isn’t a single aspect of life that it hasn’t impacted. Many of us have grown tired of all the restrictions the virus has placed on our lives and are starting to rebel against the shutdown...

13 October, 2020 /

California is known for its earthquakes. Unlike wildfires which can be somewhat predictable and avoidable, there’s never much warning before an earthquake occurs. Even with the surprisingly accurate MyShake earthquake phone app you usually have less than a minute to prepare yourself for the...

02 October, 2020 /
evading-police-in-california Police chases might look exciting on television, but the reality is much different. Evading the police in California is dangerous, especially if the event takes place in a place that is heavily populated by either other drivers or pedestrians. Fleeing from the police, even if they only want to question you, can result in serious legal consequences.
02 October, 2020 /
can-you-leave-the-scene-of-an-accident You’ve just been involved in an accident. As far as you can tell, it’s not a big deal. You barely bumped the other car’s back bumper. There can’t possibly be any damage to their car so surely it’s perfectly acceptable for you to simply drive around their car and get on with your day. Wrong. Leaving the scene of an accident is a very bad move that can land you in serious legal trouble. As soon as you decide to leave the scene of an accident, you’re considered a hit and run driver. California lawmakers have little patience for hit and run drivers. It doesn’t matter how severe or minor the accident is, if you were involved, you’re legally required to stop your vehicle, survey the damage, and exchange name, contact information, and insurance information with the other driver. In most cases, it’s in your best interest to have the police investigate the accident. If you and the other driver decide that the accident doesn’t justify a police investigation, you’re still required to report the accident. You have 24 hours to notify the police. If the accident involved someone getting hurt, you’re expected to provide assistance with the injury.

But What if You Weren’t at Fault?

Most people don’t realize that even if you’re not at fault for the accident, you can still be charged for a hit and run if you flee the scene of the accident. California law requires that all drivers involved in the accident remain on the scene.

What Happens if You’re Found Guilty of Hit and Run

Hit and Run accidents are one of California’s many wobbler laws. If the accident only involved property damage, you’ll be charged with a misdemeanor. If someone was killed or sustained an injury that required medical attention, you’ll be charged with felony hit and run driving. The penalties for misdemeanor hit and run include:
  • Up to 180 days in a county jail
  • Up to $1,000 in fines
  • 3-years informal probation
  • Restitution
  • A 1-year suspension of your driver’s license
  • 2 points added to your driving record
01 October, 2020 /

There’s nothing worse than noisy neighbors. Without fail, neighbors only seem to get noisy after you’ve had a long day and only want to crawl into bed and sleep for twelve straight hours. The more exhausted you are, the louder they seem to get. Figuring out...

01 October, 2020 /
california-lemon-laws-for-dogs When you bring a dog into your family, you assume that you’re getting a healthy animal who will be a buddy and best friend for several years. Unfortunately, sometimes things don’t work out the way you hope. Instead of a pet who will go on hikes and give you comfort, your new dog develops health problems that ruin your financial stability. If you find yourself in this situation, you might want to look into California’s dog lemon laws. California is one of 22 states that currently have lemon laws in place that are designed to protect pet owners. They are surprisingly similar to vehicular lemon laws.

What are California’s Lemon Dog Laws?

The purpose of California’s lemon dog laws is to protect you from the financial headaches that go hand in hand with inadvertently acquiring a dog that has health problems. The lemon dog law says that you can reasonably expect the dog to be healthy and free of illness and disease for the first fifteen days they live in your home. In order to take advantage of this law, you have to obtain written certification from your veterinarian that the dog developed some type of illness that had previously existed in the dog prior to you acquire it. It could also apply if the seller lied about vaccinating the dog prior to you taking possession of the animal. The second aspect of California’s lemon dog law deals with congenital and hereditary problems. If the dog develops a health problem that makes it impossible for you to use the dog in the way you intended or means taking on veterinary bills you didn’t anticipate, you have the ability to contact the breeder and discuss reimbursement. These health problems have to appear within the first year of the dog’s life. If the dog passes away as a result of congenital or hereditary health problems during the first year of its life, you are also protected by California’s lemon dog laws.

The Seller’s Responsibility Under the Lemon Dog Laws

The purpose of California’s lemon dog laws is to encourage breeders to breed responsibly. The hope is that the laws will encourage breeders to get a full genetic workup on their breeding dogs prior to mating them. It also encourages sellers to disclose known health problems in all sales contracts.
  • If your dog develops health problems that are covered by California’s lemon dog laws, the seller has a few choices.
  • They can reimburse your vet bills that are related to the health issue until that amount matches the purchase price of the dog
  • They can offer a replacement puppy
28 September, 2020 /
false-allegations-of-child-abuse-in-california Child abuse laws are designed to protect children from being hurt. They’re good laws that make a lot of sense. Unfortunately, they are also laws that can be used against people, particularly parents who are engaged in a child custody dispute. It’s not unheard of for one parent to accuse the other parent of child abuse in order to obtain full custody of the children. It’s an accusation that can deal a lasting blow to both sides. While there have been instances of men lodging false child abuse claims against women, it’s far more common for a woman to falsely accuse a man of child abuse. Data collected by the Stop Abusive and Violent Environments (SAVE) indicates that 85% of all child abuse protective orders are filed by men and issued against men. One lawyer estimates that approximately 90% of those that are filed during a divorce and that mention child abuse are a tactical move to gain custody of the children. California’s family court judges are legally obligated to take all child abuse accusations seriously. The last thing anyone wants is for a child to be hurt because the court failed to act. As soon as one parent accuses the other of child abuse, the court will take action, usually siding with the parent who made the accusation. If you are the one accused of abusing children, you shouldn’t assume that you’re promptly out of luck. You do have to be willing to take a defensive stance. It’s in your best interest to demand that the court investigate the accusations. Be prepared for this to involve an in-depth and invasive investigation into your background. Court-appointed experts will interview several people which can include:
  • Your children
  • Family
  • Friendly
  • Doctors
  • Teachers
28 September, 2020 /