Orange County Bail Bonds

Many people have heard the term, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, but they don’t really know what it means. Nor do they fully understand how it can be against the law in California. Contributing to the delinquency of a minor in California is a violation of Penal Code 272 PC. It states: “Every person who commits any act or omits the performance of any duty, which act or omission causes or tends to cause or encourage any person under the age of 18 years to come within the provisions of Section 300, 601, or 602 of the Welfare and Institutions Code or which act or omission contributes thereto, or any person who, by any act or omission, or by threats, commands, or persuasion, induces or endeavors to induce any person under the age of 18 years or any ward or dependent child of the juvenile court to fail or refuse to conform to a lawful order of the juvenile court, or to do or to perform any act or to follow any course of conduct or to so live as would cause or manifestly tend to cause that person to become or to remain a person within the provisions of Section 300, 601, or 602 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, is guilty of a misdemeanor.” It also says: “An adult stranger who is 21 years of age or older, who knowingly contacts or communicates with a minor who is under 14 years of age, who knew or reasonably should have known that the minor is under 14 years of age, for the purpose of persuading and luring, or transporting, or attempting to persuade and lure, or transport, that minor away from the minor’s home or from any location known by the minor’s parent, legal guardian, or custodian, to be a place where the minor is located, for any purpose, without the express consent of the minor’s parent or legal guardian, and with the intent to avoid the consent of the minor’s parent or legal guardian, is guilty of an infraction or a misdemeanor, subject to subdivision (d) of Section 17.” Most of us know that kids, particularly teenagers will generally do what they want, including engaging in what society considers risky behavior. Even California lawmakers understand that. When they created Penal Code 272 PC, California lawmakers didn’t think they could instantly encourage teenagers to make smart choices. The purpose of the law is to discourage adults from turning the blind eye to irresponsible behavior and to take the steps to stop it. Examples of behavior that could result in delinquency of a minor charge include:
  • Allowing a young teen to share a bedroom with a much older partner
  • Providing a minor with alcohol or tobacco
  • Allowing a minor to routinely skip school
  • Allowing a minor to drive a vehicle even though they are years away from obtaining a license
  • We’ve all heard stories about people who are charged with attempted crimes such as attempted murder, attempted assault, or attempted burglary. While we’re familiar with the concept of attempted crimes, few of us fully understand how it’s possible to be charged and even convicted, of a crime that didn’t actually happen. The issue of attempted crimes in California is discussed in Penal Code 664 PC. The law defines attempted crimes as any instance when a person makes a concentrated effort to pull off an actual crime and break the law. The fact that the intent was real, even if the person failed to completely follow through in their attempt to break the law. The law specifically states that “every person who attempts to commit any crime, but fails, or is prevented or intercepted in its perpetration, shall be punished where no provision is made by law for the punishment of those attempts.” There are several examples of attempted crimes. These examples include:
    • A victim escaping and fleeing from a sexual assault scenario
    • Breaking into a house, but being stopped before anything is actually stolen
    • A gun backfiring during what would have been a murder

    Disability placards aren’t something everyone in California can appropriate and use for their own purposes. Getting caught misusing a disability placard in California can land you on the wrong side of the law. If you think you can misuse a disability placard and not get caught,...

    Humans are funny. Whenever we’re given an order, we have an almost overwhelming compulsion to rebel against it. While rebellion is okay in certain situations, when that order comes directly from a police officer, it’s in your best interest to ignore your instincts. The vast majority...

    We’ve all done it at some point or another. We’ve left home without our driver’s license. This isn’t a major deal as long as you are walking or riding around as a passenger. If you’re driving, it has the potential to be a major problem....

    Your home is the place where you should always feel safe, which is why crimes that include home invasions are so horrible. Lately, home invasions, the right to protect your home, and something California lawmakers refer to as Castle Doctrine have been getting a great deal of media attention. The reason these topics have been in the news so much is in large part to the number of alleged home invaders who have been killed by the homeowners/legal residents. For example, in July, there were three different incidents of home invasions that took a fatal turn in the Sacramento area. The right to protect yourself and your home when it’s illegally entered has been a part of California’s legal system since 1872. The law, which is Penal Code 198.5 PC, states:
      “Any person using force intended or likely to cause death or great bodily injury within his or her residence shall be presumed to have held a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily injury to self, family, or a member of the household when that force is used against another person, not a member of the family or household, who unlawfully and forcibly enters or has unlawfully and forcibly entered the residence and the person using the force knew or had reason to believe that an unlawful and forcible entry occurred. As used in this section, great bodily injury means a significant or substantial physical injury.”
    While this is referred to as castle doctrine by California’s lawmakers, in other parts of the country it’s referred to as the Stand Your Ground law. While castle doctrine allows you to protect your home, it doesn’t provide you with grounds to attack anyone who walks through your front door. In order to claim castle doctrine, you must:
    • Show that you had reason to believe that the person was illegally entering our home
    • That the intruder wasn’t a family member who had a reasonable right to enter your home
    • That you had reason to believe that the intruder intended to use force to either injure or kill you or a member of your family

    Most of us hear the word mayhem and instantly think of those weird auto insurance commercials that feature a character name Mayhem creating strange accidents to show why you need auto insurance. Anyone who has ever faced mayhem charges in California knows that the state has...

    Many people spend the entire year looking forward to St. Patrick’s Day. The holiday is a huge deal in some locations, particularly those that have a large Irish American population. The great thing about St. Patrick’s Day is that the holiday is basically a 24-hour party....

    The justice system labels crimes as infractions, misdemeanors, and felonies. While these different categories of legal offenses have been around for a long time, very few people who aren’t directly connected to law enforcement or criminal lawfully understand how each type of crime is different.’

    Infractions

    People who are guilty of an infraction have technically committed a crime, but that crime is generally considered extremely petty. Rather than being arrested and potentially going through a trial, the individual is issued a ticket/citation. The most common infractions involve driving-related incidents. Examples of such infractions include:
    • Speeding
    • Failing to stop completely at stop signs
    • Using a cell phone while driving
    • Illegal U-turns
    • Etc
    Don’t assume that you don’t have many options when you’re handed a ticket that alleges that you’ve committed an infraction. While most people opt to simply pay the fine, you do have the option to appear before a judge and argue your case. The biggest thing that separates infractions from both misdemeanors and felonies is that the infraction won’t show up as a criminal record… though your car insurance company will be able to find out about it. It’s also important to note that if you amass too many traffic infractions, you’ll lose your driving privileges.

    Misdemeanors

    Anything that California considers a misdemeanor is an illegal act, one that’s considered more serious and a greater threat to society than a simple traffic ticket. If you’re charged with a misdemeanor you have the option of a trial and could be convicted. Whether you plead guilty to the misdemeanor or are convicted by a jury, the misdemeanor will become a part of your criminal record. While nearly everyone is familiar with the term misdemeanor, few people realize that California actually has two different classes of misdemeanors: standard misdemeanors and aggravated misdemeanors. The biggest difference between the two types of misdemeanors in California is the sentence connected to the crime. The maximum sentence connected to a standard misdemeanor is six months of incarceration and/or a $1,000 fine. The maximum sentence for an aggravated misdemeanor is one year of incarceration and/or a $2,000 fine.

    Felonies

    The most serious charges a person faces in California are felonies. These are divided into three different categories:
    • The non-aggravated felony-the maximum sentence for the first conviction is a year of imprisonment and/or a $10,000 fine
    • Aggravated Felony-Has a maximum sentence of life in prison and/or a $10,000 fine
    • Enhanced Felony- Has a maximum sentence of life in prison and/or a $10,000 fine

    Businesses that have gone through the effort of applying for a California liquor license and who are approved agree to only sell alcohol during the permitted hours. The good news is that there aren’t many times when you’re not allowed to sell alcohol to customers....