bail bonds in Buena Park Tag

When most people hear the word recording, they automatically assume that someone is a musician who is in the process of laying tracks. The term recording has a much different meaning to people involved in the California court system. California has something that is often referred...

28 December, 2020 /

There is a housing problem in California. The state has more people who need a home than there are affordable rental options available. The shortage of available housing is likely why there seems to have been an increase in “squatting” cases. What is Squatting? Squatting is a...

29 October, 2020 /
stay-safe-this-halloween Halloween is right around the corner. It’s one of those holidays that kids look forward to all year long. It’s not uncommon for kids to spend months working on a Halloween costume and planning their trick-or-treating route.

Safety and Halloween

Every single year, the news is always full of stories about people wondering if traditional trick-or-treating is safe. Concerning issues include the potential to bring poisoned candy into the house, getting hit by a car, or getting kidnapped. This year has the added complication of COVID-19.

Is it Safe to Trick-or-Treat?

The good news is that Halloween hasn’t been officially canceled in California, but lawmakers and members of the medical community are concerned. Officially they are asking people to skip the tradition of trick-or-treating this year, but they have also stated that they’re leaving the final decision to the parents.

What Should You Do

No one can tell you if you should stay at home this Halloween or if you should go trick-or-treating, you need to decide what your personal comfort levels are. If you do decide to go, there are a few things you can do.
  • Use a pair of tongs to select candy from dishes/buckets
  • Set a limit on the number of houses you’ll visit
  • Have your kids wear gloves and face mask while trick-or-treating
  • Limit your trick-or-treating to your own social circle.
  • Have your kids use hand sanitizer after each house
29 October, 2020 /

Teenagers are full of two things. Hormones and emotions. The combination causes them to make questionable life choices, which includes engaging in sex. When parents learn that their teenage child has become sexually active they often find themselves worrying if their child can be charged...

27 October, 2020 /
dealing-with-child-abandonment-in-california Child neglect has been on the minds of California lawmakers for a long time. From 1987-1995 there was a 27% increase in child abuse/neglect cases. In 1994 alone, the state dealt with 664,000 child abuse/neglect cases, with 90,000 children becoming involved in the state’s foster program. No one was happy about the situation. In California, child abandonment laws and child neglect laws are tangled up together. Issues that are covered in the state’s child neglect/abuse laws include:
  • Emotional Abuse
  • Exploitation of minors
  • General Neglect
  • Physical Abuse
  • Severe Neglect
  • Sexual Abuse
27 October, 2020 /
smartphones-in-californias-polling-places1 It's impossible to believe that humans were once able to go through life without a smartphone in our hand. Today, we rely on our smartphones for everything. We use it to update our social media accounts, to take pictures, to get directions, and to find the cheapest place to find gas. On the rare occasions when we have to leave our smartphone behind, it feels like we've lost an arm. Most of us feel the loss of the smartphone so keenly that it's nearly impossible to concentrate on anything else until we're finally reunited with our smartphone. One of the places that smartphones, tablets, and other handheld devices are prohibited are in polling places. That law changed when lawmakers passed Assembly Bill 1707. The bill was approved by the Governor and filed with California's Secretary of State on October 8, 2019. Keep in mind that while you're allowed to bring your smartphone into the polling place, the state has placed restrictions on how the phone is used. While you're in the polling place, you're not allowed to use your smartphone to:
  • Take videos or pictures of someone while they're in the polling place and threaten to use the images against them
  • You can't violate Sections 4221, 14224, 14291, 18370, 18502, 18540, 18541 of the bill
09 July, 2020 /
California was once famous for its three strikes and your out brand of criminal justice.

How the Three Strikes Law Worked

The three-strikes law went into effect in 1994. The law was originally proposed in direct response to the horrific murders of Polly Klass and Kimber Reynolds. The way the Three Strikes law works is if someone already had a felony conviction on their record when they were found guilty of a second felony, the amount of time they served in prison for the second felony was instantly doubled. If the same felon found themselves in trouble for a felony a third time, they were automatically sentenced to 25 years to a life in prison term. It didn't matter if they were convicted to two (or three) different types of felonies, the extended sentence stuck. The purpose the three-strike law served was to get dangerous felons off the streets for a long stretch of time. The Three Strikes law was written in such a way that:
  • Multiple sentences can't be run concurrently, they have to be handled as consecutive sentences
  • Suspensions and probation isn't allowed
  • While a felon is allowed to earn credits that shorten the amount of time they spend in prison, they can only use the credits to reduce the sentence by 1/5.
  • Changes to the Three Strikes Law
09 July, 2020 /
ponzi-schemes-and-california-law Ponzi schemes aren't legal in California. The state considers these financial cons a type of financial fraud. California's judicial system is currently set up in such a way that it helps protect whistleblowers and consumers from getting caught up in the legal drama that always surrounds Ponzi schemes.

Understanding the Difference Between Ponzi Schemes and Pyramid Schemes

Many people mistakenly assume that Ponzi schemes and pyramid schemes are the same things. While there are quite a few similarities, there are also a few key differences. Ponzi schemes are usually handled by a single person. That individual convinces investors to take part in something, usually a promised investment, that never comes to fruition. Investors are convinced that they can't possibly lose money and will make a huge return on their investment. It usually takes a great deal of time for the investors to realize that the person who is "managing their portfolio" is actually running a con and is keeping their money. The Bernard Madoff debacle is a perfect example of a Ponzi scheme. Madoff created the Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC and was able to convince several people he was the real deal. His pitch was so good, he amassed close to 5,000 investors. It's believed that his take was close to $65 billion. A pyramid scheme is more elaborate and involves more people, some of which don't realize that they're committing a crime. With a pyramid scheme, a single person not only recruits investors but also recruits people who gather even more investors. The original person is the very top of the pyramid in this particular scheme. Most pyramid schemes involve a type of product that does actually exist. Business in Motion is an example of an illegal pyramid scheme. The program revolved around the sale of economical vacation plans. Each person who bought into the program invested $3,200. If the person was able to sell additional vacation packages to friends and family, they'd earn a $5,000 commission. Approximately 2,000 people bought into the pyramid scheme. In 2008, they launched a class-action lawsuit against the program's creator. A judge agreed that the program was a pyramid scheme and awarded the investors a $6.5 million ruling.

The Legal Ramifications of Running a Ponzi Scheme

Ponzi schemes are prohibited in California. The laws that address Ponzi schemes are found in the California Penal Code Section (PC) 319. The creators of Ponzi schemes in California can be charged with:
  • Laundering money
  • Business fraud
  • Mail fraud
  • Securities fraud
  • Tax fraud
  • Wire fraud
  • Theft
06 July, 2020 /
Tips for Dealing with Door to Door Scams

Tips for Dealing with Door to Door Scams

For most people, the safest and most relaxing place to be is within the walls of their own home. There, they are isolated from the rest of the world in safety. They can rest easy and recharge before having to venture outside once again. When someone intrudes on the space it can be a bit upsetting. This is especially true if the intruder is up to no good. In today’s modern world, a lot of scammers have taken to the internet to trick and con people. Most people are aware of this fact. However, some scammers out there prefer to stick to more old fashioned methods. Door to door scams do still occur and it is important for people to be aware of this fact. Since there are so many different scams out there, it is important for a person to learn to spot the warning signs of something being a scam. This way, no matter what type of scam they might be dealing with, they will be able to recognize the con for what it is and avoid it.

Preferred Targets for Scams

When it comes to door to door scams, there is one age group that falls victim to it more than all the others. People over the age of 60 are more likely to be targeted by, and fall victim to, these types of scams. This is due to the fact that Baby Boomers were raised to be more trusting of people and polite towards everyone. They are also the main age group that is home during the day. These are traits that scammers love to exploit in order to get their foot in the door. When a scammer comes to the door, someone in this age group is more likely to answer the door to an unexpected guest. Meanwhile, people in later generations are more likely to ignore the knock at the door if they weren’t expecting anyone. Similarly, Baby Boomers are less likely to close the door on someone once they begin talking to them. Other generations have no problems closing the door in someone’s face.

Common Scams and Warning Signs

There are primarily two types of door to door scams that a person needs to be wary of:
  • Someone ‘selling’ a product or service.
  • Someone distracting the person so an accomplice can break into the house.
09 February, 2020 /

Why Are People Smashing Car Windows? Most law abiding citizens see a locked door or window and assume the building or car is inaccessible. However, there are people out there who view those barriers as minor obstacles. If they want inside, they will get inside. Nothing...

27 January, 2020 /