For #18 we head back into the messy and chaotic world that is domestic violence. This case involved a female defendant who lived with the male victim and their child. At the time of the incident the pair lived together, but the victim slept in the living room and the defendant in the master bedroom…
One of my biggest frustrations when watching high profile cases in the news is the impatience often voiced over delays by prosecutors in making filing decisions. The calls for justice, while important in order to keep the tragedy of the events in the public eye are often misplaced. A full and complete investigation is always…
Crime was afoot on Cherry Tree Lane. Ok, ok, ok, it wasn't Cherry TREE Lane, but crime was definitely afoot. #16 involved a surveillance operation by our Interagency Narcotic's Task Force. A search warrant was executed and the defendant, aka girlfriend, was home. Boyfriend had been locked up in jail for drug sales days before,…
Worker's compensation fraud doesn't get the credit it deserves by my fellow prosecutors. The general public, on the other hand, eats these cases up. My opinion is that the public knows that those are are defrauding the system in this way are harming everyone: insurance premiums rise meaning the costs of goods and services also…
Don't ring the bell if you don't want to follow the rules. And never punch a bouncer in the face.
The laws relating to Driving Under the Influence (DUI) have provided a standard formula when it comes to prosecuting defendants who have consumed too much alcohol and chose to get behind the wheel of the car. We have two ways to proceed, and we often proceed with both routes: (1) the defendant's blood alcohol content…
#10 was my first jury trial with significant media exposure. It involved a victim who went onto property that defendant was squatting at in Chico. He and his dog were attacked by the defendant with a knife and eventually chased off the property. The victim screamed for help as he ran away. One witness opened…
A lot of effort is involved in keeping our jurors insulated from any outside influences that could affect their opinion of the case. The Court gives them instructions that jurors cannot do any independent investigation, cannot look up or research the people involed on the internet, or do any research on legal concepts. Lawyers and…
When you are first learning how to be a trial lawyer you often get encouraged to try different techniques. It can be as simple as using a different method to introduce photos, or maybe using your body language and positioning to suggest important details as a witness testifies. Techniques also include your own tone as…
Sometimes a defendant will waive their Constitutional Right to a jury trial and agree to have the case decided by a Judge. This happens for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is a complicated legal argument, or the case could involve some highly inflamatory facts and a defendant may be concerned about a jury's reaction.…
Hopelessly Devoted 