Rizio and Nelson California Law Blog

Defining Defense

Life is a series of choices that people make. Most of these choices are very simple ones and have little impact on other’s lives – what to have for breakfast, or what to wear that day, for instance. Most of the people that we interact with we choose, except for family of course, and maybe that coworker that’s really annoying. And for the most part, we’re quite content to go to...

Probable Cause vs. Burden of Proof

In a criminal trial, the two main hearings before a judge and/or jury are the preliminary hearing and the trial. In the preliminary hearing, the prosecution must convince the judge that there is enough evidence against the defendant in order to bring them to trial for the crime that they have been accused of. This type of hearing is much less strict in that it is not bound to the rules of evidence....

California’s Crime Rate is Down

In a society such as ours where freedom is valued above all else, it is inevitable that some people make bad choices and commit crimes. For this, we obviously have a judicial system in place to punish criminals. In California, we have a Three Strikes Law that is helping to put criminals in jail and keep them there. Despite the problem of overcrowded prisons in our state, fewer career criminals are...

Marijuana In The News

When we think about marijuana’s negative connotations, we envision prison cells for drug use, selling marijuana, growing the drug, and maybe even selling or forging prescriptions for it. There rarely come visions of wildfire when we mention the phrase “marijuana problems,” but this can actually be a major concern in the state of California. Case in point: Just this year people have...

Grand Theft Auto in Decline in CA

According to Reuters, September 24, 2009, the rate of auto theft incidences in California is decreasing. This is great news for the victims who have gone through the inconvenience and expense of having their car stolen. One of the programs that has been developed to combat auto theft is VIN etching. The VIN, Vehicle Identification Number, which every automobile manufactured has, is unique for every...

Enforcing California’s Labor Laws

In today’s economy, people can become desperate to find a job, any job, in order to survive and feed their families. A job that doesn’t withhold taxes can seem like a dream come true. Money that changes hands “under the table” can be easier to come by than money earned from working for a legitimate business. However, beware of underground businesses and their labor practices. Remember...

Emancipation of a Minor Child

Our teenage years can be the most difficult and emotional times of our lives. At some point, most of us wish that we didn’t have to live with our parents, or we feel like we hate them. We feel reckless and rebellious, and we just want to move out and be on our own so that we don’t have to follow their rules any more. This is all completely normal, but most of the time, these are not valid...

Legal Guardianship

There are many reasons for becoming a legal guardian of a child. Perhaps the child was neglected, or the parents have been arrested or hospitalized for a long term stay. Whatever the reason, a social worker has advised the courts of the problem, and a judge has decided that it is no longer safe or appropriate for the child to live with the parents. Often, the new legal guardian is a relative of...

Immigration Laws

These days, America truly is a melting pot for individuals from every nation in the world. However, not all “citizens” of the United States are legal, and immigration laws have come into question on many local, state, and federal fronts in the last few years to combat illegal immigration, especially from Mexico and Cuba. Those who enter the country illegally do so for a variety of reasons....