Rizio and Nelson California Law Blog

January Violent Crimes, in the News

LA Now reported on on January 5 about a story that left an 18 year old hospitalized with gunshot wounds. He claimed that two men shot him from a passing car. He wasn’t especially cooperating with the police making it impossible to tell if he had in fact been able to identify the shooter or the passenger in the vehicle. On the same day, a school bus had some windows shot out by someone with a...

3 Strike Cases

For almost 15 years California has had a ‘three strikes’ law that allows the court to sentence defendants harshly for any subsequent conviction of the same crime. It is crucial that you know that all crimes fall under this law, not just convictions on severe crimes such as rape or other violent felonies. All felony convictions, including shoplifting, petty theft, drug conviction, and DUI are subject...

DUI Arrests: Punishment Enhancements

There are a number of particulars or special accusations that will increase a defendant’s risk of receiving a stricter punishment in a misdemeanor case. The increased punishment alternatives include steeper fines, mandatory attendance in lengthy alcohol education courses, and a longer required term of incarceration in a county jail.Refusing to Submit to a Chemical Test (VC 23577)If a person...