Rizio and Nelson California Law Blog

PVDMI

With the focus of reducing California’s recidivism rate, and the mandate that the prison population be reduced, a risk assessment system is used to determine if a criminal should be released on parole, or be returned to prison. It’s called the Parole Violation Decision Making Instrument, or PVDMI. According to an article in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)...

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...

Child Death – Suffocation

The greatest fear for any parent is the death of a child. Most parents and caregivers watch their children diligently, but the reality is that we can’t watch over them constantly. Even sleep can bring tragedy under the right (wrong) circumstances. Suffocation is the fourth leading cause of death in children. According to the National MCH Center for Child Death Review, the four top causes of...

Violent Crimes

There are three major types of violent crimes in California: Homicide, Robbery, and Assault. Homicide is, of course, murder of another human being. First or Second degree murder convictions result in life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Robbery is theft combined with physical force. Assault is when one person threatens to harm or does physical harm to another person. Depending on the...

Grand Theft Shoplifting

In California, shoplifting is a frequent offense. Despite the fact that it’s a risky endeavor, people still try to get away with stealing if they can. Sometimes, young people are the victims of peer pressure and will steal something in order to fit in with their “friends.” Other times, people are desperate and feel that they need to steal in order to survive.  Shoplifting can also be a...

Extortion Laws in California

When the word “extortion” is mentioned, people may think of Italian men in dark suits carrying Gatlin guns and roaming neighborhoods, searching for business owners to fork over their cash for “protection”. Gone are the days when the mob could openly threaten anyone on the streets, including police, without fear. However, the crime of extortion is alive and well, only now the perpetrators may...

Dog Bites Account For 33% of Claims…

Dogs cause insurance companies serious headaches. Dogs have long been called “man’s best friend,” and this is largely due to the dog’s loyalty and affection to man. This may not be as true as we once believed, as recent studies have proven that dog bites actually accounted for a full 1/3 of all homeowner’s insurance liability claims in 2008 alone. This number is astronomical,...