Rizio and Nelson California Law Blog

California’s Early Prison Release

Effective Monday, January 25, 2010, the new law providing early release for non-violent criminals will allow approximately 6,500 inmates to be set free. Under the new law, which was signed into effect last fall, only those prisoners who have completed educational and vocational programs, and who have been selected as not likely to commit another crime, will be released. The Federal Court had ordered...

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...

Arson In California

Arson is very serious Arson is a very serious crime, and can even carry the death penalty in the state of California under certain circumstances. These include, but are not limited to: When the arson causes death to one or more individuals, including emergency personnel Under California’s Three Strikes Law, when there are mitigating factors such as malice aforethought In June of this year,...

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...

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...