Updates

In a shocking celebrity scandal, several Hollywood A-listers were named in a college admissions scheme that shook the California coast.  Lori Laughlin, Felicity Huffman and others were arrested and charged in the scandal which alleges that the actresses forged photos, tests and more to get their children into elite schools.  As reported by deadline.com, Lori […]

Understanding your Rights Under California Law In California, you have a right to a bail hearing.  At a bail hearing a judge may use his or her discretion to alter the initial bail amount.  A bail hearing enables you to ask the judge to reduce your bail or to eliminate the bail conditions completely.  Penal

Each year the Judicial Council of California establishes a uniform bail schedule for the State.  The bail schedule standardizes how bail is set.  Setting bail help to ensure the defendant’s presence at future court appearances.  A judge has the discretion to modify bail for any given defendant.  At a bail hearing you may request that

In Southern California, we are not surprised when we see a high-speed chase on the news.  If you watch the local news throughout the week, you will undoubtedly see at least one.  This week proved no different.  NBC4 Los Angeles reported on Filberto Alexander Felix who was arrested after allegedly stealing a Tesla in Riverside. 

The Kentucky House Judiciary Committee heard testimony last week from judges about the potential of bail reform.  Advocates of reform argue that judges need to take into consideration a person’s inability to pay when determining the appropriate bail amount.  Judges argue that they are already taking an individual’s situation into consideration when setting bail for

Bail was set at $90,000 for a man accused of punching two women at a hot dog stand in California.  The vicious attack occurred on January 26 in Los Angeles.  The video of the altercation went viral showing a man violently punching two women.  The altercation apparently began with a dispute over the price of

How One Jail is Shifting the Focus Jail overcrowding is a problem faced by law enforcement across the nation.  This has led to a public outcry for criminal justice reform.  Without question, most people agree that criminal justice reform should happen – the problem remains how to effectively do it.  One solution takes a new

One aspect of the bail reform debate that often gets overlooked is the system that would replace cash bonds for pretrial release.  Too many people seem to forget that cash bail has been a part of our criminal justice system since its inception with roots to England in the Middle Ages.  Bail has evolved over

SB10, California’s Money Bail Reform Law, would have effectively eliminated the commercial bail system from the criminal justice system.  A united group of opponents to the law banded together to launch an effective effort to obtain enough signatures to stop the implementation of the bill in October 2019.  According to the Secretary of State, Alex

Late last year California’s Governor Jerry Brown signed SB10 into law.  Known as the California Money Bail Reform Act, last minute changes to the legislation raised the eyebrows of both bail reform opponents like the bail industry and human rights leaders.  The bill would eliminate the cash bail system in favor a pretrial risk assessment