Criminal Law News

Another facet of the acceleration crisis at Toyota comprises a different set of victims – motorists involved in accidents involving sudden acceleration, who were found guilty and sentenced to prison. One such motorist who was found guilty on charges of vehicular manslaughter, is hoping for justice the second time round.

In 2006, Kuoa Fong Lee was driving with his wife, father, brother, niece and daughter in St. Paul, Minnesota, when his car crashed into two other vehicles. Two people, including a 10-year-old boy died in that accident. A six-year-old girl was left seriously injured, and died a few months later.

Lee insisted that he had slammed the brakes in an effort to control the car, and avoid crashing into the vehicles stopped at the intersection. Not surprisingly, no one bought it. A mechanical examination of the car found nothing wrong with the brakes or the accelerator. They however, found that the throttle was 15% open, which was strange, but was ultimately attributed to damage from the accident. Lee was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter, and sentenced to eight years in prison.

Now with the sudden acceleration problem in Toyota plain to see, Lee may have another shot at justice. He is hoping that he will now be exonerated. He has tremendous support from the family of the victims who died in the crash. They have stated that they believe in his innocence, and are planning to sue Toyota instead.

Of course, there will have to be further investigations before Lee can be exonerated. However, many California criminal defense lawyers, think there is a case here to reconsider Lee’s conviction and sentencing. The fatality count from accidents involving Toyota cars and related to sudden acceleration has touched 56. There is definitely a possibility that there are other motorists out there convicted in crashes in which a Toyota vehicle revved up to uncontrollable speeds. These persons will also now hope for justice.

Elena Mebtahi is no ordinary DUI Attorney in Los Angeles.  She is focusing her practice on representing people who have been arrested for DUI and are on a slim budget.  College kids and other people who have been hit hard by the economy can not always afford an attorney.  Elena is making it possible for a lot more people to find good legal representation after being arrested for a DUI.

Some college students may actually be from outside of California.  If their parents are trying to help them out and looking for an attorney online, Elena has a very informational website at www.la-duiattorney.com/.  If you have been arrested for drunk driving and are looking for an inexpensive DUI attorney in Los Angeles, Elena Mebtahi may be just who you are looking for.

New California DUI Law

On July 1st, 2010, repeat DUI offenders may receive a bit of a break.  Currently someone who receives a 2nd DUI will have their license removed for 2 years and are not able to apply for a restricted license for one full year.  A person who is arrested for a 3rd DUI offense will have their drivers’ license revoked for 3 years with no ability to obtain a restricted license.

The new DUI law may be giving the multiple DUI offender group another option.  For example, someone who receives their 2nd DUI may only have their license suspended for 90 days if they complete alcohol classes and have an IID installed.  An IID is an Ignition Interlock Device that will not allow the car to start until the driver has blown a “clean” sample into the system.  This will prevent the driver from operating the vehicle under the influence of alcohol.  This will give DUI attorneys in Los Angeles another bargaining chip when fighting for their clients.

Even a person with a 3rd DUI conviction will be eligible for  the program after a 6 month suspension as long as the act only involved an alcohol violation.  If the accused is involved in an accident they will not be eligible for the program.

Las Vegas just added another fatality due to a drunk driving accident this past week.  Jason P. Swogger was arrested after he collided with Mark Poole’s car on December 17th.  The injuries Mr. Poole received were too traumatic and he died on the way to the hospital.  Mr. Swogger was treated at St. Rose Dominican Hospital and was determined to have been drinking prior to the accident.

Even with the crack down on drunk driving accidents over the past several years, they still seem to be happening at alarming rates.  There are around 17,000 deaths due to alcohol related auto accidents every year.  Programs like MADD,  DUI checkpoints and TV adverting seem to do little to bring down that number.  Even a 10% decrease in DUI related fatalies would save around 1,700 lives each year.  That’s 1,700 less families destroyed.

It’s hard to say what the next steps should be.  The penalties for drinking and driving are bigger than ever.  Clubs and bars are being held accountable for over serving their customers and there are enough PSA’s on the subject to make every person over the age of 18 well aware of the problem.  Is this a cultural epidemic?  Are Americans willing to accept tens of thousands of preventable deaths every year?  These questions are still up for debate since there is nothing to support a turn around in the statistics.

The are definitely some loose ends in the Tiger Woods incident that happened over the Thanksgiving break.  It looks like a little more than a simple fender bender and there could be some domestic issues in play.  Was it domestic violence?  Did Tiger’s wife scratch his face?  Was he knocked out for several minutes and if so, how?  These are all questions that lawyers like the Los Angeles Domestic Violence Attorney, Debra White, get all the time.  It is almost always a he said/she said situation in which nobody comes out looking good.  Most people do not have to deal with the flash bulbs and constant media attention that will follow Tiger around for days.  But, most ordinary people do need to “lawyer up” and defend themselves.

Domestic abuse is a serious charge and it is not always easy to tell who is in the wrong.  That is exactly why it is important to hire an attorney with expertise in the area.  Attorneys, like doctors, normally have specialties.  Finding one that deals with your type of situation all the time is key to your representation.  You wouldn’t go to an orthopedic doctor to look at your heart, so don’t call just any lawyer if you’re involved with domestic abuse.

Driving while intoxicated is a dangerous act with some severe penalties.  The obvious harm that you could do to yourself or someone else while driving under the influence is back up by a litany of preventative penalties.

Suspended License: If you are arrested for a DUI it is very likely that you will have your license suspended for at least a few months.  Depending on your blood alcohol and the circumstances in which you were arrested, it could be more than a year.  Driving is definitely a privilege that can be taken away by the state.

Restricted License: Even after your suspension has passed, most judges will restrict your license for a set time as well.  A restricted license will limit you to driving to work, school, alcohol classes and a few other events.  If you are caught driving on a suspended or restricted license you could be adding time to your suspension or even go to jail.

Alcohol Classes: You will most likely be assigned alcohol classes for a 6-12 month period.  These alcohol classes are not only meant to teach you something about addiction and the dangers of DUI but also to disrupt your schedule.  The class days and times will change so you constantly have to adapt your daily routine.  The classes are mandatory and failure to complete them will only put you deeper into the hole.

Fines: If you have plenty of free time and don’t drive anywhere, you will still have to pay some hefty fines.  You are also responsible for paying for your own alcohol classes and other related courses.

There is some discrepancy left to the judge is almost all of these cases.  In order to limit your fines, suspension and class time you should seek an experienced DUI attorney.  It is very important to find a lawyer that will really fight for you.  Talk to some people who have hired an attorney.  Some will say they had great representation and others will say they never heard from them after they wrote the check.  The person you hire can make all the difference.

If you are a Father who divorced your child’s Mother you may have an ongoing battle.  Visitation, Child Support and other family issues can all be intensified if you have to move away for a job or other opportunity.  Many fathers’ may run into problems in paying their child support due to losing a job, a pay cut or other financial burdens.  This may lead to a warrant actually being placed on that father for back due child support.  Some judges will suspend or restrict your drivers’ license, others may even garnish your wages.

What most people don’t know is that a skilled attorney can actually modify your child support payments and help you to get your life back in order without ever having to meet that attorney in person.  If your income situation has changed an attorney may be able to reduce your child support payments.  You could also have your drivers’ license reinstated and have them fight to get your full wages back.

If you have moved from California and owe child support to your child’s mother it is worth it for you to have an attorney look into the details of your situation.  A good fathers’ rights attorney can give you counseling and provide the services you need to get your life back on track.

There are few legal experts who want to deal with wasteful cases or trials. This is the reason that there are often many ways for people to work together to avoid a wide range of issues from reaching the lengthy and expensive trial stages.

If you are someone who has been charged with domestic violence, or if you are about to face such issues, it is imperative that you hire an experienced attorney right away. If you live in the Los Angeles or Van Nuys area, your lawyer may be able to head to the City Attorney or even the District Attorney’s office in order to request that the issue be dropped. This is especially true if the charges are not accurate or flat out dishonest.

Let’s face some facts – there are many reasons why people file spousal abuse or domestic violence claims. For instance, it isn’t all that unusual for such matters to suddenly appear in the middle of a nasty divorce trial. It is also something that crops up quite often when custody battles occur. There are even many times when someone overreacts in the heat of the moment and makes claims that they later want to “drop” or recant – unfortunately once the legal authorities are called to the scene such decisions are in their hands alone.

There are many times when a case should not head into the trial phase, and even if charges have been made, the prosecutor’s office can often review the case and reject it. A good lawyer can also help to keep the case from the courtroom setting and request office hearings for their clients as well.

If someone is innocent or falsely accused why should it be so important to build up such a massive defense right away? Well, just like cases in which drunk driving and DUI are concerned, domestic violence can have long lasting repercussions. Prison time, probation, and a negative permanent record are just a few examples of the results of such a case.

Stephanie Pratt is going to need the help of a good DUI attorney in Van Nuys.  She was pulled over for driving under the influence at approximately 3:45 am last Sunday.  Pratt is 23 and has been arrested before.  Even though she’s a Hollywood celebrity of sorts a DUI conviction could cause her a lot of anguish.  The penalties surrounding a DUI are meant to disrupt a person’s life.  In Stephanie’s situation, a fine might not be a big deal but going to classes on a weekly basis and having her license suspended will definitely cramp her style.

A DUI conviction for the average person is a serious life altering event.  Your driving privileges will most likely be revoked for a period of time and you must rely on others to take you from place to place.  If you try to cheat the system and drive anyway, you risk even further penalties.  Even if you think you’re fine, it’s best to call a cab or even rent a hotel room for the night.

Nicole Howell’s worst nightmare came true when she was accused of having sex with one of her students.  The finger was pointed at her by one of her own.  A 16 year old male student of hers that claimed Nicole had sex with him.  Her world was turned upside down as she defended herself from the allegations.  If she lost, she would face serious jail time and would have to register as a sex offender.  Her life would never be the same.

Nicoles’ case had a somewhat happy ending.  She was acquitted of the charges but she is still picking up the pieces of her life.  She was fired from her job and has started working at a local bank.  Today she appeared on the Bill O’reilly show and spoke of the relief she felt that the ordeal was over.  Her defense attorney was beside her and described a very one sided case victory that left no doubt of his clients innocence.

Being accused of child molestation can ruin a person’s life.  No one knows the intentions of the accuser.  Maybe he did it to be cool or maybe he’s just a bad kid.  This scene is not as uncommon as it ought to be.  Some children falsely accuse their own parents of child molestation or child rape.  Even if the charges or dropped, the damage is often already done.