If you total a leased vehicle in a car accident, you will need to notify the leasing company and your insurance company. You will be responsible for paying what remains on the lease. Your auto insurance will only pay for the fair market value of the vehicle. You will be responsible for the rest. If …
Most state laws say that you commit the crime of indecent exposure if you: willfully expose your genitals in a public place to others, and the other people are offended or annoyed by it. Common examples of indecent exposure include: urinating in an alley, showing full nudity in public view at a beach, masturbating in …
Under California state law, restaurant “service charges” are the property of the employer. Employers can keep them for themselves, though they are allowed to pass them on to their staff to supplement their wages.1 However, various California cities have passed ordinances that require restaurant owners to pass on all service charge payments to their staff. …
Prostitution is illegal throughout the state of California. Both the sex worker and the “john” can be prosecuted for a misdemeanor that carries up to 6 months in jail and $1,000 in fines. These same penalties also apply to: soliciting (offering to engage in) prostitution or agreeing to an offer to engage in prostitution – …
Attempted murder is a serious felony that, depending on the facts of your case and the state in which your crime took place, could result in a sentence of life in prison. Degrees of attempted murder Many jurisdictions impose different penalties for: attempted first-degree murder, and attempted second-degree murder. These states impose harsher penalties for …
In California, the criminal statute of limitations for child molestation can be between 1 year and forever. Recent changes to the law have allowed prosecutors to file charges at any time in some cases. The specific nature of the allegations will determine how long law enforcement has to initiate a particular case. Which statute of …
Prank calling can be illegal in some situations. While each state is different, most states prohibit making prank calls to annoy or harass someone. All states make it illegal to prank call 911. Recording a prank call can constitute illegal wiretapping in many states, including in California. Annoying or harassing someone because of a protected …
What are the advantages of waiving a preliminary hearing? Pros of a defendant waiving the right to a preliminary hearing include to: avoid preserving testimony by hostile witnesses that could later be used at trial, stall the examination of state witnesses in the hopes they will be unavailable to testify at trial (perhaps because they …
You hit and damaged another car without stopping. The police have called you in for questioning. What possible hit and run penalties could you face? There are five common consequences if you get charged with hit and run: 1. Criminal penalties A prosecutor usually has the authority to file criminal charges against you if you …
A bench warrant (“BW”) does not expire. It remains in effect until either: you die, or the warrant gets cleared. If there is a BW out for your arrest, you can clear it by either: appearing in court before the judge, or possibly having your attorney appear in court on your behalf. If your bench …
Federal law and most state laws prohibit you from owning, possessing, or purchasing firearms following a felony conviction. Then if you are caught with a gun, you face charges for another crime often referred to as “felon with a firearm.” Note, however, that if you are convicted of a felony and remain otherwise law-abiding, you …
Under Penal Code 503 PC, California law treats embezzlement as a form of grand theft. As such, the crime can be charged as a felony when the embezzled property is a firearm, an automobile, or worth more than $950. In these cases, embezzlement is a type of wobbler offense. This means it can be charged …
Most jurisdictions say that you have to be charged with a hit-and-run case within either: one year from the date of the accident, if the crime is charged as a misdemeanor, or three years from the date of the accident, if the crime is charged as a felony. Note that the time by which a …
An FTA warrant is essentially a bench warrant for your arrest that a judge issues because you “failed to appear” (FTA) for a court matter. You can “fix” the warrant by “recalling” or “quashing” it, which means having it cleared from the judicial system. You typically must appear in court to recall an FTA warrant. …
The castle doctrine allows you to use deadly force against intruders to defend yourself within your own home. In contrast, the stand your ground doctrine allows you to use proportional force to reasonably defend yourself at any location where you have a legal right to be. Both doctrines require no duty to retreat. Though whereas …
Currently 31 states in the U.S. have laws that make it a crime for a person to leave an animal confined in a vehicle under dangerous conditions (such as extreme hot or cold temperatures or lack of ventilation). Some of these states include Arizona, California, Illinois Indiana, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, and Tennessee. Depending on …
It is common for insurance companies to issue a settlement check within a few days of signing the agreement, though the actual duration until you receive the funds can extend up to a few weeks. Some factors, like medical liens or other subrogation payments, can delay payment. What can delay my personal injury settlement check? …
Skylight injuries happen in many different ways. Sometimes the injuries are life-threatening or fatal. If you are a victim of a skylight accident, bringing a personal injury lawsuit can be the best way to recover the compensation you deserve. If you were on the job at the time, you may have a workers’ compensation claim. …
Most states say that you are guilty of the crime of conspiracy to commit murder if you: agree with one or more other people to intentionally and unlawfully kill someone, and at least one of the persons involved commits some act to further the agreement. As to an “agreement,” it does not have to be …
The definition of grand theft auto is to take someone else’s car, without permission and with the intent permanently or significantly to deprive the owner of it. The offense is a type of auto theft. In many states, it can be charged as a felony offense that carries more than a year in prison. What is …
Examples of involuntary manslaughter are killing someone else by improperly prescribing drugs or unlawfully practicing medicine, accidentally discharging a firearm, forcing workers to work outside in extreme heat, not controlling a dog with a history of attacking people, performing a legal duty with criminal negligence, or an incident of vehicular manslaughter. Involuntary manslaughter is almost …
A motion to quash a warrant is a request for a court to find a warrant, or part of a warrant, to be invalid. “Quash” means to nullify, void or declare invalid. The two most common types of warrants are search warrants and arrest warrants. If a search warrant is quashed evidence can be suppressed …
Yes, it is possible to violate probation and not get sent to jail. Minor violations of probation, or “technical” violations, are not always punished with custody time. Nor does the judge even have to revoke probation. Instead, the judge may reinstate the original terms of probation, or modify the terms to make them stricter. When are …
Sex with a minor (or anyone below the state’s age of consent) is prohibited even if the sex was consensual and even if it was initiated by the minor. Potential consequences include jail or prison time, fines, probation, mandatory registration as a sex offender, civil penalties, the collateral consequences of a criminal conviction, living or workplace …
Some states require employers to pay you for unused vacation time at termination. Most states, however, allow “use-it-or-lose-it” policies that leave you uncompensated for unused vacation time. In states that allow these policies, though, employers can still choose to pay you for unused time off in the employment contract. In these cases, the contract is …
