Criminal Defense Articles
The following criminal defense articles can be categorized into two general categories. First, they are summaries and critiques of recent reported criminal law decisions, which we think are significant or helpful to our clients who face similar legal issues or similar factual scenarios. For example, we summarize recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that interpret the Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable search and seizure in the context of a blood test in a DUI.
In another series of articles, we summarize several recent California Appellate Court decisions that interpret Proposition 47 and its limitations. Such articles also cover a great deal of issues involves sex offenders and the duty to register as a sex offender under Penal Code § 290.
The reader who reads several of these articles on the same subject may notice that the law does change over time and there are differences between state court and federal court. This is particularly true in the areas of collecting DNA, life without the possibility of parole sentences for juveniles and the Fourth Amendment insofar as warrantless blood draws related to a DUI. The law does change.
Second, they are articles about general legal concepts and fundamental matters of court procedure or evidence, but not based on any recent reported decision. Such articles, for example, explain whether a prosecutor must dismiss a domestic violence case if the victim refuses to come to court. In another article, we explain what an arraignment is, as this is a common question our clients ask. We also explain the immigration consequences of various convictions.
After each article, we provide links to two or three other articles that pertain to the issues in the article.
It should be noted that our website also has a separate section labeled “Other Useful Information” with links to documents that our clients find helpful. These links include information about bail schedules, what to bring when reporting for Cal-Trans and a listing of approved SB38 programs, with phone numbers, for example. There are over twenty links to various programs and classes.
Our website also has a separate section with selected case results from cases our office has handled, organized by the type of case, i.e. DUI, domestic violence, vandalism and graffiti, sex offenses or driving offenses. The case results not intended to be a promise of future results. Rather, they are meant to give the client or his / her family a sense of what issues and facts can be determinative in a particular case. They are also demonstrative of how plea bargaining works and how judges influence case results.
Greg Hill wrote each of these articles below. We present these with one purpose: to make the client and/or the client’s family more comfortable with the criminal process and knowledgeable about what to expect, what is important and what an attorney can do to help a client.
The information is not meant to be specific, personalized legal advice. Instead, it is meant to educate the reader about how other courts have ruled and general concepts that are important to the reader.
The reader can also click here to a separate page with articles organized by the practice area (the type of offense), if the reader wishes to narrow the scope of his or her focus by the type of crime.
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 1 (Articles 1-51)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 2 (Articles 52-103)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 3 (Articles 104-155)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 4 (Articles 156-209)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 5 (Articles 210-264)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 6 (Articles 265-318)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 7 (Articles 319-369)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 8 (Articles 370-418)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 9 (Articles 419-469)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 10 (Articles 470-518)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 11 (Articles 519-565)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 12 (Articles 566-613)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 13 (Articles 614-658)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 14 (Articles 659-701)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 15 (Articles 702-746)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 16 (Articles 747-792)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 17 (Articles 793-840)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 18 (Articles 841-885)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 19 (Articles 886-945)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 20 (Articles 946-1008)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 21 (Articles 1009-1071)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 22 (Articles 1072 -1145)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 23 (Articles 1146 - 1211)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 24 (Articles 1212 - 1270)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 25 (Articles 1271 - 1344)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 26 (Articles 1345 - 1421)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 27 (Articles 1422 - 1490)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 28 (Articles 1491 - 1559)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 29 (Articles 1560 - 1629)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 30 (Articles 1630 - 1709)
- Criminal Defense Articles Page 31 (Articles 1710 & Higher)