In today's rapidly developing technological society, internet crimes are shifting into public focus. Furthermore, identity theft has been a growing issue, especially in areas of southern California. Identity theft is a common crime in all parts of the United States,...
Appellate court rules cellphone search warrant too broad for home
If the police have a search warrant for a small item like a cellphone, they can search anywhere in the designated area where such an item might be hidden. So, getting a warrant to search for a cellphone seems like an ideal way to get the chance to search someone's...
What’s with all the Latin?
We often speak of "legalese" as a slightly pejorative term which means, for most of us, using a language that no one but lawyers understands. Which leads to the question, Why do we still use Latin in so many court-related documents, including citations? The reason is...
Understanding Ponzi and pyramid schemes
Among the many types of white collar crimes that a person in California may have heard about are Ponzi schemes and pyramid schemes. While both of these involve allegations of some type of activity believed to be fraudulent, they are different indeed. As explained by...
Justice Department announces forensic evidence working group
A deputy attorney general recently announced the creation of an internal forensic science working group within the Justice Department. It's main goals will be to develop uniform standards for how forensic evidence may be described in testimony and to set up a...
3 ways you could accidentally commit credit card fraud
Committing credit card fraud may be the last thing you intend to do. While this is a term often used to describe a wide range of theft and fraud using a credit card, it usually has an association with unauthorized credit card charges. There are seemingly innocent or...
When does petty theft become embezzlement?
So you stole a stapler from your office because you didn't have one at home and your kid needed one for a school project. Later that month you took a box of paper clips and then four highlighters and a sheaf of office paper. Maybe you took two or three sheaves over...