PWID Charges: What You Need To Know PWID charges, or possession with intent to distribute, can be very serious drug crime charges. If convicted, you stand to face much harsher penalties than you do for simple drug possession charges. In fact, the punishments are more severe the more drugs are found in your possession. Here’s what you should know about PWID charges and how to fight for your rights under California law. What Do California Prosecutors Have to Prove In A PWID Case? In order to be successful, California prosecutors must prove three elements of the crime: The substance the defendant was found to be in possession of was a controlled and/or illegal substance To prove this point, prosecutors must prove that the defendant was in actual or constructive possession of the substance. They…Read More
Possession Laws In California Being arrested for the possession of drugs in California can be a frightening and disconcerting experience. However, in order to properly defend yourself against these charges, it’s important that you understand the difference between the types of possession and how they can play an important role in your case. Actual Possession If you are found in actual possession of drugs, this means a law enforcement officer has found drugs on your person, such as in your pocket or in your hand. Constructive Possession Constructive possession is charged when drugs are found in a place that an individual had cause to know about, such as in a vehicle or at a home. However, this charge means that other people may also have had knowledge of the drugs. Defenses Against…Read More
California Arrest Warrants: What You Need To Know Finding out that there is a warrant out for arrest is an unnerving situation, but it is not one that you can afford to ignore or simply hope for the best. If there is a warrant out for your arrest, you should know that in California, the police are able to arrest you for committing a crime with or without having a warrant. If you are arrested without a warrant, there is a good chance that you allegedly committed a crime in the presence of an officer, such as a DUI. If an officer suspects that you committed a crime, that officer is eligible to go to a judge and ask for an arrest warrant to be issued. The first thing to do is…Read More
Young Adults In Adult Court A legislative hearing was recently packed with former youth offenders and criminal justice experts, but California legislators pushed back a bill that would keep minors who commit crimes out of those adult courts. Mandatory sentencing rules have long been a problem in California and in other states and some advocates argue that these disproportionately affect Latino and black defendants. Allegedly, the goal of the new legislation is to acknowledge that as a society of adults, the system or the adults have failed juveniles being accused of a crime. Nine bills signed into law in California last year were in place to assist young people who are facing charges or serving time. Those laws allowed courts to seal some juvenile records, allowed for increased parole opportunities for those…Read More
