Archives for: April 8th, 2014

“I’m too rich” may soon be on its way out as a criminal defense, at least in California. That’s because California Assemblyman Mike Gatto has introduced a bill that would prevent attorneys from using the controversial idea of “affluenza” as a defense or mitigating factor in criminal cases.

 

Affluenza, for those who haven’t heard the buzzword, is essentially the idea that extremely wealthy young people can’t be held responsible

In some cases, a Judge may order a presentence investigation report prior to imposing a sentence.  In others, either the prosecuting attorney or the defense attorney may order such a report.  In some cases the production of such a report is required by law, and in others, such production is discretionary.

 

The Law On Presentence Investigation Reports

Subsequent to a defendant being convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, the

Police have a tough job, and one of the things that’s hardest is spotting criminals before a more serious incident occurs. What does that mean? Well, ideally you would like local law enforcement to catch a person illegally carrying a gun before they shoot someone, or to stop a drug dealer hoping to sell meth to kids before he gets to the schoolyard. Almost everyone will probably agree with that.

The owners of a Denver-area liquor store that billed itself as one of the largest such establishments in the world were recently charged with breaching the Colorado Organized Crime Act, which included tax evasion, theft, and so-called “computer crime.” This cyber arena of criminal law is wide-ranging, spanning a spectrum from class 2 misdemeanor all the way to class 3 felony. In the case of the liquor store owners, their