In Orange County (and all of California), crime victims with damaged or destroyed property are entitled to restitution. Criminal restitution requires that the defendant in a criminal case pay for the victim’s damages- he must replace or repair damaged property, pay for counseling, if necessary, and pay direct damages like…
In 2009, an elderly woman got nervous and dialed 911 when a woman outside her home repeatedly rang her doorbell. She did not recognize the person at the door and did not open it. The woman, Marcelina Diaz, eventually left, but soon returned with a large bag . Inside the…
Boyd Twin, a resident of South Dakota, was arrested and charged for assault with a dangerous weapon. The victim of the assault was his companion, also the mother of his children. The crime took place in front of the children, all of whom were under the age of nine years…
You have two prior strike felony convictions. That means that any felony you’re convicted of in the future, risks a prison sentence of 25 to life. You’re driving down a road in Santa Ana and you see a police officer’s patrol car stopped at a red light. What do you…
Just two years ago the Orange County criminal inmate population was low enough that Orange County actually closed down a few criminal jail wards. Coincidentally, the State of California decided at that same time, that its prisons were overflowing and it enacted legislation to send a good percentage of state…
In a recent story from the Orange County Register, the wife of Oceanside police chief Frank McCoy suffered a fit of depression in 2010 that stemmed from a domestic argument between her and her 17-year old son. Outraged that Mr. McCoy took the side of the son during the dispute,…