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The Reverend Salvatore Cordileone was driving his mother home from a dinner with some of his friends when he was stopped at a DUI checkpoint in San Diego. Police administered a chemical test and he was “found to be over the California legal blood alcohol level,” Cordileone said. Police arrested Cordileone and booked him into the San Diego county jail on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI).

The bishop posted $2500 bond, was released from jail, and is scheduled to appear in court on October 9. He made a public apology for his “error in judgment” and “feels shame for the disgrace I have brought upon the Church and myself.” He went on to say that “I will repay my debt to society.”

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The Child Abuse Central Index (CACI) was created by the California Legislature in 1965 and is maintained by the California Department of Justice (CDOJ). In an effort to protect the health and safety of children in the state, individuals against whom issues of child neglect or abuse were reported and found to be substantiated are included on the CACI. As of 2011, it contained names of about 850,000 people who were suspected of physical, sexual, metal or emotional abuse and/or neglect of a minor.

People on this list have not necessarily been convicted of a crime, but surprisingly, until 2012, even people who were the subjects of investigations with unsubstantiated findings were likewise included on this list as a possible child abuser.

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Angele Hardman allegedly walked into a Macy’s store and asked the clerk to try on a valuable, $4000 ring. When the ring seemed to get stuck on her finger, the clerk attempted to remove it with water and lotion. When the clerk’s back was turned, Hardman allegedly took off the ring and swallowed it. She then was reported to have presented the clerk with a fake copy of the same ring.

The clerk immediately noticed the discrepancy and called store security. Hardman was searched, but because the ring was not found among her belongings, she was released. After reviewing surveillance video, the store contacted police, and detectives arrived at her home for the purpose of investigating the incident.

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A Miami doctor, Armando Angulo was charged in federal court with selling prescription medicines online to Medicaid patients for over six years, costing the Medicaid program over $6.5 million in lost revenue. Authorities claim the unregulated sale of prescription medications online led to addiction and health risks for those using these drugs as well.

Angulo’s medical license was suspended during the criminal investigation, which turned out to be one of the largest in US history. The DEA amassed over two Terabytes of evidence against Angulo in its federal criminal case, which is equivalent to 625,000 copies of the novel “War and Peace.” Although a hard drive capable of storing all of this evidence can be purchased by the average consumer at a cost of only about $100, the DEA is dropping all charges against Angulo, citing excessive costs of maintaining this data on government servers.

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When you think of felony assault and battery charges, you probably envision murderous weapons like guns and knives, not french fries. The California Penal Code defines assault as “an unlawful attempt, coupled with a present ability, to commit a violent injury on [another] person.” Battery is similarly defined as “any willful and unlawful use of force or violence upon [another] person.”

Are french fries capable of inflicting a “violent injury?” When James Hackett and his wife began arguing after purchasing a meal at McDonald’s, his 11-year old stepdaughter attempted to stop their arguing. This angered Hackett, who allegedly then grabbed the container of french fries and threw them at her; they hit her in the face and chest.

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Police in Boulder, CO received a call about a man passed out in front of his car. When they investigated, medics were already tending to him, describing him as “drunk as crap.” The man was George Boedecker, the founder of Crocs footwear.

After telling police officers that he had pulled over to take a nap, he allegedly changed his story to say that his girlfriend was driving the vehicle. Since there was no woman present, officers questioned the identity of the female. Boedecker said she was a “really f—–g famous singer” and asked if they had ever heard of Taylor Swift.

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Police arrived at an apartment in Pennsylvania very early in the morning to find a man bleeding from chest wounds on the second floor landing. Emergency personnel immediately transported  Billy Brewster to the hospital where he died from his injuries less than two hours later.

The suspect responsible for stabbing the man was his fiancée, Na Franklin. During the night, they began an argument, which escalated into domestic violence. At one point during the argument, Ma allegedly grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed him twice. Unfortunately, one of the stab wounds punctured his heart.

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Miguel Alexander Vargas, 28, on trial in Orange County for the most severe form of domestic violence or spousal abuse charges for murdering his common-law wife, was recently tackled by courtroom deputies at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana after the judge denied a motion to allow him to represent himself.  He was then ordered removed from the courtroom by the presiding Orange County judge and yelled “I’m not f—— going!”

Vargas has already had two similar outbursts: earlier in the day, he was forcibly removed from court after ranting to the jury to the jury pool “this case is fake- the victim is still alive” and ignoring orders from the judge to remain quiet. In May, Vargas was subdued in the holding cell when he refused to cooperate, calling the judge a “f——– idiot.”

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If a female teacher has had sex with a former student when that student became an adult, should a jury know about it if she’s on trial for having sex with a minor student? Carlie Rose Attebury of Orange County, was recently found guilty of sex crimes involving a minor. During her trial, the prosecution introduced evidence that she had also had sex with three adult alumni of the school, shortly after they graduated.

Attebury, 32, was sentenced to 16 months in prison and forced to register as a sex offender. Her criminal defense attorney appealed the decision to the 4th District Court of Appeal. The justices ruled that the testimony by the three alumni was too prejudicial and should not have been told to the jury. They held that evidence suggested that she schemed or planned to have sex with minors, even though the students were legal adults. Because that suggestion was likely to have prejudiced the jury and may have contributed to her conviction, the appellate court overturned her convictions.

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You’ve seen the ads: A loud crash, an ambulance, a slick lawyer asking you to call him and promising that if he loses, you pay NOTHING! If he wins, the attorney collects a percentage (between a third and half) of the award. This is called a “contingency fee” and while all criminal defense attorneys would like to assure victories for their clients, the California State Bar prohibits criminal defense lawyers or criminal law attorneys from taking any criminal matter on a contingency basis.

Historically, contingency arrangements developed so that the poor could sue over damages to their person or property. Proponents argued that this type of system encouraged attorneys to work as hard as possible to win. Critics responded that only litigants with a good chance of winning would be able to obtain representation, unless the attorney was otherwise compensated.

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