A 23-year old Anaheim man allegedly logged onto Facebook using a profile of a male high school-age student. He would then use the account to persuade underage girls to send him sexually-explicit photos and videos, which he would then use as blackmail, threatening to forward those photos on to other high school students if the girl did not agree to send more. He is alleged to have contacted at least six girls in this manner.
In a recent juvenile delinquency case, a minor stole a car and damaged it beyond repair, rendering it a total loss for insurance purposes. After admitting to the crime, the juvenile court granted Deferred Entry of Judgment (DEJ), meaning that the case would be dismissed provided the minor complete the terms of probation, which in this case included restitution, or paying the owner of the car for damages.
The court ordered the minor pay $13,000 in damages to the car owner, along with $2,000 in interest on the car loan as part of this restitution. After the criminal defense attorney filed an appeal to challenge the $2,000 interest portion, the court surprisingly denied the appeal. The reason it was denied was because there is no way to appeal a DEJ order, and the restitution is considered part of it.
David Letterman can sleep better tonight. Joe Halderman, the man accused of extorting Letterman for $2 million, has plead guilty. Halderman was accused of extortion after demanding $2 million from the late-night star, lest he divulge his various affairs with co-workers. Halderman’s criminal defense lawyers worked out a deal which requires that he plead guilty to felony second-degree grand larceny, spend 6 months in jail, complete 1000 hours of community service and complete 5 years of probation. Though they minimized the jail time, Halderman’s criminal lawyers could do nothing about the 27-year career at CBS that Halderman flushed down the drain with his threats.
Extortion is a curious animal. Blogs and reader comments expressing sympathy for Letterman and wanting a stiffer penalty for Halderman abound. Does extortion mitigate an extra-marital affair? Would we have felt sorry for Tiger Woods if someone threatened to expose his sordid soirees? And for the philosophically-inclined, here’s a question a friend once asked:
The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog