Rod R. Blagojevich, the former governor of Illinois, has been found guilty of wide range of corruption charges including wire fraud, bribery, attempted extortion, extortion and bribery conspiracy, and of trying to sell Obama’s Senate seat in exchange for personal gain. A jury deliberated for 10 days and convicted the “Former Illinois Governor Convicted of Trying to Sell Obama’s Senate Seat”
DA Cannot Hide a Bad Expert Witness Behind a Better One
In a recent decision handed down from a California Court of Appeals, the Court affirmed a criminal defendant’s Constitutional right to confront an expert witness who has prepared a report relied upon by another prosecution witness. In People v. Dungo, the DA tried at a jury trial to swap a bad “DA Cannot Hide a Bad Expert Witness Behind a Better One”
Juvenile Offenses Can Be Used as Strikes
Juvenile adjudications (convictions) can be used against adult criminal defendants under the “three strikes” law even though juvenile defendants have no right to a jury trial. The California Supreme Court, in People v Nguyen, held that prior juvenile adjudications that qualify as serious or violent felonies (“strikes”) can used to “Juvenile Offenses Can Be Used as Strikes”
Prostitution and the Internet
The El Cajon Police Department yesterday published the names and photographs of men convicted of soliciting an act of prostitution and women convicted of agreeing to an act of prostitution. The men were snared through undercover officers posing as prostitutes. The woman were snared by undercover officers posing as Johns. Prostitution “Prostitution and the Internet”
Analysis of the Latest Felony Sentencing Case: Traps for the Unwary Criminal Defense Lawyer
The California Supreme Court reaffirmed the principals articulated in the landmark case of Cunningham , supra, by ruling that a defendant was entitled to attack the court’s imposition of the upper term in because, under the circumstances of this case, an express waiver of jury trial on aggravating circumstances was “Analysis of the Latest Felony Sentencing Case: Traps for the Unwary Criminal Defense Lawyer”