The Summit Defense Criminal Law Blog

28 January 2021

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SB 384 and the Tier system of sex offender registration.

As of January 1, 2021, SB 384 has amended Penal Code section 290 to allow for a tiered system in which sex offender registrants will register either for 10 years, 20 years or life. This replaces the Draconian system in which any sex offense led to an automatic life-time sex offender registration. The Tiers TIER 1 A tier one offender is subject to registration for a minimum of 10 years. A person is a tier one offender if the person is required to register for conviction of a misdemeanor described in subdivision (c), or for conviction of a felony described in subdivision (c)...

18 November 2019

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White Collar Crime in Cities Across the U.S.

in General Topics

White-collar crimes, or business crimes, are one of the many categories of crime that we defend at Summit Defense. The FBI characterizes white-collar crime as crimes committed by business and government professionals. The motivation behind these crimes is financial, specifically to obtain or avoid losing money, property, or services or to secure a personal or business advantage. While white-collar crime has become very common and occurs frequently, we were interested to learn more about which cities in the U.S. experience the most white-collar crime. To find out, we collected 2018 data from the U.S. Treasury to determine the number of white-collar...

09 September 2019

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A Look at the Number of Private Prisons Across the U.S.

in General Topics

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The existence of private prisons is a highly debated subject in the U.S. today. And while we are not going to get into the specifics of the debate, we did want to provide more insight into the presence of private prisons around the country. To do that, we conducted research to learn where the highest number of private prisons are located and what percentage of each state’s prisoner population is held in them. Read on to learn more about what we found. A Short History of Private Prisons in the U.S. Before we get started, we wanted to provide a short history...

24 May 2019

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Most Popular True Crime Documentary By State

in General Topics

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These are the Most Searched True Crime Documentaries in Every State There are new true crime documentaries premiering on networks like Netflix, HBO, and Hulu all the time. Documentaries like ‘Making a Murderer’ and ‘Abducted in Plain Sight’ have viewers buzzing. We all have our own opinions on who really killed Teresa Halbach or why Jan Broberg parents continued to let her see Robert Berchtold, but the point is, these documentaries have people discussing the details of the cases and googling facts to determine their opinion on who’s actually guilty in these cases. As criminal defense attorneys, we find all these...

18 February 2019

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The 7 Types of Field Sobriety Tests That You’ll Always Fail

in DUI

Drinking and driving is never the way to go, but no matter how much you’ve drank, if you’re pulled over, there’s a huge likelihood you’ll fail the sobriety test. Police have 7 ways to determine whether or not you get a DUI, driving under the influence. All 7 ways are designed to ensure failure. What Is a Field Sobriety Test? Field Sobriety Tests are used by police officers to determine whether or not you have been driving under the influence, DUI. Influence means anything can impair your ability to operate a motor vehicle: any drugs or alcohol. In addition to the term DUI,...

11 February 2019

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Sentencing Disparities in Bay Area Counties

in General Topics

Major sentencing disparities can occur in different Bay Area Counties. What a judge sentences an individual to in one county could be vastly different than from what a judge sentences an individual to in another county. The differences in sentencing have a vast monetary effect on both county and California state resources. Whatever affects county and state resources invariably affects taxpayers. It costs more to incarcerate an individual in California than it does in any other state. How does this happen? How can two counties in the same area providesentencing disparities for the same crime? Two Identical Crime Defendants – Two Different...

13 November 2018

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Know Your Rights when speaking to the Police

in General Topics

Nobody believes they’ll ever get arrested. Most don’t even believe a police officer will ever pull them over. It happens, though, which is why you must be prepared even if, fingers crossed, it never happens to you.Do you know your rights, what to say, and what not to say when a police officer approaches you? Check out what to do if this happens to you. What to Do if a Police Officer Approaches You Keep the following in mind: Stay calm and stay put Remember to SC and SP, Stay Calm and Stay Put. Don’t start arguing with the officer. Don’t say anything...

27 September 2018

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Pretrial Cash Bail (SB-10) Eliminated in the State of California

in General Topics

People arrested in the state of California will see a dramatic shift in the terms of their detainment pending trial under a new law set to take effect in October 2019. The recently passed Senate Bill 10, or the California Money Bail Reform Act, eliminates cash bond in favor of nonmonetary bail conditions. Gov. Edmund Brown signed the bill in late August. “Today, California reforms its bail system so that rich and poor alike are treated fairly,” Brown said. The bill was intended to keep low-income defendants from spending a disproportionate amount of time behind bars. Currently, almost two-thirds of the inmates in...

30 June 2018

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Domestic Violence on the Rise in San Jose

in Domestic Violence

In San Jose, amidst the innovation of Silicon Valley and the beauty of some of California’s best gardens and parks, there has been a disturbing rise in domestic violence. As law enforcement and the legislature scramble to combat the increase of domestic violence crimes in San Jose, some defendants are being falsely convicted or face much harsher penalties than if their same actions were charged under ordinary criminal statutes. San Jose’s Rising Domestic Violence Rate The number of domestic violence-related calls to the San Jose Police Department rose from 2,982 in 2008 to 3,898 in 2017. In February 2018, the San Jose...

13 June 2018

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Burglary Prevention Tips From the San Jose Police Department

in Burglary

According to the FBI there is a burglary every 15 seconds. In San Jose alone there are roughly 4,000 burglaries every year, which equates to more than 10 per day. With permission from the San Jose Police Department, we have condensed the tips from their burglary prevention resource page into an easy-to-read overview as well as an infographic that will help you keep your home from becoming a target. According to the San Jose PD, Burglars are looking for easy targets. They need homes that they can get in and out of quickly and that allow them to do so undetected. Jump...

Blog

SB 384 and the Tier system of sex offender registration.

White Collar Crime in Cities Across the U.S.

A Look at the Number of Private Prisons Across the U.S.

Most Popular True Crime Documentary By State

The 7 Types of Field Sobriety Tests That You’ll Always Fail

Sentencing Disparities in Bay Area Counties

Know Your Rights when speaking to the Police

Pretrial Cash Bail (SB-10) Eliminated in the State of California

Domestic Violence on the Rise in San Jose

Burglary Prevention Tips From the San Jose Police Department

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