Recent arrest reports suggest that Qayed Murtaza Shareef, the 39-year-old CEO of a Southern California digital advertising company, solicited two Virginia boys, aged nine and 10, to take explicit videos of themselves. Per the allegations, Shareef used the messaging app Tango to contact the boys and, eventually, to choreograph the specific sexual acts he wanted them to perform. Shareef, who maintains his innocence, allegedly sent the boys adult pornography and videos of himself engaged in sex acts. Investigators are concerned that these boys aren't the only victims. The authorities first became aware of the case over a year ago when one of the boy's mothers found a video on her son's tablet. But due to Shareef's knowledge of computer technology, officials believe he was able to elude investigators. The Orange County Child Exploitation Task force took Shareef into custody at his Aliso Viejo home and charged him with 33 counts of lewd acts with a child under…
Orange County Technology Expert Charged in 33 Counts of Cybersex
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"Criminal Justice Reform: The Present Moment"
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What Happens to Your Funds after You Get Arrested?
Serving time in jail or prison will not excuse you from your financial obligations. However, often weeks, months or even years can pass from the time you are arrested to the time your case is closed. So what happens to your funds during this time? If a judge determines you’re not a flight risk and you’re in a position financially to make bail, then you should have time to sort out your finances. If you are denied or unable to make bail, your credit and finances may suffer unless you make the appropriate arrangements. What Happens to Your Money While in Prison? Generally, nothing happens to your bank account if you are sent to prison; however there are some exceptions. If the government believes that you financially benefitted from your criminal activity, such as selling drugs or insider trading, they may freeze or even take your assets. All banks are different, but most banks will put a hold on your account restricting any access to your funds if there is no banking…
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Drugged Driving Is Driving Under the Influence
Drugged Driving Many people do not think that driving while under the influence of drugs is a crime akin to drunk driving, but driving while intoxicated by drugs, such as marijuana or prescription medications, is driving under the influence, nonetheless. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released a report noting that while the number of drivers that are driving under the influence of alcohol is gradually decreasing compared to years past, the number of drivers that are driving while under the influence of drugs is on the rise. Both illegal drugs and prescription medications have an impact on a person’s ability to operate a motorized vehicle. These substances can inhibit judgement, depth perception and one’s ability to determine how fast they are moving compared to other vehicles – all of which make for dangerous driving. Many people do not believe that they will be caught driving under the influence of drugs, because unlike with DUIs…
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Trial Defense in a Criminal Defense Case in Vegas
Don’t Be a Victim of Criminal Defense Secrets Kept from You! Trust is Essential in a Trial Attorney When you have been accused of a serious criminal charge, you may be confused and filled with anxiety and fear about your upcoming proceedings. Gathering evidence, the trial and everything involved with the court system is difficult for the average person to comprehend. It is imperative to obtain a criminal defense attorney that you can trust to direct the procedures. Cal Potter is an expert trial lawyer located in Las Vegas who has the skills and talents to work on the most difficult of cases. The Potter Law Firm is prepared to answer all of your legal questions in an open and honest manner, and Mr. Potter will offer you advise on your legal options. As a client, he will assist you in reaching an outcome that will benefit you in the face of the criminal accusations that you are enduring. When you are at risk of losing your home, your family, your reputation and your freedom…
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Woman Allegedly Sexually Assaulted by Two College Students on Florida Beach Over Spring Break
Recently, two Troy University students were arrested in regards to a sexual assault that allegedly occurred in March over spring break at Panama City Beach in Florida, according to an article at the New York Times. News reports claim a 19-year-old woman who was incapacitated and believed she had been drugged was sexually assaulted as hundreds of beach goers looked on. The two men who were arrested include 23-year-old Ryan Austin Calhoun or Mobile, AL, and 22-year-old Delonte Martistee of Bainbridge, GA. Sheriff Frank McKeithen said that they were also searching for two more people, a third man they believed may have been involved in the “gang-rape-type attack,” and a fourth person whose role was not specified. The alleged victim said that she did not recall the assault clearly enough to report it, as she believed she had been drugged. Authorities learned of the sexual assault after a video of the assault captured on a cell phone was discovered while investigating…
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Neighbors and No Contact Orders
Washington State courts can issue an No Contact Order (NCO) as condition of sentence, but can they require a distance requirement that results in a hypothetical client being prohibited from living in his residence which is next door to the alleged victim? The statute authorizing a no contact order states that such a order must clearly be read to prohibit conduct as the principal legislative intent. See e.g. RCW 10.99.040(2)(a)(“contact” mentioned 4 times before the single mention of “distance”). So let’s say that hypothetically the client and alleged victim live in adjoining condos. The hypothetical client cannot afford to move, and has been staying in an alternative housing arrangement for the time being but cannot afford to do that forever. So what’s the hypothetical client supposed to do? One option is that the hypothetical client could sell or rent out his home. But what happens if the hypothetical client absolutely cannot…
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What is Day Reporting in Seattle Municipal?
Day reporting is basically an alternative to Jail for people who do not have the money to post bail, or who have had a poor history of compliance with the Court’s Conditions. (i.e. no consumption alcohol, not doing treatment, not...
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Walk on San Diego Freeway Leads to Woman’s DUI Arrest
Cops in the City of Angels could probably tell many tales about unusual incidents that involve cases of DUI in Los Angeles. But their peers in San Diego also have some interesting tales that they could add to the mix. A photographer with KTLA Channel 5 in San Diego happened to be on the scene when an unidentified young woman stalled her car on the 15 Freeway during the early morning hours of April 9th. He recorded events as the young woman got out of the car and ran across traffic lanes to the news station’s van. She asked for jumper cables and assistance in getting her vehicle started. Meanwhile, cars on the freeway had to swerve to avoid hitting the stopped car. Although two other motorists pulled over to help, the woman made her way back to her own car and sat in it despite the danger posed by other vehicles traveling along the road. One Good Samaritan even tried to help out by directing traffic away from the car, but had to stop when was almost hit himself. As heard…
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No Class Action Suit for Questionable DUI Arrests
People involved in Los Angeles DUI cases–and in DUI cases across the country–often allege that the cops who have charged them have lied about the evidence that was used against them. Whether that’s true or not, drivers in Utah won’t be getting the chance to collectively make their case against one former state trooper. The Utah case involves former Highway Patrol Officer Lisa Steed, honored in 2007 as the State Trooper of the Year but later fired after two judges found that she had lied in court and falsified reports in her DUI arrests. Steed made more than 1,000 such arrests in the course of her 10-year career with the department. In December 2012, attorneys for three Utah motorists proposed a class action suit against Steed and the Utah Highway Patrol. They argued that Steed’s improper behavior had harmed hundreds or even thousands of drivers arrested for DUI, and that those drivers should be allowed to band together to sue her and UHP. But…
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Police Cameras: Things to Know Before Filming Texas Police in Action
The power of the people to film or photograph police doing bad things — and then sharing those videos or photographs online in social media like Twitter or YouTube — is undeniable. From the use of smartphones, just last week we saw the police officer shooting a man in the back over in South Carolina. The South Carolina officer is now under arrest for murder. . Brave Thing to Film Cops Gone Bad It’s a brave thing for people to do — and those who are capturing the police using excessive force risk arrest or worse if they are seen using their phones to record what’s happening. See our earlier post, “Texas Police Don’t Like Being Photographed or Videotaped: Citizens Arrested for Filming Law Enforcement – Why? It’s Not Like Their Cameras Aren’t Watching Us.” The brave man who filmed that South Carolina shooting voiced the worries of many people during interviews after he had uploaded his film. Feidin Santana…
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One Additional Reason to Delay the Vote on Loretta Lynch
There are reasons to vote for, and reasons to vote against, the confirmation of Loretta Lynch as Attorney General. Kent and I have discussed the question in several places. Kent has noted that Ms. Lynch, while not an ideal candidate from the perspective of those favoring resolute enforcement of criminal law, is about the best we can expect from this Administration. I have expressed more than a little concern about Ms. Lynch's complicity is what she could not help knowing was perverse, and -- much more troubling -- unethical behavior by Judge John Gleeson. On the other hand, I am favorably impressed with her refusal to adopt the liberal line on pot.The vote on her nomination has not yet been taken in the Senate. For whatever one might make of the procedural maneuvers involved, today we saw the announcement of an unusual but some might say compelling reason to delay the vote for weeks. Maybe months.The Congress-following paper…
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Tsukerman on Bitcoin Regulation
Misha Tsukerman has posted The Block Is Hot: A Survey of the State of Bitcoin Regulation and Suggestions for the Future (Berkeley Technology Law Journal, Vol. 30, July 2015, Forthcoming) on SSRN. Here is the abstract: Bitcoin and Blockchain technology...
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Charges dropped in 14-year old Lakeland Girl’s Cyberbullying Suicide
Modern technology in its union with computers and the Internet is responsible for many changes in existing laws, both federal and local. A prime example of this is the crime of wire fraud which was previously defined as criminalities which were committed crossing state lines, mostly associated by telephone, telegraph, radio, and television. But in our current day environment, many types of crimes have been expanded to include new devices associated with computers as well as cell phones which didn’t exist when these laws were first placed on the books. In addition to laws being lengthened to cover the new devices; which in many cases are used to commit crimes, innovative and new types of crimes have been devised through the use of these devices in the new digital world where we all can be affected. Phishing scams, online sales scams and cyberbullying are just a few new crimes that didn’t exist before computers became popular and were ultimately coupled to the…
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Intelligence Squared Death Penalty Debate Today
Let me remind readers that Intelligence Squared is hosting a debate on abolition of the death penalty this evening in NYC. Details are at this site.Arguing for abolition are Diann Rust-Tierney of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and Barry Scheck of the Innocence Project.Arguing against are C&C's No. 1 blogger Kent Scheidegger, and Prof. Robert Blecker of New York Law School.Tickets are $40 (students $12). If you can't make it, the debate will be streamed live here at 6:45 EDT / 3:45 PDT.
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News Scan
Measure to Reduce Recidivism Passes OK Senate: House Bill 2179, a measure that seeks to reduce criminal recidivism by giving nonviolent offenders greater access to the workforce, has passed the Oklahoma Senate. Edmond Sun reports that the bill would allow nonviolent offenders on probation to obtain commercial driver's licenses, rather than just a provisional license, which would make them more employable. Offenders not on probation or those with suspended or revoked licenses resulting from a DUI would not be eligible to receive a CDL. CA Bill On Date Rape Drugs Clears First Committee: Assembly Bill 46, which would restore the ability to charge possession of date rape drugs as a felony, cleared the Assembly Public Safety Committee on a bipartisan vote yesterday. Last November, California voters passed Proposition 47, which converted the possession of drugs, including date rape drugs, from a felony to a misdemeanor. The Santa Clarita…
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Wyoming lawmakers discuss changes to youth sex offender registry
4-15-15 Wyoming: RIVERTON – Wyoming lawmakers are considering modifying the requirements for a child to be added to the state’s juvenile sex offender registry. Some prosecutors are not charging children with sex crimes to protect them from being added to the registry, which they view as too harsh of a punishment for lesser offenses, said Bruce Burkland of Teton Youth and Family Services.
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Residency restrictions to change for some sex offenders
4-15-15 California: SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is changing its residency restrictions for sex offender parolees in response to a decision last month by the state Supreme Court. The justices, and the department, said the requirement imposed by a 2006 ballot measure left too many offenders unable to find permanent homes. That greatly
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The FEDERAL CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER- Making Smart Choices
Lately, there has been a rush of prosecutions in the area of what we legal practitioners like to call White Collar Crime. Of course, this term is just the umbrella descriptor for a whole host of federal crimes for which convictions can have dire consequences. This would include criminal allegations of Public Corruption, Extortion, Bribery, Fraud such as Medicare/Medicaid, Mortgage and Insurance Fraud, and Embezzlement. These particularly complex federal crimes require skilled counsel with the knowledge and expertise to evaluate the substance of the case and provide the right defense. Substance over form trumps form over substances here. Many attorneys with general practices like to represent that they can handle these federal criminal cases because of relative success in State and Local courts. Unfortunately, the opposite is too often the case. Federal Criminal Defense involves a whole separate set of rules and laws than that of State…
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Aaron Hernandez Found guilty of 1st Degree Murder in Murder of Lloyd
In the end, the detail after detail that the prosecution provided convinced the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that Hernandez murdered Odin Lloyd. Jurors spoke after the verdict with one juror leading the discussion and indicating that the testimony of Robert Kraft was critical as Hernandez would not have known the time of death given the jury never leaned it after eight weeks of testimony. Prosecutor William McCauley, made a very passionate closing a statement linking each piece of evidence and its significance to the jury over the 8 week trial, with 139 witnesses called and over - exhibits. Here are some of the facts that may have convinced the jury to return a verdict of guilty. Hernandez went to pick Lloyd up at about 2:00 am the night of the murder. Clubs and bars were closed; Lloyd did not appear dressed to go out. It was urgent according to Hernandez's texts for Wallace and Ortiz to come up to go out with him. Hernandez ordered Ortiz and Wallace to go…
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