Until 2019, countless of inmates in California had been serving unjustly long sentences for murder convictions, even though they never killed, attempted to kill, or intended for a person to die. Fortunately, as part of the ongoing criminal justice reform in California, in 2017, the state legislature acknowledged the need for more equitable sentencing of…
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LET’S TALK CRIMINAL GUN ENHANCEMENTS (AB1509) Under California gun laws, a sentence for a felony case can be “enhanced” if a gun was possessed or used during the commission of a crime. These laws can extend sentences well beyond the maximum punishment for the principal crime itself. If there are multiple enhancements or more than…
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LA DA GEORGE GASCON CONTINUES TO MAKE WAVES WITH PAROLE CHANGES Since being sworn in as Los Angeles County District Attorney in December 2020, George Gascon has hardly been out of the headlines. From eliminating sentence enhancements for hate crimes and dismissing gang enhancements to removing firearm allegations and continuing to push for resentencing and…
Continue reading ›NEW LA COUNTY DA PROMOTING SWEEPING CHANGES (GEORGE GASCON) On December 7, 2020, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon was sworn in as the County’s 43rd District Attorney. Following his defeat of Jackie Lacey, a DA who had built a reputation for a “tough-on-crime” approach, Gascon went straight to work making changes to his…
Continue reading ›COVID-19 (CORONAVIRUS) AND MY CASE (TRIAL OR APPEAL) The rapidly expanding pandemic crisis of COVID-19 has had sweeping effects on everyday life. Due to Center For Disease Control (CDC) recommendations California has taken immediate measures to protect the public by enforcing social distancing and restrictions of gatherings of more than ten (10) people. This has…
Continue reading ›Senate Bill 1437 took effect in January of this year, yet many still challenge whether the new state law regarding felony murder is constitutional. The old felony murder doctrine left countless people locked up in prison, some for decades, for murders they didn’t commit. Essentially, anyone who was an accomplice was considered equally responsible in…
Continue reading ›In 2016 Alpacino McDaniels was found guilty of the July 2013 murder of 23-year-old Teric Traylor by an Alameda County Superior Court jury. McDaniels allegedly killed Traylor during a street fight in West Oakland, although McDaniels claimed that he was not the one who shot the victim. McDaniels had prior convictions including two for possessing…
Continue reading ›SCR 48 (Senate Concurrent Resolution 48) is a bill that is intended to reform the Felony Murder Rule in California, authored by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) and awaiting Governor Brown’s signature as it has passed in both the California State Assembly and California State Senate. Ultimately, SCR 48 is a bill that recognizes punishment for…
Continue reading ›On Wednesday November 18, a 29-year-old Downey police officer was shot to death while sitting in his own car. According to news reports at Fox News, Officer Ricardo “Ricky” Galvez, a former Marine, was in plain clothes and sitting in his own vehicle when two men ran up and opened fire on Galvez. News reports…
Continue reading ›On Friday July 10, Long Beach Police Dept. detectives arrested a man in connection with the July 4th murder of 38-year-old Allen Estes who was found stabbed to death at Anaheim Street and Dawson Avenue. According to news sources, 24-year-old Norman Matthew Perdon, Estes’ former roommate, is accused of the killing. He is now facing…
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