Visalia Criminal Law Blog

Some people mistakenly believe that they aren't facing time in jail when they have a misdemeanor charge. The fact is that many misdemeanors do come with time behind bars, so you should factor this into your defense strategy when you're trying to decide what to do about the charges. We're here to help you learn about your options for these cases, and we will stand beside you to help protect your interests throughout the case.

There are many things you need to consider when you're facing a misdemeanor charge. One of these is how your future will be affected by the outcome of the case. Even though the consequences might not be as great as they would be if you were facing a felony, there will still be a mark on your criminal history if you're convicted. This might impact your career or housing options. In some cases, it might even change what volunteer opportunities you have.

Each year, approximately 11,000 people are killed in drunk driving accidents across the United States. This calculates to around 29 deaths per day. In 2017, 1,120 of those deaths took place in California alone.

In an effort to save lives, American law enforcement agencies arrest over 1 million people for driving under the influence every year. The punishments for causing fatal DUI crashes vary in each state, but California law is quite harsh on offenders. For example, drivers who are convicted of misdemeanor DUI vehicular manslaughter can be sentenced to up to a year in jail, fined up to $1,000 and have their driving privileges suspended. Drivers convicted of felony DUI vehicular manslaughter can be sentenced to between 16 months and four years in prison and assessed up to $10,000 in fines. In addition, they can face another three to six years in prison if any other people were seriously hurt in the crash.

GameStop and other companies that sell attractive, popular consumer goods like video games in Texas may be particularly likely to be robbed. Three people are facing charges after they allegedly stole $4,500 in Nintendo Switch gaming consoles and accessories from one local GameStop. Police say that the Feb. 1 incident was a dramatic armed robbery in which the three people involved used zip ties to restrain store employees while taking the merchandise away, brandishing a gun at the time.

Police said that the armed robbery was reported through an evening 911 call that came in just as GameStop was closing for the night. Eventually, three California residents were arrested and face charges related to the thefts. A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of robbery, while a 31-year-old woman was accused of possession of stolen property and another man was arrested with outstanding felony warrants in an unrelated criminal case. Police did not say why they believed these three individuals to be responsible for the GameStop robbery.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California announced on Jan. 23 that a routine traffic stop in Pixley in early January led to the discovery of more than 300 pounds of methamphetamine and the dismantling of a major narcotics trafficking ring. A 20-year-old man and a 24-year-old man are being held in connection with the seized drugs. They have been charged with conspiracy to distribute narcotics and could be sentenced to life imprisonment if convicted. Bail for both men has been set at $3 million.

The traffic stop took a more serious turn when a Tulare County Sheriff's Office deputy peered through the car's rear window and noticed white powder. The deputy then called for backup, and the ensuing investigation led to a search of the vehicle and two buildings in rural Tulare County. These searches allegedly yielded about 100 pounds of methamphetamine, 200 pounds of liquid methamphetamine and approximately 300 fentanyl pills.