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Ex-Marine Itzcoatl Ocampo could be sentenced to death if convicted of murder. According to the Orange County Register he is facing six felony counts of murder, with sentencing enhancements for personal use of a deadly weapon during the commission of a crime, and special circumstances for lying in wait and multiple murders. Media outlets reported…

Shazer Fernando Limas has been charged with the stabbing death of the mother of his sons in Anaheim, Orange County California. His two children, one year old Fernando and three month old Emanuel are missing. Lima is being charged with their deaths as well. There are no clues suggesting where the boys are or if…

There was still no verdict on the death penalty sentence for Jason Michael Balcom who was convicted in March of murdering and sexually assaulting a pregnant woman in Costa Mesa back in 1988. The DA is pushing for the death penalty on the count of the violent nature of the crime. She had been gagged…

It was announced on Tuesday, April 12, 2012, by Sheriff Lee Baca that a section of the Los Angeles County Men’s Central Jail will be closed and the inmates would be moved to other locations. The inmates will be moved to other counties or fire camps but Sheriff Baca did not detail when the closure…

The court system has implemented a new program that addresses the challenge of combat veterans facing criminal charges. Orange County’s Combat Veteran’s Court has 50 veterans enrolled voluntarily in the program. In order to participate certain requirements have to be met and they must be approved to enter the program. One component is that they…

San Diego County Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) employees have been charged with accepting bribes for issuing driver’s licenses. The FBI arrested and charged several people for accepting or giving the bribes. The allegations are that people were given driver’s licenses without taking the test or who had failed the driving test. People paid $2,500…

Medical professionals and law enforcement are seeing a rise in incidents involving synthetic marijuana. Last year the Drug Enforcement Agency ordered that several chemicals be listed as Schedule I substances. The DEA acted on an emergency order in order to stop the use of the synthetic marijuana, typically known as “Spice” or “K2” and other varieties…

The Los Angeles Police Commission will not renew the contract with the firm that operates the red-light cameras in the city. The information collected by the cameras will not be readily available to the police. The officers that attend the court hearings will not have the evidence required by the court to prove the violation.…

As the fatal shooting incident of 17 year old Trayvon Martin continues to unfold in Sanford, Florida, Police Chief Bill Lee temporarily stepped down. This amid public criticism and an investigation by the FBI and Justice Department into the incident involving a neighborhood watch Captain George Zimmerman. The unarmed Martin was allegedly shot by Zimmerman.…

Most people are aware that they have a right to a speedy trial guaranteed by the Constitution. However, few people understand how this right works as a practical matter. The best way to analyze speedy trial rights is to break down cases by misdemeanor and felony. Misdemeanor cases affected by the speedy trial clause of the…