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The Ugly Reality of Bumper Stickers
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The Ugly Reality of Bumper Stickers

The Ugly Reality of Bumper Stickers

Bumper stickers seem like a good idea. They provide you with a great opportunity to put your own personal stamp on your vehicle, helping you stand out from the crowd. In some cases, they provide you with a wonderful opportunity to brag about your child, spouse, and pet. They can also be a great conversation starter in parking lots.

Before you attach that super cute, personalized bumper sticker to your vehicle, you need to understand that doing so can be a dangerous act.hile you might see a benign, adorable bumper sticker, a predator sees something very different. For example, that honor roll sticker your child brought home provides a predator with information about what area you live in, where your child goes to school, and even tells them about what age your child is. In some cases, the sticker might even provide the child’s name.

But what about that cute bumper sticker that provides the breed and name of your dog? Still not a good idea. If someone wants to break into your house, they know about what size your dog is, what to call it to convince it to stop barking. Having the dog’s name on your bumper sticker also provides a dog snatcher with the information needed to lure your best friend from your car and into theirs.

You should also avoid bumper stickers that contain information about the types of sports/hobbies you enjoy. A simple sticker that states you’re a golfer tells a thief that there might be valuable golfing clubs in your car. The same is true of a bumper sticker that professes your love of computers or skiing. You don’t want to make your vehicle an appealing target.

Even a completely benign bumper sticker that shares no personal information but simply draws people’s attention can be dangerous. It provides a stranger with an opportunity to draw you into a conversation. Ninety-nine percent of the time this is a good thing, but there is always a chance that the person who is chatting with you about the bumper sticker is trying to lure you into a false sense of security before they try snatching your purse/keys or shoving you into their vehicle.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy those cute stickers. You can still buy them. Just place them somewhere that they can’t tempt a thief. The front of your refrigerator is a good, safe, choice.

When it comes to the safety of yourself and those you love, you can’t afford to not be careful.

Tips for Protecting Yourself From Fake News
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Tips for Protecting Yourself From Fake News

Tips for Protecting Yourself From Fake News

The term fake news has been used a lot over the past four years. The good news is that hearing the term so often has made people stop and think about how much we take news stories for granted. Today, more than ever, we have come to understand that even the most trusted news sources have an agenda and that they understand how to work an angle.

You’ll be happy to know that there are some things you can do to protect yourself from fake news.

Don’t Rely on a Single Source

The more versions of a news story you read/watch/listen to, the more similarities you’ll pick out. These little commonalities are the kernels of truth. Pay attention to them and you’ll eventually get to the real story.

Check the Sources

The best way to protect yourself from fake news is by paying careful attention to the sources provided. This doesn’t mean looking at which new anchor is presenting a story (though that’s also a good idea) but looking at how that new anchor got the story. Did it come from someone who was in the middle of a situation, or was it from a second, third, or fourth source?

Double Check Quotes

Many people mistakenly think that just because a news story includes quotes, that the story must be relevant. Taking quotes out of context or only sharing a portion of what the person said can completely alter the tone of a news story. If a quote feels off or seems manipulative, it’s a good idea to find the entire interview and read the quote for yourself. You’ll be surprised how often seeing the comments in their entirety completely changes the news story.

Do Your Own Research

Don’t take any news story at face value. Learning how to do your research is one of the best ways to protect yourself from fake news. Research doesn’t mean turning to your social media accounts. Most of what you see on social media isn’t news, but rather people’s responses to fake news. Try to find out the origins of the story, who was responsible for publishing it, and check to see which people are involved. The more time you dedicate to researching a news story, the greater the odds are that you’ll eventually find the truth.

The great thing about learning how to protect yourself from fake news is that it doesn’t take long before you start to recognize the early signs, such as click-bait headlines and strangely chopped interviews, of fake news.

Drunk Driving on Halloween
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Drunk Driving on Halloween

Drunk Driving on Halloween

It’s no secret that getting behind the wheel after you’ve been drinking is a bad idea, yet there are a few nights of the year where driver’s leave their common sense at home and drive home after having one too many. Halloween is such a night.

Why People Drink on Halloween

Halloween is a festive holiday. A time when lots of people like to cut loose and relax. There are usually lots of parties where the alcohol generally flows. The happy atmosphere combined with the anonymity of wearing a costume makes it easy to cut loose and lose track of how much you’ve had to drink.

The Dangers of Drinking and Driving on Halloween

There’s never a safe time to drive after drinking, but it’s particularly dangerous on Halloween. The lure of free candy means that the streets are full of very young children. Many of these children aren’t paying attention to anything but getting to the next house as quickly as possible. They don’t look before they cross streets or rush around blind alleys. Sober driver’s often struggle to stay alert when driving through popular trick-or-treating areas. With alcohol dulling your reflexes the odds of you getting into a drunk driving accident on Halloween increase.

Another thing to keep in mind is that Halloween is one of the holidays when police officers are out in force and they are going to be extra alert. The slightest sign that you’re driving while impaired on Halloween and they will pull you over.

The Consequences of Drunk Driving on Halloween

The legal blood alcohol count (BAC) for the average adult driver in California is 0.08%. If it’s any higher, the police will file drunk driving charges against you. Even if you’re BAC is slightly lower than 0.08% when you’re pulled over, there is still a good chance that they’ll arrest you so that they can conduct a second test once the last drink you enjoyed hits your system.

Getting found guilty of DUI on Halloween will have a serious and negative impact on the quality of your life.

✦ First offense-$390-$1,000 in fines, up to 6 months in jail, your license can be suspended for up to 6 months
✦ Second offense-$390-$1,000 in fines, up to one year in jail, your license can be suspended for 2 full years. The court can order your ignition locked for a full year.
✦ Third offense-up to $1,800 in fines, minimum 120 days maximum 12 months in jail, your license can be suspended for 3 years and your ignition can be locked for 2 years.

If you’re planning on drinking this Halloween, it’s in your best interest to arrange for a cab, Uber driver, or have a friend serve as your DD. The last thing you need is to end the holiday with a drunk driving conviction.

California Vehicle Exhaust Noise Laws
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California Vehicle Exhaust Noise Laws

California Vehicle Exhaust Noise Laws

When it comes to noisy cars people always have one of two opinions: they either think the deep rumble sounds awesome or they think it is the most obnoxious and irritating thing they’ve heard all day. Many feel that a car with either a broken or modified exhaust is a major nuisance and disruption. To simplify the matter, California’s lawmakers created exhaust noise laws. These set a very strict limit on the amount of noise your vehicle can legally make as you drive it down the road.

California’s vehicle exhaust noise laws are addressed in the California Vehicle Code. They’re numbers 27150 – 27153.

California Vehicle Code# 27150 requires that your vehicle have an adequate muffler. This doesn’t just mean that not only does your car has to have muffler, but that it also has to be in good working order. This must be in place when you bring your car in for its registration inspection. The same law states that your vehicle won’t pass its inspection if the muffler or exhaust system has been set up with any type of cutout or bypass.

California Vehicle Code # 27151 prohibits you from making modifications to your exhaust that either directly violate VC 27151 or that raise the decibel level of your vehicle above 88 dbA. If your vehicle weighs less than 6,000 pounds or is a motorcycle, it can’t make noise that exceeds 95 dbA. It’s worth noting that most contemporary vehicles, even the ones that have a nice throaty roar, are designed in such a way that the noise they make doesn’t exceed 75 dbA.

One of the challenges driver’s face is that the way the vehicle codes that deal with excessive noise are written, police officers don’t necessarily know how much noise your exhaust system makes. They can pull you over simply because your vehicle is nosier than the rest of the cars on the road. The current writing of the law allows them to “exercise their own judgment.” There’s a chance that they’ll issue an excessive noise ticket even if your car is within the legal noise limits.

If you’re issued an excessive noise ticket, you’ll have to take your vehicle to a mechanic and have the problem repaired (or removed if there’s an illegal modification.) The next step is going to the California Referee Center. After looking at both your ticket and your vehicle’s registration the Referee Center will test your exhaust system and determine if it meets the legal requirements. If everything is in order, they’ll issue a Certificate of Compliance which you’ll have to show the traffic court.

The tickets for illegal exhausts and excessive noise vary. For a first offense, the ticket is usually $25 with fees climbing to $193. There have been some instances where the overall cost of the illegal exhaust fines reaching $1,105.

If the police pull you over, it’s possible that they will notice other issues, such as unpaid parking tickets, bench warrants, parole violations, etc. All things considered, it’s in your best interest to keep your car quiet and not attract police attention.

Squatting in California
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Squatting in California

Squatting in California

There is a housing problem in California. The state has more people who need a home than there are affordable rental options available. The shortage of available housing is likely why there seems to have been an increase in “squatting” cases.

What is Squatting?

Squatting is a slang term that’s used to describe the practice of moving into a living space, such as an empty apartment, and using it as a residence. Squatting is the common term. The formal term the California court system likes to use is adverse possession.

While it’s usually easy to determine that the person who has taken up residence is a squatter, figuring out both the squatter’s and property owner’s actual legal rights is complicated.

The interesting thing about squatting is that it’s not an actual crime. The only time legal charges are filed against the squatter is if the property owner can prove that the squatters are guilty of trespassing.

A property owner can file a civil lawsuit against a squatter, which they can use to recoup lost rent, property damage, and even some legal fees.

Squatters can Claim Ownership

The last thing a property owner wants to do is ignore anyone who is squatting on their property. The sooner the owner acts, the better. In California, if a person has taken “adverse possession” of a property and the legal owner does nothing to remove them from the property, the squatter becomes the new legal owner. In California, five years is the length of time a squatter has to stay on the property before they can own it.

Moving a Squatter Off Your Property

Moving a squatter, especially if the squatter is a tenant who simply refused to move out after their lease ran out, isn’t easy.

The first thing you’ll want to do is to file an eviction notice. While the squatter might ignore the order, it does establish legal documentation that shows you don’t want the person residing on your property.

If the date listed on the eviction notice has passed but the squatters are still in residence on your property, you will have to file a civil lawsuit. The burden of proof will rest on you. You’ll have to prove that you didn’t want them residing on your property and that they’ve failed to pay rent or adhere to a rental contract. The judge will want to see a copy of the eviction notice you filed.

Once you’ve won the civil lawsuit, you’ll be able to have the police help you remove the squatter from your property.

It’s very important to enlist the experience of a good lawyer through every step of this process.

How to Handle a False Accusation
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How to Handle a False Accusation

How to Handle a False Accusation

One second,you’re going about your regular life, the next you’re dealing with the legal fallout from being falsely accused of a crime you didn’t commit. Just like that, you’re living everyones’ worst nightmare. It’s difficult to know what you should do or who you should turn to.

Stay Calm

The most important thing you can do in this situation is to stay calm. Resist the urge to panic. Take a few deep breaths and remind yourself that as long as you keep a cool head and stay on the straight and narrow, you have the ability to remove yourself from this horrible situation.

Don’t make any accusations. Don’t threaten anyone. Don’t lose your temper. Doing any of these things could result in you getting into even bigger trouble and potentially having some real charges filed against you.

Hire a Good Lawyer

Don’t talk to the police, at least not while you’re by yourself. Don’t assume that just because you’re innocent, that you have nothing to worry about. It’s in your best interest to hire a good lawyer. Talk only to your lawyer and let them handle the situation.

You Might Need to Launch Your Own Investigation

More often than not, false accusations are cleared up quite quickly, but if they’re not, you should be prepared to launch and independent investigation. Don’t try doing this on your own. Instead of doing your own snooping, hire an experienced PI who can get to the bottom of your case quicker and safer than you. At this point, the only role you play in the investigation is answering the PI’s questions.

Each case of false accusation is different. Sometimes the issue is resolved right away. Sometimes it takes a while before the truth is revealed. No matter how long it takes, it’s important that you stay calm and don’t do anything that could potentially harm your case.

If it turns out that the person who made the false accusation did so on purpose and deliberately slandered your character, you have the option to open a civil case against them. The civil case provides you with an opportunity to regain both punitive and comprehensive damages you sustained as a direct result of the false accusation. You lawyer can help you decide how you should proceed.

Statutory Rape Laws and Charges
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Statutory Rape Laws and Charges

Statutory Rape Laws and Charges

Teenagers are full of two things. Hormones and emotions. The combination causes them to make questionable life choices, which includes engaging in sex. When parents learn that their teenage child has become sexually active they often find themselves worrying if their child can be charged with statutory rape.

Recent changes to California’s laws about sex with minors have made the issue even more confusing than it is in some other states.

What is Statutory Rape?

Strictly speaking, statutory rape has nothing to do about sexual consent. In statutory rape cases, both parties are usually willing. These cases aren’t about the willingness of both partners but whether they’re able to cope with the emotional and physical ramifications that go hand in hand with a sexual relationship.

According to the law, statutory rape takes place when someone has sex with a minor, who is otherwise referred to as a person who hasn’t reached the age of consent.

Is it Possible for a Minor to be Charged with Statutory Rape?

The question of whether it’s possible for two minors to be accused of statutory rape doesn’t have a clear legal answer.
According to California Penal Code Section 261.5, statutory rape takes place whenever someone has sex with someone who hasn’t reached their eighteenth birthday. According to that, if a sixteen-year-old couple decides to have sex, both of them can be charged with statutory rape.

The problem is that for the charges to stick, the court has to determine which member of the couple is the victim and which is the aggressor, something that’s nearly impossible to do when both are minors. Due to the legal complexities of the situation, the charges are usually dropped and the court lets the parents decide how to handle the matter.

Penalties for Statutory Rape in California

Statutory rape charges in California are a serious matter. Statutory rape is one of the state’s many famous wobbler offenses. No two cases are handled the same way, which can make it difficult to guess what the final results will be. The most extreme cases can result in a sentence that includes 3 years in jail as well as a $10,000 fine.

Sometimes the court requires that the defendant register as a sex offender, but there are also situations where that hasn’t happened. It largely depends on the age of the two people involved in the case as well as the type of relationship they’re engaged in.

The best way to make sure you never have to unravel the complexities of statutory rape is by making sure your sexual partner is always over 18 years old.

Halloween During Pandemic in California
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Halloween During Pandemic in California

Halloween During Pandemic in California

Halloween is right around the corner. It’s one of those holidays that kids look forward to all year long. It’s not uncommon for kids to spend months working on a Halloween costume and planning their trick-or-treating route.

Safety and Halloween

Every single year, the news is always full of stories about people wondering if traditional trick-or-treating is safe. Concerning issues include the potential to bring poisoned candy into the house, getting hit by a car, or getting kidnapped. This year has the added complication of COVID-19.

Is it Safe to Trick-or-Treat?

The good news is that Halloween hasn’t been officially canceled in California, but lawmakers and members of the medical community are concerned. Officially they are asking people to skip the tradition of trick-or-treating this year, but they have also stated that they’re leaving the final decision to the parents.

What Should You Do

No one can tell you if you should stay at home this Halloween or if you should go trick-or-treating, you need to decide what your personal comfort levels are. If you do decide to go, there are a few things you can do.

✦ Use a pair of tongs to select candy from dishes/buckets
✦ Set a limit on the number of houses you’ll visit
✦ Have your kids wear gloves and face mask while trick-or-treating
✦ Limit your trick-or-treating to your own social circle.
✦ Have your kids use hand sanitizer after each house

When you get home, have your kids change their clothing and thoroughly wash their hands. It wouldn’t hurt to let their bucket of candy sit for a few days, giving any COVID-19 germs a chance to die before they infect your family.

Don’t get so wrapped up in the idea of keeping your kids safe from COVID-19 during Halloween that you forget other trick-or-treating safety maneuvers. Make sure you’re kids are decked out in reflective clothing, that they stick close to you, and that you inspect each piece of candy for tampering when you get home.

If you’re a fan of trunk-or-treating, this might be a good year to skip the trend, particularly if the event takes place indoors. The smaller space and higher volume of trick-or-treaters increases the risk of you contracting COVID-19. If you do decide to go to a trunk-or-treat event, look for one that’s outdoors.

If you decide that you don’t want to go out for Halloween, try to look for something fun you can do in your own home so your kids don’t think they’re missing out on something. Maybe through a small Halloween party that only includes your own family, or hide candy and make finding it a scavenger hunt. The important thing is to keep your kids both healthy and safe during these strange times.

Happy Halloween and stay safe!

False Accusations in California
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False Accusations in California

False Accusations in California

Being falsely accused of a crime is many people’s biggest fears. The chances of false accusations increase when relationships end. Too often, one person feels betrayed or hurt and decides that the best way to get back at their former lover is lying about criminal activity or abuse. In many situations, these types of cases also involve a custody dispute with children.

If you are considering falsely accusing someone of a crime, there are some things you should understand beforehand.

The Court will Look at Intent

If you’re caught making false criminal accusations against someone, the first thing the prosecutor does is look at what you were thinking when you originally filed the charges.

In a vast majority of the cases, the person filing the charges doesn’t hold any malice towards the person they filed charges against. They honestly believed that the person was engaged in criminal behavior. In this situation, it’s unlikely that the court will take any action.

On the other end, if an investigation reveals that you had no real basis for filing the complaint or that you did so for malicious reasons, it’s likely that the prosecutor will launch a case against you.

The reason the prosecutor doesn’t file a false accusation case against every person who accidentally reports a crime that didn’t happen is because they don’t want to discourage people from taking their concerns to the police. Every single person involved in the judicial system would rather have people coming in to report the possibility of a crime than having people turn a blind eye to crimes that are in process.

How False Charges are Typically Handled in California

In most cases, deliberately filing a false report is a misdemeanor. If found guilty the maximum sentence is 12 months in jail, but that might not be where the story ends. In addition to the judicial system launching a legal case against you, the person you falsely accused has the option to file a civil lawsuit against you. During the civil case, they’re free to pursue both punitive and compensatory damages that you’ll have to pay if the judge rules in their favor.

Worst of all, being found guilty of filing a false claim could haunt you for the rest of your life.

If you’re angry with someone, don’t try to make their life complicated by running to the police with a fake story of criminal activity. Instead, you should take some time to cool down and then think of a better way to handle the situation.

On the other hand, if you see suspicious activity, feel free to take your concerns to the police and let them investigate the situation.

When is a Real Estate Deal Considered Real Estate Fraud
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When is a Real Estate Deal Considered Real Estate Fraud

When is a Real Estate Deal Considered Real Estate Fraud

Buying and selling property is a way of life in California. People are constantly moving. Most of the time, the process goes smoothly and everything is kept above board, but every once in awhile a deal goes sour. The challenge many buyers (and even sellers) struggle with is knowing when a real estate deal simply doesn’t go as planned and when they’ve been the victim of real estate fraud.

According to California lawmakers, real estate fraud takes place when one of the parties involved in a real estate transaction knowingly commits fraud while conducting some sort of real estate transaction.

In California, real estate fraud includes:

✦ Forged deeds
✦ Breaking foreclosure fraud statutes
✦ Falsely representing a property
✦ Breaking rent skimming laws

In California, the most common forms of real estate fraud include:

✦ Straw buyer schemes
✦ Illegal property flipping
✦ Mortgage fraud
✦ Foreclosure fraud

Different types of real estate fraud are handled by different sections of California’s penal code. For example, someone who is found guilty of committing a rent skimming scheme has violated Civil Code 890. Someone who violates Penal Code 115 is guilty of filing forged real estate documents.

Grand Theft Real Estate Fraud

A stunning number of the real estate fraud cases that make their way into the California court system involve grand theft real estate fraud. According to California Penal Code 532 PC, this type of real estate fraud involves the seller (or real estate agent) deliberately misrepresenting the property.
To be found guilty of grand theft real estate fraud, the seller must have deliberately misrepresented the property. Examples of this include:

✦ Lying about property lines
✦ Hiding important information that was discovered during a home inspection
✦ Showing a different property than the one listed in the paperwork the buyer signed
✦ Not telling about contracts, such as rental agreements or easements, connected to the property

There have been some situations where a buyer was actually convicted of grand theft property fraud. These cases usually involved the seller lying about the property that prompted the buyer to quickly sell the property for far less than it was worth.

Strictly speaking, California’s real estate fraud cases that involve grand theft by false pretenses are wobbler laws, but in most situations, cases involving real estate are considered felonies since they usually involve more than $950.

If you’re found guilty of felony grand theft real estate fraud, you could face spending three years in prison.