One of the charges that are quite serious but is seldom mentioned is great bodily harm. This is a charge that will usually be paired with an assault charge.Great bodily harm in California is a sentence enhancement charge. It is attached to other charges to give the judge the option of extending the maximum sentence of the other charges. The way this works is that the judge sets a maximum sentence for the first conviction and then adds additional time for the great bodily harm charge. These two sentences cannot be carried out consecutively. The time the defendant must serve for the great bodily harm charge will not start until the sentence for the other charge has been completed.Great bodily harm in California is outlined in California Penal Code 12022.7 PC.For a great bodily harm charge to be added as a sentence enhancement, the victim must have sustained substantial injuries. These must be far more serious than a few scrapes and bruises. The types of injuries that can lead to a great bodily harm charge include:
  • Broken bones
  • Gunshot wounds
  • Severe burns
  • Internal injuries

Believe it or not, the State of California didn’t put up traffic signs, signals, and lights simply to make your commute more difficult. Despite what it may feel like some days, the traffic signals weren’t created as some sort of vendetta against you. The truth...

Mislabeling food in California is a law that usually only impacts people who own or operate things like coffee shops, delis, grocery stores, and restaurants. It doesn’t matter how badly the food was mislabeled, if evidence of mislabeling exists, the people involved will be arrested and charged with mislabeling of food. If convicted, they’ll not only have a permanent criminal record, it’s unlikely that they’ll ever be able to find employment in the food industry ever again.The issue of mislabeling food in California is dealt with in Health & Safety Code 114087 HS.The law states:“(a) Food offered for human consumption shall be honestly presented in a way that does not mislead or misinform the consumer.(b) Food or color additives, colored overwraps, lights or other misleading artificial means shall not be used to misrepresent the true appearance, color, or quality of food.”There are several different reasons ways that a business can get into trouble for mislabeling food.These include:
  • A retailer taking food that has either passed its expiration date or is actually meant for pets and passing it off as food that is fit for human consumption
  • Labeling food in such a way that it results in the consumer not having the proper information about things like quality, calories, or even accurate ingredients.

Just because you’re legally allowed to own a firearm in California, it doesn’t mean you have an instant right to do whatever you want with it. For example, while you’re allowed to own a firearm and even carry it with you if that same firearm is loaded, you could find yourself in serious legal trouble.The topic of carrying a loaded firearm in California is covered in Penal Code 25850 PC. When you read through the law, you’ll find that even though you have an ownership license for the firearm, if that firearm is loaded, you’re not allowed to have it:
  • While on a public street
  • While in a public place
  • While cruising the streets in your car

Most people don’t think about how difficult it is to prepare a solid defense while you’re sitting in a jail cell. There’s very little privacy. You have to hope that your lawyer is willing and able to arrange their schedule so that they can routinely...