California Criminal Law
	General Criminal Law Questions
	Arrests
	Categories
	Clemency
	Constitutional protections
	Crime Victims
	Criminal Appeals
	Criminal Court proceedings
	Criminal detention
	Criminal law procedure
	Expungement of criminal records
	Federal Crimes & Consequences
	Federal vs. State Crimes
	Legal help
	Military law
	Police questioning
	Searches
	Tape recordings
	Traffic laws
	State-Specific Content

   Drug Crimes
   Drunk Driving
   Juvenile Law
   Parole Probation
   Violent Crimes
   White Collar Crimes

    FAQs

• I Am Not Charged With A Crime Yet In California, But I Think I Am Under Investigation. Do I Need A Lawyer?
• I Have a Criminal Case in California and I Want It to Go Away. What Can I Do?
• I Have A Criminal Record in California and It Is Affecting My Life. What Can I Do?

    FAQs

• Petty offenses, misdemeanors and felonies - what class am I in?
• Federal and state constitutions - why should I understand them?
• What are the typical steps in a criminal proceeding?
• How private are my conversations?
• What rights do I have when a law enforcement officer asks me questions?
• Do I have to give consent to a law enforcement officer to search my car?
• Detention and arrest - what's the difference?
• If I am arrested, what should I do?
• How do I find if there is an outstanding warrant out against me? I called the cops and they want me to drop on by and produce id.
• I have taped some very abusive and harassing telephone conversations with my husband's ex-girlfriend, but am told that we cannot use these tapes in the court. Why?
• What is executive clemency and what is the procedure to file for it?
• What legal steps can I take to expunge my felony conviction?
• How can we prove that the attorney we hired to defend our son on a criminal charge was ineffective and incompetent. He told us that it was trial tactics.
• Can a prisoner fire the public defender assigned to defend him without having another attorney to represent him?
• In a jury trial, why does the judge need to see the verdict before the jury foreman reads it aloud?
• What are ‘rules of criminal procedure?’
• Why is ‘criminal procedure’ different from ‘civil procedure?’
• What is the difference between procedural and substantive law?
• What is a ‘crime?’
• I understand that ignorance of the law is no defense. However, a friend of mine passed a bad check and he got off because he didn't know it. How come?
• What is meant by criminal procedure and why is it important?
• What is the difference between a civil offense and a crime?
• When is a governmental employee acting ‘under color of law’?
• Can the police get a warrant for me just because someone else told them I was doing something illegal?
• Can the police ever search me without a warrant?
• Can the police just stop me on the street and search me for no reason?
• Do the police need a warrant to arrest me?
• Can the police come and get me in my house?
• Can I sue the cop for false arrest?
• If the cops have a warrant to search my house, can they look anywhere?
• Can the cops break down my door to enter my home?
• If the police don’t read my rights, can my case be dismissed?
• I understand that ignorance of the law is no defense. However, a friend of mine passed a bad check and he got off because he didn’t know it. How come?

    FAQs

• When is a governmental employee acting ‘under color of law’?
• Can the police get a warrant for me just because someone else told them I was doing something illegal?
• Do the police need a warrant to arrest me?
• Can the police come and get me in my house?
• Can I sue the cop for false arrest?
• What is an arrest?
• What happens when there is an arrest?
• If the police don’t read my rights, can my case be dismissed?
• If I am ever arrested, what should I not do?
• Suppose the police make me an offer?

    FAQs

• Petty offenses, misdemeanors and felonies - what class am I in?

    FAQs

• What is executive clemency and what is the procedure to file for it?
• What is clemency?

    FAQs

• Federal and state constitutions - why should I understand them?

    FAQs

• Florida Crime Victims’ Rights

    FAQs

• Can criminal cases be appealed?
• What about all these last minute appeals I read about?

    FAQs

• What are the typical steps in a criminal proceeding?
• How private are my conversations?

    FAQs

• Detention and arrest - what's the difference?

    FAQs

• What are ‘rules of criminal procedure?’
• Why is ‘criminal procedure’ different from ‘civil procedure?’
• What is the difference between procedural and substantive law?
• What is meant by criminal procedure and why is it important?

    FAQs

• A little over two years ago I was arrested on marijuana charges. Inasmuch as it was my first offense, I received a fine and an adjournment on contemplation of dismissal with the condition being as long as I stayed out of trouble for six months there would be no criminal record. I applied for a county job recently and they said they were going to investigate my criminal record. Why do I have a record? It's been over two years!
• What legal steps can I take to expunge my felony conviction?

    FAQs

• Antitrust Violations - Federal Crimes & Consequences
• Child Pornography Law
• Criminal Conspiracy - Federal Crimes & Consequences
• Federal Criminal Appeals
• Federal Criminal Trials
• Federal Grand Jury
• Federal Economic Espionage
• Racketeering and RICO Cases and Definitions
• Making A “Federal Case” Out Of It
• Common Federal Crimes
• Cyberstalking
• Bribery
• Counterfeiting
• Asset Forfeiture
• Bankruptcy Fraud
• Business Fraud and Theft
• Environmental Law Violations
• Financial Fraud
• Government Fraud
• Insider Trading
• International Crimes
• International Extradition
• Money Laundering
• Telemarketing Fraud
• Sex Crimes
• Mail Fraud
• Kickbacks
• State Felony Trials
• Credit Card Fraud
• Embezzlement
• Public Corruption
• State Felony Appeals
• Insurance Fraud

    FAQs

• The Difference Between Federal and State Crimes
• Federal Criminal Lawyers vs. State Criminal Lawyers
• Federal v. State Criminal Procedure

    FAQs

• How can we prove that the attorney we hired to defend our son on a criminal charge was ineffective and incompetent. He told us that it was trial tactics.
• Can a prisoner fire the public defender assigned to defend him without having another attorney to represent him?
• Do I have a right to an attorney when an officer stops me and asked to take a field sobriety test?
• Do I need a lawyer or can I represent myself?
• Is a person facing court martial entitled to a lawyer?
• I am an indigent person who retained an attorney but now have run out of money just before trial. Will the state continue to pay the attorney or will I be assigned a public defender?

    FAQs

• Is a person facing court martial entitled to a lawyer?
• Can a person convicted and punished in a state civilian court later be punished for the same conduct in the military system?

    FAQs

• What rights do I have when a law enforcement officer asks me questions?
• If the police don’t read my rights, can my case be dismissed?
• If I have been stopped or detained by the police, do I have to talk to the police?
• Is a minor entitled to have his or her Miranda Rights read before being questioned?
• Can I refuse to talk to the police unless I have an attorney present?
• What if I don’t have an attorney or cannot afford one? Am I still entitled to have an attorney present before being questioned by the police?
• What if the police questioned me and did not advise me of my Miranda rights, but should have done so? Can they use my statements against me?
• Do the police have to inform me that I have the right to have my parents present before I am questioned?
• Can I call my parents before I am questioned?

    FAQs

• In my neighborhood the police will just stop you on the street for no reason and search you. Is there anything I can do about this?
• I got stopped by a traffic cop for a busted tail light and then, without my permission, he searched my car and found pot in the trunk. At the hearing he said he knew I had drugs because he saw seeds on the floor and they were in "plain view", but the drugs in the trunk weren’t. Can a lawyer get the drugs excluded from evidence as illegally seized?
• Do I have to give consent to a law enforcement officer to search my car?
• Can the police ever search me without a warrant?
• Can the police just stop me on the street and search me for no reason?
• If the cops have a warrant to search my house, can they look anywhere?
• Can the cops break down my door to enter my home?
• What is a search or seizure?

    FAQs

• I have taped some very abusive and harassing telephone conversations with my husband's ex-girlfriend, but am told that we cannot use these tapes in the court. Why?

    FAQs

• I have been charged with careless driving and failure to notify a police officer of an accident, simply because a witness claimed I was responsible. The witness claimed that my small economy car allegedly tore a bumper off a 4-runner, with no damage to my car. I'm not responsible. Isn't the lack of physical damage to my vehicle stronger than the witness's story?

    FAQs

• What is a crime? How is it determined?
• What is the difference between procedural and substantive law?
• What is the difference between a civil offense and a crime?
• What is meant by criminal procedure and why is it important?
• What is the difference between procedural and substantive law?