Henry Cantor
September 11, 2024
What Is the ‘Heat of Passion’ Defense? The “Heat of Passion” defense is a legal argument used in criminal cases to show that the defendant acted impulsively under intense emotional stress, rather than with premeditation. This defense is typically used in homicide cases to reduce the charge from murder to voluntary manslaughter. The key idea […]
Henry Cantor
September 5, 2024
Redlands, CA – The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office announced today that Michael Royce Sparks has been charged with two counts of murder following the deaths of his neighbors, Stephanie and Daniel Menard, who were reported missing from their home at the Olive Dell Nudist Ranch in late August. The couple’s bodies were discovered […]
Henry Cantor
August 26, 2024
Why You Need to Know About First-Degree Murder Charges in California First-degree murder in California is defined as an unlawful killing that is both willful and premeditated. This means that the person accused planned the act and carried it out with the intent to kill. It is the most serious form of homicide under California […]
Henry Cantor
July 16, 2024
Jestice James has been charged with the murder of her three-year-old twin sons, Josiah and Jestine James. The twins were allegedly exposed to drugs laced with fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced the charges, emphasizing the growing concern over the impact of fentanyl on young children. The […]
Henry Cantor
July 4, 2024
On November 13, 2020, at around 8 p.m., officers responded to a shooting incident in front of a family home on the 1500 block of West 145th Street in Gardena, California. Upon arrival, they found a 29-year-old man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds while seated in a parked car with his brother. According to the […]
Henry Cantor
June 13, 2024
Photo: Ricardo Rios, 19, and his brother Sergio Rios, 33, seen in this undated family photo.(ktla.com) On June 1, 2024, at around 2 p.m., officers were dispatched to a residence near Budlong Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, just a block from the LA Memorial Coliseum. Upon arrival, they found Sergio Rios, 33, and […]
Henry Cantor
June 12, 2024
On the evening of September 29, 2020, Rebecca Grossman was driving her white Mercedes SUV on Triunfo Canyon Road in Westlake Village. Grossman was traveling at a speed of 73 mph in a 45 mph residential zone. The vehicle’s data recorder indicated that she had accelerated to this excessive speed just seconds before the […]
Henry Cantor
May 24, 2024
SAN BERNARDINO, CA — Rudy Garcia Jr., an 18-year-old from San Bernardino, has been charged with a series of violent crimes that occurred on May 20, 2024. These charges include the murder of USMC Gunnery Sgt. Robert McDonald and the attempted murder of two other individuals. On May 20, 2024, Garcia allegedly murdered USMC Gunnery […]
Henry Cantor
May 21, 2024
A former Riverside resident has agreed to plead guilty to hate crimes and firearm offenses. These charges stem from incidents where he shot and wounded two Jewish men as they left religious services in the Pico-Robertson area of Los Angeles in February 2023. He faces serious legal consequences, including a significant prison sentence, under a […]
Henry Cantor
May 20, 2024
Charges: PC 187(a)-F Murder PC 192(a)-F Voluntary Manslaughter Case Overview: Case Title: The People of the State of California vs. T.D.V Case Number: BA47452**** Filing Date: January 23, 2019 Arrest Date: December 26, 2018 Filing Courthouse: Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center Case Type: Felony Judge: Hon. Judge Robert C. Vanderet Incident Background On the […]
Henry Cantor
May 6, 2024
Photo Credit: (https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/murders/cesar-villarreal) The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has intensified its search for Cesar Villareal. They placed him on the FBI’s Most Wanted list due to his alleged role in a 2010 fatal shooting in Los Angeles County. In response to these allegations, the FBI offers a reward of up to $5,000 for information […]
Henry Cantor
April 24, 2024
In 2016, Eddy Reyes, then 38 and a former civilian employee at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, pleaded guilty to federal kidnapping charges related to the murder of his wife, Claudia Sanchez Reyes. The incident, which culminated in Claudia’s death by strangulation, reflects the calculated actions Reyes took to facilitate this outcome. This guilty plea […]
Henry Cantor
February 14, 2024
A court has sentenced two brothers, Martrell Patrick Shaw, 20, and Rontrell Brainell Shaw, 22, to federal prison for their roles in the armed robbery and murder of a marijuana dealer in San Bernardino in July 2021. Along with their cousin Dillion Jones, the Shaw brothers meticulously planned and carried out the robbery, which tragically […]
Henry Cantor
January 11, 2024
In California, the crime of assault is defined under Penal Code 240 PC as the unlawful attempt, coupled with a present ability, to commit a violent injury on another person. This law, commonly addressing what is known as “simple assault,” is fundamental in the state’s criminal justice system. It highlights the legal boundary not only […]
Henry Cantor
January 10, 2024
Photo: (Pat Brady, 53, of Lake Forest (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California) Pat Brady, a 53-year-old Aryan Brotherhood member, confessed to a murder within a Northern California prison, as part of a significant investigation into the gang’s activities. This announcement was made by the U.S. District Attorney’s Office. Details of the Prison Murder […]
Henry Cantor
January 2, 2024
Photo: (arrangement at a crime scene) Law enforcement in Sacramento County apprehended a 53-year-old man named Arkete Davis and his 10-year-old son following a tragic shooting incident. The boy, whose identity remains undisclosed, fatally shot another 10-year-old with a stolen gun he discovered in his father’s car. This incident took place in Foothill Farms, […]
Henry Cantor
December 29, 2023
Photo: (www.elcamino.edu) On December 24, at El Camino College in Torrance, California, an assailant attacked a woman in her 60s with a sledgehammer while she collected recyclables. This assault occurring after 7 p.m. in the 16000 block of Crenshaw Boulevard, led to the woman’s death. Emergency responders transported the victim to a hospital where she […]
Henry Cantor
December 13, 2023
In California, understanding the difference between murder and manslaughter is crucial for anyone facing homicide charges. This analysis provides insights into the state’s legal framework, highlighting the significant implications of these distinctions. Overview of Murder in California California Penal Code Section 187 defines murder as the unlawful killing of another person with malice aforethought. This […]
Henry Cantor
December 8, 2023
Gareth Pursehouse Receives Life Sentence On Wednesday, December 6, Hollywood sex therapist Amie Harwick’s ex-boyfriend received a life sentence without parole. This decision was announced by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Gareth Pursehouse, 45, was convicted of murder in September. He threw Harwick over a balcony at her Hollywood Hills home on February […]
Henry Cantor
November 17, 2023
The arrest of Dino Rojas-Moreno for Tatum Goodwin’s alleged murder in Laguna Beach marks the beginning of a complex legal case under California law. The Incident in Detail: On the morning of November 12, 2023, Tatum Goodwin, a 27-year-old local waitress, was found dead in an alleyway near her workplace. The discovery, made by a […]
Henry Cantor
October 16, 2023
The hip-hop world and legal community alike were stunned when news broke: Duane Keith “Keefe D” Davis was arrested in connection with the 1996 murder of rap icon Tupac Shakur. This case, which has remained one of music’s most enduring mysteries, offers a unique intersection of entertainment and law. The Unresolved Crime In September 1996, […]
Henry Cantor
September 27, 2023
The Amie Harwick case has garnered significant attention due to the shocking and tragic nature of the incident. The charges brought against Gareth Pursehouse are one count each of murder and first-degree residential burglary in the death of 38-year-old Amie Harwick on February 15, 2020. This incident unfolded in California, and we will delve into […]
Henry Cantor
September 25, 2023
In a tragic incident that unfolded in Jurupa Valley, California, a driver and his passenger are facing serious legal consequences following a fatal collision. On Wednesday, September 20, a car struck and killed 42-year-old Jamie Pruitt in the 5000 block of Mission Boulevard. This unfortunate event led to the arrest of the driver, 23-year-old Jose […]
Henry Cantor
September 12, 2023
In the early morning hours of July 22, 2023, tragedy struck on the scenic Angeles Crest Highway in Pasadena, California. 32-year-old Jessie Munoz of Los Angeles lost his life during a robbery while he was inside a vehicle with a female companion. The Pasadena Police Department launched a comprehensive investigation into the incident. Eventually the […]
Henry Cantor
September 1, 2023
Tragedy struck in the heart of South Los Angeles when a fatal crash claimed the lives of three Uber passengers. The three victims were identified as Juvelyn Arroyo, 23, Veronica Amezola, 23, and Kimberly Izquierdo, 27. Two of the three were sisters. The incident has brought to light to the harsh consequences of reckless driving. […]
Arash Hashemi
March 5, 2023
In a recent ruling, a California appeals court overturned a murder conviction and ordered a new trial for a man accused of California murder in 2002. The court cited the state’s flawed interpretation of the law and improper use of evidence as reasons for the reversal. Additionally, the court referred to California’s new “Decriminalizing Artistic […]
Arash Hashemi
August 25, 2022
On August 4, 2022, Nicole Linton was behind the wheel of her Mercedes, speeding as fast as 90 miles an hour. She ran a red light and plowed into traffic at the busy intersection of La Brea and Slauson avenues killed 6 people and hurt others. She was charged with 6 counts of murder and […]
Arash Hashemi
August 27, 2018
All little girls hope for the protection of a loving father, but sometimes the cost of that protection comes at a huge legal expense, as it has become the case for one Arizona father in August of 2018 While using the restroom, Melvin Harris III’s daughter was harassed by known criminal Leevon Armstrong as he […]
Arash Hashemi
August 13, 2018
On the 3rd of January 2018, University of Pennsylvania student, Blaze Bernstein, was visiting his family in Lake Forest, California for winter break when he went missing. Later that week Bernstein’s body was discovered in a shallow grave at a park in the surrounding areas. The 19 year old college student seemed to have been stabbed over […]
Arash Hashemi
August 5, 2015
Reality TV star Loredana Nesci was found dead in her Redondo Beach, California home on July 22, 2015. She was known as the cop turned lawyer on SundanceTV’s Loredana, Esq. It is alleged that the 47 year old star had an argument with her boyfriend Robert Reagan the night before. At 7:20am on the 22nd the police received an anonymous […]
Arash Hashemi
June 17, 2015
Ryan Jawad, has been accused of the murder of his friend Gage Seal in Temecula. The police found the victim and the accused at a motel after the shooting. Jawad has had problems with the law in the past and will be tried as an adult. He is also a suspect in a number of burglaries in his […]
Arash Hashemi
June 9, 2015
According to the L.A. Times, a former Los Angeles police officer who had fled the United States was found in Mexico and transported back to face murder charges. Henry Solis had relatives in Mexico where he had been staying. Solis was fired by the LAPD when he was named a person of interest in the shooting death of […]
Arash Hashemi
May 7, 2015
Two brothers have been sentenced in the Reseda murder of a third youth in 2013. The brothers had challenged the 18 year old victim Kevin Orlellana when he was playing handball as a possible member of a rival gang. The altercation that followed ended with Orellana being stabbed and the two brothers fleeing in a […]
Arash Hashemi
April 28, 2015
The trial of David Acuna, who is charged with the murder of a resident of Natomas, California, will begin April 29, 2015, in Sacramento. This murder took place in 2013 and the accused also faces arson charges as part of the indictment. The prosecutors are charged with proving Mr. Acuna stabbed Mr. Patrick Kendrick a […]
Arash Hashemi
April 8, 2015
Robert Durst, the real estate heir and man suspected in his wife’s murder many years ago, is back in Los Angeles news after being arrested in Louisiana. He was arrested because a friend of his, Susan Berman, was found dead soon after Los Angeles police allegedly wanted to speak with her about Durst and any […]
Arash Hashemi
February 2, 2015
A North Carolina man who has spent nearly the last forty years behind bars has been cleared of charges after an investigation conducted by the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission. Joseph Sledge had escaped from prison just one day prior to the murders and was picked up, charged and ultimately convicted of the crime. Sledge […]
Arash Hashemi
January 30, 2015
Former music mogul Suge Knight is suspected of running over two men after an argument in Compton. The confrontation between Suge Knight and two unidentified men took place at 3:00 p.m. on January 29, 2015, on the set of “Straight Outta Compton,” a biopic about the group N.W.A. Witnesses says that about 20 minutes after the alleged […]
Arash Hashemi
September 8, 2014
While driving, if you look at the car next to you chances are you will see the driver on his/her phone. Some are talking without a headphone. Others might be texting, Tweeting, or updating their Facebook statues. It seems the threat of getting a traffic ticket does not deter these drivers. All those public service […]
Arash Hashemi
August 1, 2014
There are several different violent crimes a person can be charged with in the United States of America. One such example is Murder; which is defined as the intentional and unlawful killing of another human being. However, there are different degrees of murder a person can be charged with. Professional athlete Aaron Hernandez (formally of […]
Arash Hashemi
August 1, 2014
A woman accused of murdering her two children has requested the death penalty. In September 2013, police in Orange County arrested 42-year-old Marilyn Edge of Scottsdale, Arizona in connection with the murder of her two children, aged 9 and 13. Prosecutors allege that Ms. Edge poisoned her children after she lost a custody battle with […]
