JAMES M. CRAWFORD
Criminal Defense & Appeals Attorney
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My Latest Blog Posts
Recent blog posts appear below. You can also read about my FEATURED VERDICTS or see MEDIA COVERAGE of my cases too.
Fighting Bias in California Courts: What You Should Know
The California Racial Justice Act aims to eliminate racial bias in criminal cases. Learn how it could apply to your situation.
HBO Series Exposes Infamous Mortuary Scandal
“The Mortician,” a new HBO docuseries, revisits one of California’s most disturbing funeral home scandals. Here’s why it still matters.
Court Backs California Ban on High-Capacity Magazines
A federal court has upheld California’s ban on large-capacity ammunition magazines. Find out how this ruling might impact gun laws and your rights.
California Increases Penalties for Soliciting Minors Online
California has amended its laws to impose stricter penalties for adults soliciting sex from minors aged 16 and 17, with specific exceptions. Learn how this change might affect you.
California cracks down on organized retail theft
New California laws target organized retail theft by introducing stricter penalties and holding online marketplaces accountable. Here’s what you need to know.
Law Change: Proposition 36 Brings Major Sentencing Overhaul to California
California voters have approved Proposition 36, introducing stricter penalties for repeat theft and drug offenses. Learn how this significant change might affect you or your loved ones.
Ajay Dev Exoneration Highlights Dangers of Wrongful Conviction
After serving 16 years of a 378-year sentence, Ajay Dev’s conviction was overturned due to compelling evidence suggesting his accuser fabricated the charges. This case underscores the importance of thorough legal representation.
Law Change: SB 483 invalidates certain enhancements and priors
SB 483 is a bill that provides retroactive relief and is time-sensitive. It declares that certain enhancements and priors imposed before recent changes in the law to be legally invalid. This means that individuals who have been sentenced with these enhancements in the past can now have their sentences reevaluated and potentially reduced.
Law Change: Updates to California’s determinate sentencing laws
Recent changes to California’s Determinate Sentencing Law include requiring judges to acknowledge various types of trauma when selecting a sentence, creating new affirmative defenses for victims of human trafficking, intimate partner violence, and sexual abuse, and creating a post-conviction procedure for resentencing based on trauma.
Law Change: AB 1228 and violations of supervision
AB 1228 changes the rules for releasing people who are being supervised by the criminal justice system (probation, MS, PRCS, parole) and have been arrested for suspected violations of their supervision. The new law requires the court to release these individuals on their own recognizance (O.R.) pending a revocation hearing, unless the court finds clear and convincing evidence that conditions of release are necessary to protect the public or ensure the person’s appearance in court.