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Recent Blog Posts
CHP: Man had meth in stolen SUV during Highway 17 chase
An alleged car chase that began on Highway 17 has lead to a string of allegations, including theft, drug charges and driving under the influence of drugs. An officer with the California Highway Patrol says that a Toyota 4Runner was traveling north on Highway 17. The officer thought the vehicle had an issue with its equipment and decided to make a traffic stop around 1:55 a.m.
However, the CHP says that the driver of the Toyota left Highway 17, taking the El Rancho Drive exit. Law enforcement says the Toyota sped into Santa Cruz, with the CHP in chase.
Authorities claim that a man jumped from the Toyota while the SUV was still moving on Franklin Avenue in Santa Cruz. The Toyota reportedly slammed in a parked car, while the man accused of fleeing police tried to get away of foot. However, the CHP says that the man was injured after jumping from the SUV.
The 42-year-old man who is accused of leading the CHP on the chase was taken to a hospital in San Jose for treatment.
California medical marijuana issues continue to get more complex
Issues over medical marijuana in California continue to make headlines. Reports over the conflict between California's state law governing medical marijuana and federal laws making pot unlawful per se are frequently in the news. Despite the number of years that California has recognized medpot, interpretation of the law remains a matter of dispute that Santa Cruz criminal defense lawyers continue to champion in court.
But what about more localized rules that tend to modify California marijuana laws? Take, for instance, the recent decision of the Sacramento City Council. The panel debated for roughly two hours Tuesday whether or not to allow outdoor cultivation of medical marijuana within Sacramento's city limits.
At the conclusion of the debate, the council reportedly voted 8-1 to have an ordinance drafted to prohibit outdoor grows, apparently regardless of whether or not the cultivation operation complies with California medical marijuana laws.
Woman accused of drunk driving in death of 'Bad News Bears' actress
The California Highway Patrol says that the former actress was riding as a passenger in an Audi that ran into the rear-end of a tractor trailer on the freeway around 1:30 Tuesday morning. The passenger, Sammi Kane Kraft, was pronounced dead at the hospital after the wreck.
The California Highway Patrol believes that the woman driving the Audi was speeding when her Audi crashed into the big rig. Authorities believe that the truck driver, who sustained minor injuries, was traveling at the posted speed limit when the accident occurred.
The young woman accused of being behind the wheel of the Audi was taken to California Hospital Medical Center with moderate injuries. After receiving treatment, law enforcement began the booking process-authorities accuse the woman of felony drunk driving for her alleged role in the car accident.
A third vehicle was also involved in the crash. A Scion struck the Audi after the initial impact, but the driver of that vehicle reportedly was not injured.
Two arrested after police chase following alleged fight in San Mateo
Police claim that someone called in to report a disturbance Sunday afternoon. Law enforcement claims that the initial caller reported that someone had a gun at the alleged fight. However, a detective with the Sheriff's office says that the gun allegations later turned out to be unfounded.
The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office sent several to investigate what authorities are characterizing as a "gang fight." It is not clear in the media what significance law enforcement attaches to the reference to a gang.
Authorities say that as deputies arrived at the scene, several people were at the location. Two people reportedly got into a car and left when law enforcement began to arrive. Deputies apparently decided to pursue the car, which law enforcement claims crashed into a parked car near Salal Road in San Mateo.
The Sheriff's office says that the two men were taken into custody. Deputies say that they believe the driver was under the influence and the California Highway Patrol was called in to gather evidence.
Cellophane wrapped truck prank under review for California charges
Can a common kitchen product used as a prank lead to criminal charges? Prosecutors in Southern California reportedly are reviewing police reports over a prank for potential charges, which officers investigated Thursday afternoon.
In what appears to be a simple workplace prank, authorities are now considering whether or not to bring criminal charges against a California worker. Police in Anaheim, California say that someone called law enforcement to report a vehicle wrapped in plastic. Officers raced to the parking lot outside the Anaheim Memorial Medical Center and used bomb-sniffing dogs to check out the Chevrolet pickup truck for possible explosives.
Police say that the truck had been wrapped in plastic and was adorned with notes that read "Plastic are hazardous," "Truck armed with plastics," and a note saying to keep away. Law enforcement locked down the area surrounding the truck and closed down nearby traffic for roughly two-and-a-half hours after responding to the scene.
Morgan Hill mother accused of leaving daughter after attempted theft
Police claim that a 38-Year-old Morgan Hill woman went shopping with her 10-year-old daughter at a grocery store last week, and then fled from the store when staff confronted the young girl. Police claim that the mother and daughter had nearly filled a grocery car and planned to leave the store without paying. Law enforcement accuses the woman of directing her daughter to wait near the front door with the groceries while the mother retrieved her car in the alleged shoplifting event.
However, when staff from the store walked out to confront the girl, the mother is accused of leaving her daughter behind. Police claim that the mother and daughter were previously successful in a similar theft crime roughly two weeks earlier.
After the most recent allegations, authorities say that they were able to contact the woman on the telephone and learned the woman was traveling with her 11-month-old son. Law enforcement issued an alert for an endangered and missing child. A deputy in Nevada reportedly found a car matching the description of the woman's SUV outside a hotel in Fernley, Nevada.
Santa Clara school principal arraigned on drug charges
An anonymous tipster reportedly told an officer with the Mountain View Police that a Santa Clara elementary school principal was selling methamphetamine in San Jose and San Francisco. Law enforcement opened a probe into the educator.
An officer posed undercover on an online dating service last week and claims that the undercover cop and the school official arranged some sort of drug deal online, although the media reports that the conversation involved pretextual language to set up the alleged drug deal.
Police arrested the man in San Francisco Thursday at a location that police claim that the undercover officer set up on the online dating site to meet the school official. Authorities reportedly had also obtained a search warrant for the principal's home and car.
Law enforcement claims that they found several hidden cameras in the principal's home, which apparently alarmed police. Authorities seized some computer equipment from the man's home, and also took possession of a computer at the man's office at the school.
CHP: Motorcyclist with drugs flees on Santa Cruz Highway before DUI crash
Law enforcement says that the driver of a motorcycle refused to stop Monday. The California Highway Patrol says that an officer sought to conduct a traffic stop on allegations of speeding and equipment violations along Highway 17 around 8:00 Monday morning. Later, the CHP says that a Santa Barbara man driving the bike crashed. He now faces charges of drugged driving, evading and several drug-related charges.
Authorities assert that the motorcycle rider sped off from the attempted traffic stop heading south on the Santa Cruz Highway, eventually taking the exit for Mount Herman Road. Shortly after leaving the highway, the CHP says the motorcyclist lost control of the bike and crashed. Officers approached and say the 45-year-old became combative. Law enforcement pulled out a Taser-like device and reportedly subdued the motorcyclist while taking him into custody.
The CHP says that they believe the biker was driving under the influence of drugs at the time of the police pursuit. Officers say that the motorcyclist had a large amount of marijuana and methamphetamine in his possession. It is unclear in the media what amounts of each substance officials claim were seized. It is also unclear where the drugs were allegedly found.
Judge dismisses Contra County DUI charge against assemblyman
Charges of driving under the influence against a California state assemblyman have been dismissed by the judge in Contra County. The state lawmaker was accused of driving drunk after leaving a Bar Area bar around 2:00 in the morning in the Bay Area.
The state assemblyman, from Covina, California took his DUI charges before a jury. The relatively lengthy DUI jury trial resulted in a not guilty verdict against the lawmaker on a charge of driving under the influence. However, the jury deadlocked 6 to 6 on a count charging the assemblyman with driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or greater.
Prosecutors apparently decided to pursue the charge based upon the DUI test result. Authorities say that the assemblyman tested 0.08 percent BAC, a measurement that is right at the California legal limit. The assemblyman reportedly said that he had consumed a glass of wine around 9:00 during the evening the night before his arrest. He reportedly said that he had a second glass of wine just before the bar closed.
Chris Brown California probation review hearing delayed one week
Chris Brown was scheduled to appear in a California court for a probation review. The singer was convicted of felony assault in 2009. Prosecutors had accused the musician of a domestic assault involving Rihanna, which continues to receive a great deal of public attention due to the celebrity status of the two singers.
Brown received probation for five years on the felony assault conviction. More than a year ago, Brown appeared for a probation review hearing and the judge modified a restraining order that had been in place in the case. The judge changed the five-year protective order from prohibiting him from being within 50 yards of Rihanna to allowing some contact, so long as Brown does not annoy or harass Rihanna. Brown's criminal defense attorney had asked the court to loosen the restrictions on the protective order.
But the protective order does not appear to be an issue that prosecutors are now seeking to have reviewed under Brown's terms of probation. Brown has reportedly received praise from the judge in previous court appearances for his progress in completing the terms of his probation, although a judge denied a defense request in February 2011 to change Brown's probation from supervised to unsupervised.
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