Many people know what vandalism is. We hear about it, and see it, all of the time. Vandalism is taken very seriously in California. Getting caught vandalizing someone’s property can land a person in jail with hefty fines. While many people think they know what constitutes as vandalism, there are a few acts which fall into that category that people are unaware of.

Vandalism is the classified as the act of maliciously destroying or damaging someone else’s property.

Here is a quick list of acts that qualify as vandalism in the state of California:

• Writing or painting on something that does not belong to you. This can even include writing your name in the wet cement of a city sidewalk.
• Damaging a piece of property such as a window on a house or car. This can include breaking something of your significant other’s while fighting.
• Destroying something beyond the point of repair.

If a person does one of these 3 things, he or she has committed an act of vandalism. If caught by law enforcement, this person can face a fine and possible jail time. The severity of the punishment often depends on how much damage was caused by the act. If the damage amounts to less than $400, than the crime is considered a misdemeanor. The accused person could face, at max, 1 year in jail and a fine of no more than $1,000.

If the damage total is greater than $400, the accused could face anywhere from 1 to 3 years in prison. On top of that, they could face a fine of $10,000, or more. The size of the fine will vary based on how bad the damage is.

Public defenders and hired lawyers serve the same purpose: to defend and fight for their client in court. Their goal is to persuade the jury and the judge that their client is innocent of the charges against them. Although they serve the same purpose, both have pros and cons when defending a client.

• Public Defender

  If a person cannot afford to hire a private attorney, the court will appoint a public defender to them. Therefore, the client does not have to pay for their public defender. The client cannot pick from a selection of public defenders; one is assigned to them. Public defenders are versed in a variety of cases and will be able to take on your case just fine.

However, public defenders do not make as much money as private attorneys, and they often have multiple cases to work on at the same time. Due to this, a public defender may have less time to meet with each client and go through materials. They must split their time across however many cases they have at once.

• Private Attorney

  For many people, the main problem with hiring a private lawyer rather than a public defender is the cost. Private lawyers can be expensive, and they can be more expensive for serious or prolonged cases than short ones. Nonetheless, the services of a private lawyer are more beneficial than a public defender since the private lawyer will have more time to dedicate to their client. They will have more resources such as extra help from associates, and will likely be able to build a stronger case.

Additionally, lawyers may specialize in certain criminal cases, such as domestic abuse. This means that someone who is in the middle of a domestic abuse case can hire a lawyer who specializes in this, rather than a lawyer who specializes in an unrelated criminal matter. Since clients pay for a private lawyer they selected, the private lawyer is more inclined to perform at their best because their practice and reputation relies on satisfied clients.

If a family can afford a private lawyer, that is the best way to go. If not, hope is not lost. A public defender is ready and willing to take on the case and they will do as much as they can to help the family win.

If you are trying to get hired, you will dress neatly and offer respectable, mature mannerisms. How you present yourself is equally as important as how technically skilled you are for the position. Similarly, how you present yourself to the jury and the judge in court is very important. After all, these are the people who will be deciding your case. It is not just the evidence and arguments that your lawyer makes on the case. Your appearance is important too.

• Dress

  Unless you are obligated to appear in an orange jumpsuit because you are being brought in directly from jail, you will want to dress neatly and professionally. Men should wear a collared, buttoned shirt tucked into their long pants. They should have a belt on, and a tie is a plus. Men should wear socks with their shoes, and they may or may not have a jacket on. Women may wear a skirt that should not be more than 2 inches above the knee. Their sleeved blouse should be tucked in, and they should have on flats, or low-heel shoes. Women may also choose to wear long pants with her blouse tucked in. She should wear a sweater, but she can take it off if she gets warm. Across the board, clothing should be clean and free of distracting items like embellishments, wording, rips, and stains.

• Conduct

  Any defendant must closely follow certain courtroom etiquette, and they will be advised by their lawyer ahead of time. They should only speak when they are asked to, and they must speak clearly. Remaining calm and polite is important, because growing irritated, angry, and argumentative is not going to help their case. They should sit and stand straight. The judge should be acknowledged as “Your Honor.” Looking eye-to-eye with the court shows maturity and seriousness from the defendant, which is a plus.

So much can be said about a person based on their appearance and their in-court demeanor. This is essentially the defendant’s chance to give the jury and the judge a good impression, and hopefully the evidence and facts about the case itself will back the defendant up.

Large outdoor music festivals and concerts invite attendees to bring their friends, enjoy some music, and have a whole lot of fun. Many outdoor festivals also offer food booths, carnival rides, and other attractions. They are advertised as a whole experience, where some even run for multiple days and offer overnight camping. While the festivals provide a whole lot of fun for attendees, they also cause issues that call law enforcement to break up the fun.

One of the biggest recurring problems with music festivals is the usage and possession of illegal drugs. While alcohol may be served at the event for those who are 21 and older, smuggling in and using drugs of any kind is illegal. Illegal drugs are illegal for a reason. They are harmful to the body, and people react differently to the drugs. Some can “handle” more than others, but any amount is unsafe. The more drugs a body has in the system, the more dangerous they are to themselves and others. When alcohol and drugs are mixed, the person is even more dangerous.

Remember that summertime concerts mean that attendees are burning through their energy under a scorching sun. Staying hydrated with water is imperative in order to avoid exhaustion, dehydration, and fainting. When this happens, paramedics come in, and that is also when they may discover the patient is under the influence.

If the police find someone under the influence of illegal drugs or in possession of them, they will take that person away in handcuffs. The person faces fines and some time in jail. If they are found with an excessive amount of drugs, they can face a few years in prison.

For a person to have a lot of excitement about a concert, only to have it end abruptly because of health complications or because they were caught with drugs is really unfortunate. That is money wasted, lasting memories never had, and time lost. Getting arrested is a lot of stress for a person and it may make them think again before taking drugs at a festival. Hopefully they realize they do not need drugs.

Music festivals are no strangers to some drug abuse and arrests, but it needs to stop before it gets out of control and ruins the fun for everyone.

Have you ever wondered how you would get out of jail if you were ever arrested? No, we do not mean break out, but bail out. Would you ask a friend or family member to bail you out, or would you do it yourself? You could use your phone call to talk to a professional bail bond company, which would then help you get out of jail. However, have you considered how you would pay the bail agent?

While in jail, a person does not have access to his or her bank account, meaning they have no funds for bail other than what they had on them at the time of arrest. This can prove troublesome, since in most cases, a person cannot be released from until after he or she has paid for the bail.

When it comes to paying bail, the whole thing has to be paid at once, in cash. Unless you were walking around with thousands of dollars in your pocket at the time of your arrest, bailing yourself out by paying bail is not something you can do.

Luckily, most bail bond companies only need a small portion of the bail bond to be paid before the defendant can be released from jail. However, as before, there needs to be some amount of payment for the person to be released from jail. Luckily, some bail bond companies are willing to work with their clients on this. In some instances, if the client has a good credit score and job, the bail bond company will get him or her out of jail for no money down. This helps the client get out of jail, so he or she has access to a bank account to then pay for the bail bond within the next day or so.

As you can see, bailing out of jail can be tricky, but only if you do not have a good bail agent at your side. That is why it is important to find one of the best bail agents in California, which you can do by contacting Bail Bond Store in Los Angeles.

Bail Bond Store in Los Angeles can be reached at any time by calling 877-793-2245.

Do not give up on a friend or family member just because he or she was arrested. You will be able to see him or her again. You can either wait, or you can bail him or her out of jail. By bailing your friend or family member out of jail, you guarantee that he or she will be home for the remainder of the trial process.

Bailing someone out of jail is a lot simpler than most people realize. All you need to do is talk to a kind and caring bail agent. Some bail agents do not care about their clients, all they are concerned with is filling their pockets. You can avoid agents like that by contacting Bail Bond Store in Los Angeles.

Good bail agents will be able to walk their clients through the bail bond process. They will answer any questions that their clients have. A good bail agent will take care of his or her clients, and make sure they understand how their loved one will be getting out of jail and what is expected of the loved one while out.

On top of answering all of their client’s questions, good bail agents will always be there for their clients. Someone can get arrested at any moment, so a truly helpful bail agents are available at any time of the day, even the middle of the night.

We have the best bail agents in California working for us here at Bail Bond Store in Los Angeles. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our agents actually care about their clients and will answer all of their questions. You will get nothing but the best bail help available in California.

With help from a bail agent, your loved one can come home for the remainder of the trial period. This way, you will be able to have quality time with your friend or family member and help him or her get through this difficult time.

All you have to do is click Chat With Us or call 877-793-2245, and Bail Bond Store in Los Angeles will help you bring your loved one home.

Plan as we might, we never truly know where we are going to be a few days from now. You could be planning a nice summer trip, and if everything goes right, you will end up exactly where you wanted to be. However, something could go terribly wrong, and suddenly your trip is canceled. That is exactly what happened for some people.

No one woke up intending to get arrested, but that is what happened. Now, they are sitting in jail while they await their trial process. Their summer plans may have been changed, but it does not have to be as bad as they might think. They can bail out of jail, and even though they probably will not be permitted to travel, they can at least enjoy their summer at home.

If you have a friend or family member whose summer plans were interrupted and canceled by an arrest, you can offer your help. Just contact a professional bail bond company like Bail Bond Store in Los Angeles to begin the process of bailing out your friend or family member.

Bail Bond Store in Los Angeles makes bailing someone out of jail quick and easy. Our knowledgeable bail agents will any questions that you might have and will do all of the hard work for you. On top of that, we can have someone out of jail in as little as 2 hours in some counties.

By bailing out your loved one, you will be allowing him or her to enjoy the summer. Your friend or family member will be better able to prepare for his or her trial, and continue to have a normal life.

In California, driving under the influence is not the only illegal alcohol and vehicle act, but it is the most known. It carries the most serious penalties. It is also very much worth knowing other alcohol and driving related laws, especially the “open container” laws for California.

For drivers who are 21 years or older, it is legal to drive a vehicle with an unopened container of alcohol in the car, even if it is in the front seat. An unopened container must be absolutely sealed, never opened. So, a sealed bottle of wine never uncorked, a sealed bottle of liquor with the cap never twisted off, and an unopened can of beer, are legal to have in the front seat of the car. Any alcoholic beverages that have been opened must be placed in the trunk of the car.

If a driver is caught with a bottle of liquor that has been opened but is currently closed at the time they are pulled over, and they prove they have not been drinking, they are still breaking the law.

That opened bottle must be in the trunk. However, the police may let the driver go with a warning, rather than a ticket. It is their call. The best chance for a driver being let off with a warning is for him or her to remain polite and respectful, prove they are indeed sober, and promise not to let it happen again. If the driver is cited, he or she is given an infraction and will have to pay a fine of $250.

For drivers who are younger than 21, consequences are harsher. After all, the legal drinking age is 21. Underage individuals face misdemeanor criminal charges that include a $1,000 fine and up to 6 months in jail.

The easiest way to make sure you are transporting alcohol legally in your vehicle, is to simply put it in your trunk, even if the alcohol container is sealed. If your trunk is cluttered with clothes and bags, put that extra clutter in your backseat.

A police officer is less likely to pull you over if they see a bunch of clothes in the backseat of your vehicle rather than bottles of alcohol.

No one wants to get stranded on the side of the road because their car broke down. This is especially true when things start to warm up in summer. Being stranded during the heat of summer can be truly miserable. That is why it is important to take care of your vehicle, and make sure that it is in prime condition.

Here are some things that you should check on your vehicle to ensure it gets you where you need to go.

• Check coolant levels in your radiator. Your radiator is what keeps your engine from overheating while it is running. However, it cannot do this if there is not enough coolant in it. Be sure you have enough coolant in the system, and that there are no leaks or other types of damage to the cooling system.

• Examine your tires. Your tires face a lot of wear and tear on a daily basis. This can get worse in the summer as roads heat up. Make sure your vehicles tires are still in good condition, or look into getting them replaced. Also be sure to check their air pressure. Every vehicle is designed to have tires with a certain size and air pressure. If your tires are over or under inflated, it can affect your gas mileage.

• Check the oil. Your vehicle has oil in both the engine and transmission. This oil helps them keep cool and run smoothly. If there is no oil, then metal scraps against metal, and can cause costly damage. Frequently checking the oil levels in both can help keep your vehicle running for a long time.

• Examine your windshield wipers. The summer sun can be rough on your vehicles rubber wiper blades. You may not need them much in the summer, but every once in a while, a storm rolls through. Getting caught in the rain with bad wiper blades can be a real hassle, and can even be dangerous if you cannot see. Be sure that your blades have not dried out, or separated from their frame.

• Check you AC. Driving without air conditioning can be truly miserable in summer. If your AC is not blow cold air, be sure to take it to your local mechanic. You probably need more refrigerant in the system, which most mechanics can help you with.

If you do all of this, your vehicle should be able to get you where you need to go this summer. Just doing these quick little things now, can prevent you from getting stranded on the side of the road in triple degree heat.

Take care of your vehicle, and it will take care of you this summer.

You always hear that you should not believe everything you see online, and unfortunately, it still needs to be said. You can still find stories online of people who were scammed or cheated out of money.

This can happen quite often on websites such as Craigslist and Amazon were goods and services are sold and exchanged. People will advertise that they are selling one thing, but then fail to deliver on that promise. When a buyer gets their product, if they do actually get their product, they find out that what was sent did not match what was pictured.

This is why most sites have introduced review systems. This allows clients to leave a warning to any future clients. The reviews also help prospective clients determine if they want to buy anything from that seller. This is why, you should always look at the product and seller reviews before making a purchase online. Doing so can prevent you from wasting your money.

Another thing to be wary of online, is whether or not a statement or claim is true. An example of this would be when you can routinely find celebrity death hoaxes circulating different social media sites. A good way to fact check stories that you read online, is to first make sure that you are getting the information from a credible source. Next, you can check the information on Snopes.com. This is a fact checking site that looks into stories that come from less than credible sources.

The internet has a lot of information to offer, but not all of it is real. Learn to figure out what you can and cannot trust online, and you will be able to better protect yourself from all sorts of internet scams.