Earbuds are awesome. They provide you with a way to tune out all the noise connected to the world and lose yourself in music, white noise, audiobooks, and podcasts. The earbuds fit snugly into your ear so that you don’t have to worry about anyone being disturbed by what you’re listening to.

What you might not know is that California does have some earbud laws that could impact you.

Cars and Earbuds

The first is you aren’t allowed to drive with earbuds in your ears. Not even if you’re using them to use your cell phone. The reason driving with earbuds in both of your ears is strictly prohibited in California is because lawmakers believe that the noise-canceling features of earbuds make it difficult to identify and react to outside stimuli that could prevent you from getting into an accident. It’s also possible that having the sound pumped directly into your ears, rather than coming from your radio speakers serves as a distraction.

There is some wiggle room. The law reads that you can’t restrict both ears, but doesn’t say anything about having an earbud in a single ear. 

It’s worth noting that even if you don’t have anything pumping through the earbuds, you still can’t drive with two earbuds.

If you are caught driving while wearing earbuds, the experience will cost you. The traffic violation will cost $160 plus court costs, plus any other violations the traffic officer is able to cite you with.

California Bikes and Earbuds

Don’t assume that just because you’re on a bike, you can get away with wearing earbuds. The same law that applies to drivers also applies to bikers. You can have an earbud in one ear, but not in both. If you’re caught with both ears covered, you will be ticketed.

Car theft is a serious problem in California. Data collected by the California Highway Patrol revealed that in 2019, 151,244 California vehicles were stolen. That means that someone had a vehicle stolen in California every 3.5 minutes. The accumulated value of these vehicles was about $1.2 billion. 

What is really alarming is that those figures indicate a shocking 8.2 percent increase in auto thefts from the year before. 

Things got even worse in 2020 when 180,939 vehicles were reported stolen. The accumulated value of the stolen vehicles was $1.6 billion. This represents a 19.6% car theft increase from 2019.

Law enforcement would like to turn that trend around.

The issue of car theft in California is addressed in Penal Code 487(d)(1) which is where the topic is formally referred to as grand theft auto. When you read through the law, you’ll find that taking any vehicle without the owner’s permission when that vehicle has a value that exceeds $950, is considered grand theft auto. If you’re caught, the prosecutor will decide if they want to pursue misdemeanor or felony charges.

The consequences of a car theft conviction in California are severe. 

If felony charges are pursued, you face a sentence that includes:

 
In many cases, grand theft auto in California is combined with other crimes, such as burglary, assault, reckless endangerment, and traffic violations.

If you are borrowing someone’s vehicle, it’s in your best interest to make sure they write down that they gave you permission to drive it or at the very least, have a few people witness them saying that you were welcome to use the vehicle. Treating the loan of a vehicle as a business deal reduces the chances of a communication breakdown resulting in car theft charges. When borrowing a vehicle, it’s always best to be extremely cautious and to make sure everybody connected to the car understands the situation.

Everyone is familiar with distracted driving tickets, but few of us have ever heard of distracted walking laws. If you’re wondering if that’s even a real thing you’re not alone.

Rest assured, not only is distracted walking a viable concern, but one California city, Montclair, has already passed a distracted walking law. In April 2018, the city’s distracted walking law officially went into effect. Once that happened, anyone caught using their cell phone while walking across the street was subjected to a $100.

It seems like a silly rule, but if you take a few minutes watching people walking on the sidewalk and you can see why distracted walking is a concern. These days, people are completely glued to their phones and often unaware of what is happening around them. Some don’t even look up when they start crossing the street. This type of behavior has prompted more cities to explore the concept of distracted walking laws.

A team of researchers at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark revealed that the number of medical emergencies that included head and neck injuries has substantially increased in the past 20 years. 

Legally, drivers are supposed to be aware of pedestrians and do everything in their power to avoid hitting them with their vehicle. The problem that arises is how are drivers supposed to predict when a pedestrian who is texting will suddenly step into the path of oncoming traffic. What makes the issue even more challenging is that many of these pedestrians don’t even realize that they are now in the middle of the road and don’t behave rationally.

Do you think more cities should have distracted walking laws? If distracted laws became common and patrol cops started issuing tickets and fines, would you be more inclined to leave your phone in your pocket, or would you continue to talk and text?

In the past, no one worried when a neighbor decided to install a home security system. The creation and easy availability of small security cameras has changed everyone’s attitude towards home security. One of the issues many people, especially those who live in subdivisions and other areas where houses are close together, is if my neighbor can legally point a security camera at my property.

Why People Are Worried About Security Cameras

If you’re worried that your neighbor has pointed their security camera at your home, you’re not alone. This issue has been cropping up more and more. The fact that so many procedural shows use “private security camera footage” to crack cases hasn’t helped anyone feel better about the type of footage their neighbors might be filming.

When you’re on your own property, you should have the right to simply kick back and be yourself without worrying that your entire neighborhood is recording your every move. Right?

The answer isn’t as simple as you would expect.

The Law isn’t Clear Cut

Increased concern about home security systems and privacy has caused many states to look into the issue and explore various options that allow security cameras to be used while not violating everyone’s privacy. In California, the law isn’t clear-cut.

One California law enforcement officer described the issue this way. “There are no laws or, or restrictions, for a private person to have video surveillance cameras around their property for security. However, there are laws, and constitutional rights, regarding privacy.”

That means that current California law allows your neighbor to install security cameras in and around their home. They are allowed to set up the cameras in a way that not only allows them to capture footage on their actual property, but also the surrounding areas. What they aren’t allowed to do is put the cameras in a position where they capture footage in a space where you have the right to privacy.

This means that your neighbor can film what is happening on the street in front of your home, but they can’t film through your house’s windows. 

The issue gets murky when it comes to your neighbor’s camera and your front yard. The yard is clearly visible from the street, which means that your expectations of privacy are very low, on the other hand, there’s no good reason for your neighbor to have a camera angled in such a way that it’s only filming your yard. The odds are good that a judge might say filming the entire yard was a violation of privacy, but that only catching a corner of it, while your neighbor was covering their property was permissible.

How much do you worry about your neighbor’s security cameras?

Wildfires are terrifying. Not only do they happen unexpectedly but they leave a path of total destruction in their wake. If there is a wildfire in your area, you should start preparing for evacuation as soon as you hear the news. Getting started early means you’ll be ready to go if the police do issue a formal evacuation notice.

Fill Up Your Gas Tank

When there is a wildfire in the vicinity, the last thing most people want to think about is gasoline, but taking a trip to the nearest gas station should be your first priority. Fill up your car’s gas tank so that it’s ready to go if there’s an ordered evacuation. The full gas tank allows you to quickly put a safe amount of space between you and the wildfire. 

Secure Your Pets

If you have pets, you should plan on bringing them with you. The problem is that the smell of smoke and your anxiety changes their behavior. This makes it difficult to catch them. Rather than run the risk of them getting lose or you being unable to load them into the car, catch them as soon as possible and make sure 

Pack Your Vehicle

The next thing you need to do is pack your vehicle. The idea is to have everything ready to go so that as soon as the police issue an evacuation order, you can jump in your vehicle and hit the road. Items you should pack include water, some quick snacks, money, important papers, pet supplies, and enough clothing to get you through a few days.

Fireproof Your Home

Once you’ve prepared for a possible wildfire evacuation, you can go around your home and prepare it for a wildfire. While there isn’t a lot you can do to save your home if the wildfire reaches your property, you can do things that lower the risk. Simple things that can be done include moving anything flammable, such as gas cans, bags of leaves, and paint can at least 30 feet from your home’s foundation. Clear dead leaves from your gutters. Make sure there isn’t anything in your yard that could make it difficult for firefighters to reach your home. 

Good luck and stay safe!

If you’ve never been arrested before, how to go about posting bail is a bit of a mystery. Happily, it’s one we can help you solve!

The good news is that if this is the first time you’ve been arrested, you may not have to worry about needing bail money. In many cases when the crime is considered minor and the individual doesn’t have an arrest record, you’ll be released “on your own recognizance.” This means that once the booking officer has finished dealing with your paperwork, you’re free to go home.

If the crime isn’t considered minor or if you have a history of arrests, things change. For many minor crimes, the booking officer will look at the charges and already know how much bail money you require. In more serious situations, you’ll have to attend something called a bail hearing and a judge will determine how much money you’ll have to pay in bail before you’re released from jail.

If you’re lucky, you have enough money in your bank account that you can arrange to cover your own bail or you’ll know someone who is willing to loan the money to you. The problem is that few people have access to enough money, or they find themselves in a position of paying bail but not being able to stay on top of their other bills.

The good news is that not all hope is lost. Cal Bail Bonds in Los Angeles is here and we’re ready and willing to help.

The process of using our help to post a bail bond in California is relatively easy. It starts with a free consultation. You’re free to either call or use our online chat feature. During the consultation we try to learn a little bit about you and your case, we answer all of your questions, and if you’re interested in using our service will even get you started on the contract.

Once you’ve decided to let us help you out with bail, we’ll have you sign a bail bonds contract. This contract is a formal agreement between yourself and Cal Bail Bonds in Los Angeles. The information outlined in the contract includes how much the total bail was. The amount of your 10% fee. If any payment plan was arranged to help you cover the 10% fee or if you sign anything over to us as collateral.

There are some situations where we require a co-signer before we’ll post your California bail bond. The co-signer can be a family member, friend, or even employer. If we require a co-signer, we won’t post bail until they’ve signed the bail bonds contract.

Most people don’t contact us until they know how much bail they require, but it is actually okay to get in touch with us as soon as you’ve been arrested. That way, we can attend your bail hearing and have both the bail bonds check and the paperwork right there and file it as soon as the judge sets bail.

Want to know more about how to post a bail bond in California? Simply call 877-793-2254 or click the Chat With Us Now. We’re available 24/7 and ready and willing to answer all of your questions.

If you hate telemarketers, you’re not alone. Legal Beagle reported that in 2017, Bank my Cell conducted a survey that revealed that out of 1,200 people, 75% of them actively avoided calls that they knew were from telemarketers. 85% of the people who responded to the survey reported that even the thought of dealing with telemarketers triggered anxiety-related issues.

The reason most of us loathe dealing with telemarketers is that the calls are time-consuming and the person on the other end of the line keeps pushing even though we’ve told them no several times. Most of us also hate feeling guilty when we have no option but to hang up on the irritating telemarketer.

It turns out, there’s another reason to avoid telemarketers. That reason is telemarketing fraud.

Cornell Law School defines telemarketing fraud as: “Phone and telemarketing fraud refers to any type of scheme in which a criminal communicates with the potential victim via the telephone. Because many reputable companies use telemarketing to conduct business, criminals can often effectively use the method as a way to obtain a victim’s credit card information or identity and then use this information to make unauthorized purchases elsewhere. Victims have difficulty distinguishing between reputable telemarketers and scam artists. Frequent victims of telemarketing scams include the poor, the elderly, and immigrants without strong English skills.”
 
Examples of common telemarketing fraud include:

 
Telemarketing fraud is illegal in California. Cases involving telemarketing fraud are covered by California’s general larceny statutes which are defined in California Penal Code Sections 484-490.
 
In California, if the amount of money/good gained through a telemarketing fraud case is less than $900, it’s considered a petty theft case. Sentencing can include six months in jail and a large fine. 
 
If the telemarketing fraud case involves damages greater than $900, the accused will face felony charges. If convicted, they could be sentenced to a full year in prison, charged up to $10,000 in fines, and ordered to pay restitution to the victims.
 
One of the biggest challenges connected to telemarketing fraud is that many of the cases happen in different states or even different countries, which makes pursuing legal action difficult.
 
The best way to avoid becoming a victim of telemarketing fraud is not agreeing to any offers or providing any financial information until you’ve had a chance to thoroughly research the offer/business.

The Fourth of July is right around the corner which means people are going to set off fireworks. Even if you have no intention of being around fireworks, you need to take steps to protect your pets from them. Don’t assume that just because your neighbors have never set off fireworks in the past that you don’t have to worry about them. 

The first thing you need to do to prepare your pet for the possibility of Fourth of July fireworks is to plan on the loud noises scaring your pet. Most pets hate fireworks. Consider getting a tight coat for your pet to wear which will help ease their anxiety. If you know that your pet is already sound sensitive and it suffers from anxiety, you should talk to your veterinarian about getting some calming medications.

As the evening grows long, don’t let your pet out of your house. The Fourth of July is one of those dates when you should complete your evening walk early in the evening. You want your pets to be tucked inside your home before the light show begins. If your pet has to go outside during, or even after the firework display, take them out on a leash. Animal shelters throughout California and the rest of the United States report that they get more reports of lost pets in the days following The Fourth. Almost all of these pets involve an animal who never runs off so their owner got too casual.

It wouldn’t hurt to take a current photo or two of your pet in the days leading up to the Fourth of July. Having a current photo that you can show local animal shelters, vet clinics, and post on lost pet social media sites drastically increases the odds of someone identifying your pet and returning them to you.

If you haven’t already gotten your pet microchipped, now is an excellent time to do so. The microchip makes it possible for animal shelters to quickly reunite you and your lost pet.

If possible, stay home so that you can comfort your pet. Even if they appear to be ignoring you, your presence really will make them feel better and it will also help them recover more quickly.

If you leave the house during the fireworks display, be careful while going through the doors. Expect your pet to want to bolt through the door with you. 

When it comes to fireworks and pets, it’s in everyone’s best interest to prepare for the worst.

Drug cultivation in California is addressed in Health and Safety Code 11379.6HS. The code clearly states that, “every person who manufactures, compounds, converts, produces, derives, processes, or prepares, either directly or indirectly by chemical extraction or independently by means of chemical synthesis, any controlled substance specified in Section 11054, 11055, 11056, 11057, or 11058 shall be punished.”

Getting caught manufacturing, growing, or otherwise producing prohibited drugs in the state could result in a sentence that includes 3-7 years in a state prison and a fine as large as $50,000. 

In many cases, manufacturing a controlled substance represents only one of the things you’ll be charged with. There are usually several charges filed at once. Additional charges generally include:

 
If the police suspect you of manufacturing or dealing with a controlled substance in California, the last thing you want to do is make the situation worse. It’s in your best interest to cooperate with the police as much as you can, which includes not doing something like trying to resist arrest. The challenge is cooperating with the police but also not saying anything that could potentially incriminate you, which is why you should contact an experienced criminal defense attorney who has a strong background in cases that involve the manufacturing of controlled substances in California.

Drug cultivation laws involving marijuana can still be a bit confusing to some people. Many mistakenly believed that since marijuana is now a legal recreational drug in California, that there are no drug cultivation laws involving marijuana in California. That’s not the case. At this point, the average person can only legally care for a maximum of six marijuana plants at a time. Only individuals who are over 21 can use it, and you can only legally carry 28.5 grams. Some cities have ordinances that prohibit cultivating marijuana outdoors, though you’re still legally able to do so in the comfort of your own home.

No one wants to spend their summer in jail.

Considering how long it takes cases to make their way through the California court system, if you’re arrested in June, it’s highly unlikely that your case will be resolved before summer ends. That means that if you get arrested this summer, there are really only two ways you can avoid spending the rest of the summer months in jail.

The first way to avoid spending your entire summer in jail is pleading guilty to the charges and hoping the sentencing doesn’t involve jail time. This isn’t the perfect solution. First, you’re denying yourself the opportunity to possibly plead down both the charges and the sentencing. Second, you aren’t giving yourself enough time to explore all of your options and make the best possible decision. Third, a conviction will go on your permanent record, something you don’t want if you’re innocent of the charges.

The second way you can avoid spending the entire summer in jail is by contacting Cal Bail Bonds in Los Angeles and discussing bail options. In most cases, this is the perfect solution. Being released on a bail bond means you’re free to hang with your family, earn a living, and to easily plan your defense.

Working with Cal Bail Bonds in Los Angeles is incredibly easy. We only charge a ten percent fee, so you don’t have to worry that bail will bankrupt you. In some situations, we’re even willing to offer a 20% discount to some clients. The best way to learn if you qualify for this 20% discount is by taking advantage of our completely free online and phone consultations. During this consultation, you’ll not only learn if you qualify for the discount, but you’ll speak to a highly experienced bail bonds expert who will explain how bail works, explore various payment options with you, and help you understand exactly how Cal Bail Bonds in Los Angeles will save you from having to spend the entire summer in jail.

Additional perks connected to contacting Cal Bail Bonds in Los Angeles include:

Learning more about Cal Bail Bonds in Los Angeles and how we can prevent you from a summer in jail is easy. All you have to do is call 877-793-2254 or click Chat With Us.