Los Angeles Warrants

Published on: January 6, 2014

Glendale DUI Insanity: Man Purposely Runs From Cops Just “To See What It Was Like”

For most people, the idea of getting a DUI in Glendale (or anywhere, for that matter) is less than appealing. It’s something to avoid.

And for good reason. Getting arrested and charged can wreak havoc on your life:

• Your license can be suspended.
• You may have to serve jail time.
• You may have to pay substantial fees and fines.
• The court may order you to install an interlock ignition device in your car.
• Etc.

But not everyone is scared by the prospect of getting a DUI. In fact, according to reports out of Bremerton Washington, a local man purposefully got arrested just because he wanted to see what it was like to evade police.

According to reports from KIRO TV in Washington, a 21-year-old man was driving wildly near Burwell and Naval Streets, when police saw him. The officer flipped on his lights, but the young man evaded and sped off. The officer followed him for a mile before stopping the chase because it was too dangerous. The evading driver finally pulled into an ally. Sergeant Kevin Crane said that the driver then put his hands on his head and let himself get arrested. The man told him “I just always wanted to do that. I wanted to see what it felt like.” There was no marijuana or alcohol in the car, but the Sergeant did book the young man on DUI charges as well as charges of reckless driving and evading police.

Most Glendale DUI defendants do not understand (or sympathize with) someone who purposefully breaks the law. But it can be tough to balance the desire to have fun and “live life” with the need to be safe and avoid hurting yourself or others.

Figuring out this line is surprisingly difficult.

For instance, let’s say you’re a 260 pound male. You have three drinks within a five hour period at a party. Is it safe to get behind the wheel?

Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t.

Maybe your metabolism is not great at processing alcohol: in spite of your weight, you would test above the Glendale DUI limit of 0.08%. Or maybe you could “get away with” driving after three drinks.

But here’s the thing: just because you are under the 0.08% limit doesn’t mean that you’re “good to go.” In fact, you can still be at a substantially elevated risk of hurting someone or doing something stupid behind the wheel. So don’t push your luck.

To avoid a conviction for Glendale DUI, you need to be smart and strategic, and there’s no guarantee of success even then. Consider scheduling a free consultation with Michael Kraut of the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers. Mr. Kraut is a thorough, credentialed Long Beach DUI defense attorney; he can protect your rights and build a sound defense strategy.

Published on: January 2, 2014

3 Consequences of Your Pasadena DUI That Can Be Worse Than Jail

by Michael Kraut

A Pasadena DUI arrest can land you behind bars.

No one wants to pay big fines or pay to have an encumbering interlock ignition device installed on her car. But JAIL holds a special place in the pantheon of scary punishments.

Just thinking about jail may dredge up scary scenes from TV shows like Tom Fontana’s Oz or Orange Is The New Black. But as bad as going to jail can be – it may pale in comparison with some problems that could arise if you fail to handle your DUI defense adroitly.

Here are three:

1. License suspension
How could a license suspension be worse than jail? Here’s how:

Let’s say you live in Pasadena and commute to Santa Monica for work. The license suspension can effectively render you unable to work and lead to your being fired. The long-term repercussions of unemployment could means tens of thousands of dollars to your bottom line — not to mention depression, humiliation and anxiety.

2. Loss of basic civil rights
If convicted of a felony Pasadena DUI, you will permanently lose certain key civil rights, such as the right to vote. Plus, future employers, lenders, and other important people in your life will be less than thrilled with the prospect of employing, lending to, or being in a relationship with a convicted felon.

The consequences could haunt you for a lifetime.

3. Increased likelihood of recidivism
Recidivism means getting caught for the same crime again.

The California penal system is incredibly tough on recidivists. You’ve probably heard about the notorious “three strikes law,” which hammers offenders convicted of three separate crimes with huge penalties. Statistics show that people convicted once for crimes like Long Beach DUI are much more likely to get in trouble again with the law.

The second (or third) time may not be pretty.

So what can you do?

Given the legal intricacies of your current situation, you won’t likely find answers by surfing the internet. Fortunately, the Pasadena DUI defense team at Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers can help you get a deeper understanding of your charges. Get in touch with Mr. Kraut and his team today to take back your future.

Published on: December 16, 2013

Los Angeles DUI and Drug Crime News Update: Governor Brown Vetoes Reduced Penalties for Drug Possession Offences

by Michael Kraut

A political move could have powerful implications for your Los Angeles DUI or drug crime offense.

Governor Jerry Brown recently vetoed legislation that would have reduced penalties for people arrested for possessing heroin or cocaine. The proposed legislation would have transformed those charges from felonies to misdemeanors.

The current law – and future law, thanks to the veto – requires simple possession of heroin or cocaine to be charged as a felony punishable by up to three years behind bars. SB 649, the proposed bill – would have reduced the Los Angeles criminal charge down to what’s known as a wobbler – a crime that can be prosecuted as either a felony or a misdemeanor, depending on circumstances.

Kim Horiuchi, a lawyer for ACLU, expressed her organization’s displeasure with the veto: “Gov. Brown has rejected… modest reform that would have helped end mass incarceration in this state… Brown remains inexplicably opposed to meaningful sentencing reform.”

Not every group wanted reduced penalties. The California District Attorneys Association, for instance, fought SB 649. That group released a statement saying “most would concede that drug addictions destroy lives and families, and are damaging to society… minimizing the consequences of addictive and destructive behavior does not make it less addictive or destructive.”

While Governor Brown did oppose this particular piece of legislation, he said that he remained open to supporting other changes to the state’s criminal justice system.

Many statistics suggest that this system could definitely use some reform. A Human Rights Watch report from 2009, for instance, found that African Americans in California are arrested for drug possession crimes at a rate that’s three times the rate for whites. And new research into the nature of addiction suggests that many conventional approaches may not be particularly effective.

Fortunately, you do not have to fix the system yourself. You just need to get a handle on your own Los Angeles DUI or drug crime charges. To that end, consider working with Attorney Michael Kraut of the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers. Mr. Kraut is a former prosecutor who spent at least 14 years working in the capacity of Senior Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles.

Published on: December 9, 2013

Crazy Burbank DUI Checkpoint News: Carjacker Discovered at Checkpoint

by Michael Kraut

Most Burbank DUI checkpoint arrests are rather pedestrian. A driver maybe has too much to drink at a pool hall in Burbank Town Center and gets stopped on Victory Boulevard by a patrol and tagged for Burbank DUI. Or an entertainment industry executive has a little too much to drink at Warner Bros.’ party on the lot and then get stops on Cahuenga.

But, sometimes, crazy things happen.

For instance, recently, up in Stanford, CA police at a DUI checkpoint nabbed a driver who was in the midst of committed a carjacking!

According to Sergeant Andrew Gallagher, a Green Honda stopped at a DUI checkpoint. The occupants seemed normal at first. Or was something “off”?

Turns out the driver had been carjacked — and his alleged assailant was sitting next to him, secretly pointing a weapon at his side. 22-year-old Michael Banks – the alleged carjacker – realized that he had steered the driver into a checkpoint. He told the man not to do anything, or else he would harm him. As soon as they got to the checkpoint, however, the driver (bravely) confessed to the police that he had been carjacked.

Authorities promptly yanked Banks out of car and found that he had a 5-inch-knife… along with the driver’s cell phone (which Banks had allegedly confiscated).

Police arrested the 22-year-old and charged him with a slate of crimes, including kidnapping, carrying a weapon in a motor vehicle, threatening, and first degree robbery. Banks was held in jail on a quarter million dollar bond.

DUI arrests in Burbank are common. But carjacking is a much rarer crime. According to Sergeant Gallagher, “[the checkpoint arrest] was pretty amazing … very unusual. You don’t see that very much.”

If you or someone you love was arrested for driving under the influence in Burbank (or elsewhere in the Southland) you may need methodical, smart legal guidance. Fortunately, you can trust former Los Angeles Senior Deputy District Attorney, Michael Kraut, and his seasoned team to provide a thorough and results-focused Burbank DUI defense.

Published on: December 4, 2013

Los Angeles DUI Testing Snafus: Orange County Crime Lab Discovers Yet More Errors

by Michael Kraut

You got recently arrested for DUI in Los Angeles. You’re probably under the impression that your blood, urine, or breath tests were precise.

Perhaps… but not necessarily!

Per a recent story in Los Angeles Times, an Orange County crime lab is reviewing thousands of DUI tests for inaccuracies. As many as 2,200 Southern California DUI arrests may have be tainted by inaccurate BAC testing. Nine of those cases involve people who’ve already been convicted for DUI. The OC’s Board of Supervisors — along with Sandra Hutchens, an OC sheriff — have asked state officials to scour the case standards and lab procedures used in these DUI cases. Lab director, Bruce Houlihan, hopes to reboot what called the “public confidence in the system.”

How were the Los Angeles DUI blood test issues found?

Officials discovered them during an audit. One machine was off by 0.001 percentage points. This error affected tests taken between December 2012 and May 2013. That error may not sound like a lot, but it could have adversely affected around 1,000 samples. When you do the math, of the samples taken with the faulty instrument, approximately 100 might have underestimated the BAC results. Out of those, nine cases could actually be reopened, because the retroactive re-calibration would push those tests from 0.07% BAC to the Los Angeles DUI limit of 0.08%. Another machine was off by 0.03%! That means someone who tested at 0.010% BAC may actually have been under the limit at 0.07%.

The bottom line is: This is a mess.

These errors could change sentences for hundreds of people accused for DUI throughout the Southland. As this blog has pointed out — again and again over the years — systematic errors with breath, blood, and urine tests for DUIs seem to crop up, regularly, in different cities, at random times.

The moral is this: investigate your Los Angeles DUI arrest thoroughly.

Fortunately, you can turn to ex-prosecutor and Harvard Law School educated Los Angeles DUI lawyer, Michael Kraut, for thorough, systematic assistance with your Los Angeles DUI case.

Published on: November 24, 2013

Helping Others to Understand Your Long Beach Medicare Fraud Charges

by Michael Kraut

Whether you just came under investigation for Long Beach healthcare fraud — or you’ve been arrested for fraud and other crimes — you’re trying to figure out what you should do next to protect your rights and ensure fair treatment.

Frankly, it’s tough to talk about your Long Beach fraud charges, even with friends and family. News reports on healthcare fraud vilify defendants — make them seem almost like cartoon characters. Even the use of words like “scheming” and “scamming” can influence people’s perceptions. You may be prejudged as guilty, even if your case is more complicated than it appears to be at first glance.

Avoid saying anything that might compromise your potential defense. As a savvy Long Beach criminal fraud defense lawyer will tell you, you must be careful about what you say about your case and to whom.

Also, know this: would-be sympathetic friends and colleagues may not understand why you did what you did:

• Perhaps you and a few colleagues stole people’s Social Security Numbers to purchase wheel chairs or other expensive electronic medical equipment… and then you billed Medicare at exorbitant rates and pocketed the money.
• Or maybe you pulled off a far more sophisticated, multi-level crime.

Odds are, however, that you did not wake up one morning and say to yourself “I want to be a criminal and defraud Medicare.” Odds are, the thought process took place gradually and involved multiple epiphanies. For instance, maybe you felt enraged at the unfairness of the insurance system. You blamed the system for making it impossible to run a profitable medical business. So you started committing the fraud as a way to “make things even” in your eyes.

Or perhaps a smooth talking colleague or boss convinced you to go along with the fraud because of peer pressure or threats of retribution.

You’d like to walk your friends and associates through your thought process, so they can understand why you did what you did, even if they still judge you harshly. After all, you’re not a cartoon villain — you’re a complex human being who’s trying to navigate a confusing world.

Of course, you also need grounded advice about your next steps.

What should you do now, not only to protect your rights, but also to ensure a positive outcome in your case?

The seasoned Long Beach healthcare fraud defense lawyers at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers would be happy to listen to you in depth and provide a free, no obligation case evaluation. That way, you’ll be equipped with a good understanding of the charges and your potential options for recourse.

Published on: November 20, 2013

Burbank Petty Theft and Grand Theft Auto V

by Michael Kraut

Funnily enough, if you stole a copy of Grand Theft Auto V (set in Los Angeles) you would be charged with petty theft in Burbank.

GT5 is a marketing phenomenon, for sure. But the underlying messages – both subtle and not so subtle – are pretty disturbing. The debate about video games, like GT5, that glorify violence and criminal activity, has been going on for decades. Some science suggests that kids (and adults) who play violent video games wind up acting violently themselves and committing crimes.

Of course, in observational science, it is difficult to determine causality. For instance, maybe kids from broken or violent homes play more video games. Their background could explain why video game playing might associate with violence. (In this case, the video games wouldn’t be the cause of the aggression but rather just an association.)

This Burbank theft crime blog is obviously too small to begin to articulate the many points and counterpoints in the “do videogame cause violence?” debate.

But it is useful to consider another strange feature of the game: Southern California freeways that are almost eeriely absent of cars and traffic. The game’s ghostly quiet streets recall the strange calm that happened during “Carmageddon.” It would probably be difficult to create a fun game, if players had to contend with real world obstacles, like bumper to bumper traffic, high gas prices, and the constant threat of drivers texting on cell phones veering into your lane.

This observation is interesting, in that it suggests that traffic conditions might influence the behavior of real world Grand Theft Auto in Los Angeles. Someone who ordinarily might NOT commit a crime could be inspired to steal a car, if opportunity presented and the context made sense. It suggests that context can have a profound effect on criminal behavior.

So if you’re trying to explain (or even just understand) your conduct, don’t just look at your own experiences, psychology and behavior. Also, consider the CONTEXT of your incident and arrest.

If that sounds complicated, it is!

Fortunately, you do not have to tackle your Los Angeles criminal defense by yourself. An experienced Burbank petty theft lawyer with the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers is standing by to provide a free and confidential consultation to help you get to the root of your charges and defend accurately against them.

Published on: November 9, 2013

Los Angeles Drug Crime Charges for Dr. John O. Dimowo for Prescribing Prescription Drugs

by Michael Kraut

Today, we’re going to examine a disturbing Los Angeles drug crime article in the Los Angeles Times that profiled Dr. John O. Dimowo. This Southern California doctor allegedly prescribed narcotics, like Xanax, Vicodin and Adderall, to undercover agents who didn’t need the medications.

Dr. Dimowo was the subject of a 2012 Los Angeles Times investigation on overdose deaths in patients. Although he was never officially charged in patient deaths, he stands accused of seven counts of prescribing narcotics illegally. Five patients fatally overdosed on medications that Dimowo prescribed to them in 2009 and 2010.

Based on these charges, the 55-year-old doctor could face up to 7 years behind bars.

According to an affidavit, Dimowo provided prescriptions that fueled patients’ addictions. He wrote 37 new prescriptions a day, on average. After The Times wrote about him in 2012, authorities investigated complaints by the Medical Board of California – supported by pharmacists and family members of patients.

But there was not enough evidence to hold him liable.

If you are a doctor who’s been charged with a Los Angeles prescription drug crime — or if you are a friend or family member of a doctor, dentist, or other caregiver who’s been accused of Los Angeles Medicare fraud, insurance fraud, or similar crimes — Dimowo’s case can be illuminating. Despite all the accusations, “the evidence didn’t leave a direct path,” according to Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney, John Niedermann.

As we saw with the much more high profile case of Michael Jackson’s physician – who was convicted of criminal behavior in connection with the King of Pop’s death in 2009 – a doctor CAN be held criminally liable, in the event that a patient suffers serious harm or death.

But the prosecution can have a tough, complex road to hoe.

Let’s say a patient dies after ingesting Vicodin or Xanax. Did the patient have a pre-existing condition that made him or her susceptible to early mortality? Can the prosecution prove that the doctor failed to do due diligence? Did the patient mix the prescription drugs with street drugs?

The prosecution must answer a whole host of questions and objections to win a case like this.

So what does this mean if you or a loved one faces Los Angeles drug crime charges or other Southern California white collar crime charges?

As soon as possible, within reason, start to investigate your charges and construct an informed defense strategy. Former prosecutor (Senior Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles) Michael Kraut of the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers can help you with this challenge.

Mr. Kraut served for nearly a decade and a half as prosecutor; he understands how to fight and succeed in complex drug crime cases.

Published on: October 15, 2013

Pasadena Medical Fraud Crackdown News: 89 Arrested, $223 Million in Fraud Alleged

by Michael Kraut

If you were arrested for Pasadena medical fraud recently, you have plenty of company.

In a massive bust a few months ago, the federal government arrested 89 people in Los Angeles, Houston, New York, Chicago, Detroit, Baton Rouge, Tampa, and Miami. Police grabbed documents, raided businesses, and aggressively pursued alleged wrongdoers. Of the 89 people snagged in the dragnet, 14 were nurses and doctors. Federal officials say that the 89 people collectively stole over $223 million from the taxpayers.

The schemes allegedly conducted were pretty diverse, although regular readers of our Pasadena criminal defense blog won’t be surprised:

• Some people pretended to be doctors to write fake prescriptions. Then they billed the federal government for the meds.
• In another scam, some folks bribed Medicare patients for their identification numbers and then billed the government for services never provided.
• The top suspect purchased a Ferrari and two Lamborghinis with the money he allegedly pilfered.

Eric Holder, the U.S. Attorney General, and Kathleen Sebelius, the head of Health & Human Services, worked with 400 federal agents to plan and execute the crackdown. Over the last four years, the anti-fraud Medicare strike force has arrested over 1,500 people and returned $8 for every dollar spent on investigations.

Despite these successes, Holder expressed doubt about whether the antifraud forces would continue to be funded at the same rate. The Justice Department may lose $1.6 billion due to sequestration. Holder worried to reporters that, “unless Congress adopts a balanced deficit reduction plan and stops the reduction currently slated for 2014, [our] capacity to protect the American people from healthcare fraud … will be further reduced.”

Implications for Pasadena Medicare Fraud Defendants
If you or someone you love got swept up in this dragnet — or if you stand accused of a Pasadena white collar crime, like insurance fraud or healthcare fraud — the team here at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers is standing by to listen to your story. We can give you the strategic guidance you need to regain a feeling of control. Get in touch with former prosecutor and Harvard Law School educated defense lawyer Kraut and his team today for the insights you need.

Published on: October 8, 2013

Pasadena Lewd Conduct News: Charge for Lutheran Peeping Tom

by Michael Kraut

A 39-year-old man from Thousand Oaks stands accused of Southern California lewd conduct.

Authorities arrested David Tenenbaum for peeping at California Lutheran University’s women’s locker room, following a three-month investigation by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. The investigation began in May, when local police got a phone call saying that a man had been spotted in the Gilbert Sports Arena’s women’s locker room.

Two women swimmers saw the man in the shower. They asked him why he was there. According to detective Marty Luna, “He just kept apologizing as he was staring at them” but didn’t leave. After the women left, the man allegedly peeped through a cracked and open door.

A few weeks later, other women found him “committing lewd acts” in the shower.

When authorities responded to these women’s calls for help, they found the female locker empty… and they found Tenenbaum in the men’s locker room. As they quizzed him about the incident, the two women from the first incident saw him and recognized him as the peeping Tom from May. Tenenbaum fled before the authorities arrived. After three months of news alerts and surveillance, a public tip led police to Tenenbaum.

Getting arrested for lewd conduct in Pasadena can be a devastating experience, and the consequences can be painful both in the short-term and over the long-term. In the near-term, you may face fines and fees, a humiliating court experience, jail time, and additional punishments, particularly if you committed lewd conduct in conjunction with other Pasadena crimes, like burglary, theft, or violating your parole.

Over the longer term, you need to worry about the sex offender label, which can be affixed to your identity for years – if not for a lifetime. Once you’re labeled as sex offender, you’ll likely find it challenging to develop normal relationships, find work that you love, serve your community, and shake off the residue of your unfortunate incident.

To that end — to avoid both the short-term pain and the long-term pain — consider connecting today with a Pasadena lewd conduct defense lawyer with the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers. Mr. Kraut prosecuted Los Angeles sex crime offenders for years, in capacity of District Attorney for LA, before becoming a criminal defense attorney. He understands how prosecutors think, and he can use his knowledge and relationships to help you build your defense.