Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney Blog

Published on: November 16, 2008

Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Admits That More Than 5,600 Rape Kits Have Not Been Tested

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has admitted to the County Board of Supervisors that they have failed to test over 5,600 rape kits with evidence of sexual assaults and other crimes. However, those same officials also state that they are not sure of the total number of kits that have gone untested. The reason they do not know the exact number is that smaller cities and towns contract with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department to test their rape kits and they have not reported the number of their untested items. Recently, the LAPD admitted to the failure to test in excess of 7,000 rape kits that they have in their possession.

The real fear is that if the tests have not been completed within 10 years of the date of the crime, then the statute of limitations will expire. After ten years, if the criminal is caught, the State may not prosecute the rapist. Therefore, Sheriff’s Department will give priority to the rape kits that are the oldest.

Many people do not know what are in the rape kits, to clarify the contents, I will explain what is often in these kits. As a former senior District Attorney now defending serious crimes, I have learned that these kits often times contain body fluids, finger nail scrapings, DNA and other items used to identify specific individuals.

Once these items are tested and the suspect is identified, then the evidence from the rape kits will be used in a court to prove the identity of the rapist.

Published on: November 13, 2008

Newport Harbor Coach Will Not Be Charged With DUI After Being Arrested After Returning From Los Angeles

by Michael Kraut

A very well respected Newport-Mesa sports coach who lives in Costa Mesa will not be charged with DUI after he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Costa Mesa after he was driving home from Los Angeles.

Laurence Draluck, 48, the Newport Harbor High School girls’ soccer coach, was pulled over in Orange County after he was driving erratic. Prosecutors declined to file the case stating that there was a lack of evidence. Most likely he was was represented by hiring a pre-filing DUI defense attorney who made sure that they were aggressive about pointing out the lack of evidence. Clearly, money not wasted by me Draluck. Had he been convicted of a DUI he very well could have lost his job.

Published on: November 10, 2008

Fox News Commentator Arrested for DUI In Los Angeles

by Michael Kraut

Fox News’ own sports commentator, Josh Booty, was arrested in Los Angeles for a DUI. He was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol in the Los Angeles area. He was then transported to the station for booking. During the booking process, Booty became angry. Officers attempted to subdue him by due to his size he was able to resist them. Soon thereafter, he was tasered two times. After the taser was used, he calmed down and the booking process completed.

Booty, 32, was well known as both a standout baseball player where he played for 5 seasons for the Florida Marlins. He then enrolled at LSU and was a star football player. After college he was drafted to play for the NFL Seattle Seahawks and then traded to the Cleveland Browns.

Published on: November 9, 2008

Lindsay Lohan Sued For DUI And Drug Possession Joy Ride in Los Angeles

by Michael Kraut

A civil suit has been filed in Los Angeles by the passengers of the SUV that Lindsay Lohan drove the night she was arrested for DUI and drug possession back on July 24, 2007. The story began when Lohan’s assistant and the famous star had an argument. The assistant fled and Lohan jumped into an SUV that had other passengers in the vehicle. As Lohan sped through the streets of Los Angeles giving chase in the SUV, she blew street signs and stop lights. The suit alleges that the passengers were “crying for their lives” and are now suing the star for the fear that they felt.

Lohan, who pled guilty after her arrest, has completed a rehabilitation program in Utah. Additionally, she seems to have gotten her life back together, began dating her current girl friend, DJ Samantha Ronson, and is currently working on her new album. The Southern California DUI defense attorney did an excellent job of helping his client get back on her feet.

Critics of those who filed suit ask why the men did not just get out of the SUV during the times when the stopped. The men are seeking $50,000 in damages.

Published on: November 8, 2008

Long Beach Police Investigating 5 Murders in this Southern California City

by Michael Kraut

A homeless encampment in the City of Long Beach was rocked this past weekend when 5 bodies were found murdered. The victims all were homeless people who lived or frequented underneath a busy freeway were shot to death.

One of the major problems is that the first heavy rain of the season may have washed away important evidence from the killings of the three men and two women. The area is not one of the best neighborhoods in the city. Often the area is used for narcotics sales.

Once arrested the suspect(s) will face murder charges and most likely the special circumstances of multiple murder, making the punishment potentially the death penalty. The person or persons who might have committed this crime should hire a Los Angeles Violent Crimes defense attorney. Early retention of an attorney is a must when facing these types of charges. There may viable defenses and witnesses. The longer the delay in hiring an attorney, the greater the chance the evidence will be lost or vanish.

Published on: November 6, 2008

California Attorney General Charges 8 People in White Collar Crimes in San Bernardino

by Michael Kraut

The California Attorney General filed criminal white collar crime charges against 8 people in the Southern California county of San Bernardino. The charges include theft crimes of money laundering, conspiracy, and grand theft stemming out of Redlands, California.

The charges arose out of a scam that has plagued the mortgage industry after so many people in the City of Redlands had trouble making their house payments. Most of the victims responded to a flier which claimed to be able to help lower house payments for those who have been affected by the recent problems in the economy. The company promised to help home owners so that they would not fall into default and loose their properties in foreclosure.

Those individuals charged in the 39 count complaint most likely knew that they were under investigation. Had they hired a San Bernardino County defense attorney familiar with the officials in Redlands, it is possible that the money could have been returned to the victims and no charges would have been filed in return for full restitution. Or in the alternative, the charges would have been minimal any quite possibly no custody time would be imposed. Now all 8 people are facing decades in prison.

The home owners responded to a flier by a fake company called First Gov, also called Foreclosure Prevention Services. Some paid as much as $6,000 to the fake company to assist them in negotiating with the banks to lower their payments. The victims waited but nothing was ever done to assist them and those charged just stole the money.

Published on: November 3, 2008

City of Glendora Gets Over One Million Dollars to Stop DUI

by Michael Kraut

The City of Glendora as well as other Southern California cities will receive the brunt of more then $7 million of grant money from the State to eradicate DUI. Glendora will receive over $1.5 million to add DUI checkpoints as other operations to stop driving while intoxicated in the Southland.

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Two dozen stations managed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will receive millions as well for the same purpose.

If you, or a loved one, is stopped at a DUI checkpoint or stopped for investigation of DUI then contact a Los Angeles and Southern California DUI defense attorney who practices in Glendora to help you.

Published on: October 30, 2008

Keanu Reeves Denies He Used His Car To Strike a Paparazzo In Los Angeles

by Michael Kraut

Keanu Reeves took the witness stand and stated that he did not drive his 1996 Porsche into the celebrity photographer in the Los Angeles area known as Rancho Palos Verdes. The photographer is suing the famous actor as a result of what he claims are his diminished earnings as a result of his injuries.

Reeves testifies that his vehicle did not touch the photographer and that he tripped as he was walking backwards. The injuries were received back on March 19, 2007 and the lawsuit was filed back in November of 2007.

Published on: October 29, 2008

Los Angeles Adds Crime Lab Positions To Process Rape Kit Evidence held by LAPD

by Michael Kraut

The Los Angeles City Council has just concluded hearings on the huge back log of untested rape kits held by the LAPD as part of sexual crimes evidence that the force has collected. These public hearings were all over the local television stations as victims of sex crimes and their advocates shamed the LAPD for the backlog of over 7,300 untested rape kits. In many cases, the statute of limitations has past on these crimes and those that sexually assaulted their victims could not be brought to trial.

After the hearing concluded, the City Council approved the hiring of 16 additional crime lab analysts immediately to process these samples. DNA and other samples taken from rape victims have not been processed. Sarah Tofte, researcher with the US Program at Human Rights Watch, says that the problem is not just with the processing of evidence, but in the investigating and prosecution of rape cases.

Yesterday, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Police Chief William Bratton, and Councilmember Jack Weiss announced that the crime lab would be increased by 30 employees in the next six months. This, they claim, will alleviate the backlog in untested kits.

Published on: October 23, 2008

Palin Effigy Hanging From House in West Hollywood California

by Michael Kraut

Palin is being hung in effigy in West Hollywood, California, but police say no crime is being committed. Complaints have been rolling in the local Sheriff’s department by citizens screaming foul play. So far, police have stated that this is an issue of 1st amendment free speech and not a hate crime. The effigy is vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin hanging by a noose from the roof with Presidential candidate John McCain sitting on the roof surrounded by flames. This Southern California residence still displays the two candidates as of the writing of this blog article.

Well known republican politician, Michael Antonovich is calling for an investigation of whether the symbol could be a hate crime. The power of this politician has caused the FBI to investigate the actions of the two men that claim that this is just a provocative Halloween prank.

After a review of the facts a spokeswomen for the FBI told the press that what these two men have done may be distasteful, it is not an act of discrimination or illegal. Local law enforcement has come to the same conclusion. Meanwhile, tour buses in this star struck community have diverted their routes to stop at this new tour site in the Los Angeles area.