California Appeals

The decisions of the Courts of Appeal are binding on the Superior Courts of California, and both the Courts of Appeal and the Superior Courts are bound by the decisions of the Supreme Court of California. Notably, all published California appellate decisions are binding on all trial courts[2] (distinct from the practice in the federal courts and in other state court systems in which trial courts are bound only by the appellate decisions from the particular circuit in which it sits, as well as the Supreme Court of the United States or the state supreme court).[3] Court of Appeal decisions are not binding between divisions or even between panels of the same division.[4]

It is customary in federal courts and other state courts to indicate in case citations the particular circuit or district of an intermediate appellate court that issued the decision cited. But because the decisions of all six California appellate districts are equally binding upon all trial courts, district numbers are traditionally omitted in California citation style unless an actual interdistrict conflict is at issue.

All California appellate courts are required by the California Constitution to decide criminal cases in writing with reasons stated (meaning that even in criminal appeals where the defendant's own lawyer has tacitly conceded that the appeal has no merit,[5] the appellate decision must summarize the facts and law of the case and review possible issues independently before concluding that the appeal is without merit).[6] Such procedure is not mandated for civil cases, but for certain types of civil cases where a liberty interest is implicated, the Courts of Appeal may, but are not required to, follow a similar procedure.[7][8] Most Court of Appeal opinions are not published and have no precedential value;[9] the opinions that are published are included in the California Appellate Reports.

Due to their huge caseloads and volume of output, the Courts of Appeal in turn see the largest number of decisions appealed to the state supreme court and the Supreme Court of the United States. A few famous U.S. Supreme Court cases, such as Burnham v. Superior Court of California, came to the high court on writ of certiorari to one of the Courts of Appeal after the state supreme court had denied review. Many Court of Appeal opinions have become nationally prominent in their own right, such as the 1959 opinion that carved out the first judge-made exception to the at-will employment doctrine, the 1980 opinion that authorized a cause of action for wrongful life, and the 1984 opinion that created the right to Cumis counsel.

If you need to file an appeal...

Call James M Crawford at (714) 538-0305 now.

Search the links below to see if your friend, family member, or loved one is currently incarcerated:

Orange County

http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner%20-%20Sandra%20Hutchens/E-Services/Who%20is%20in%20Jail%20-%20Inmate%20Info

San Bernardino County

http://www.sbcounty.gov/sheriff/bookingsearch/bookingsearch.aspx

Los Angeles County

http://app4.lasd.org/iic/ajis_search.cfm

Riverside County

http://jimspub.riversidesheriff.org/

James M. Crawford

528 N. Glassell

Orange, CA 92867

Office: 714-538-0305 Fax: 714-538-0306

164 East 3rd Street San Bernardino, CA 92410

Office: 909-388-2690

Crazy California Laws - Fun Facts

Here are some crazy laws from the state of California:

Wearing a sweatshirt inside-out is deemed a “threatening misdemeanor” in Half-Moon Bay.
In 1930, the City Council of Ontario (California) passed an ordinance forbidding roosters to crow within the city limits.
In Los Angeles, you cannot bathe two babies in the same tub at the same time.
Peeling an orange in your hotel room is banned in California
San Francisco is said to be the only city in the nation to have ordinances guaranteeing sunshine to the masses.
In Cupertino, California, it is illegal to count backwards audibly in hexadecimal. According to Rick Kitson, Cupertino’s Public Communications Manager, this law is not true. “Amongst many lists of strange laws is an item about Cupertino. Usually, this strange law has something to do with a prohibition on audibly counting backwards in hexadecimal.
Redwood City has outlawed the frying of gravy.
In Santa Clara, it is forbidden to dedicate parking spaces to the patron saint of television.
Prostitutes in San Francisco are not obliged to make change for bills larger than $50.
The city of Mountain View proscribes calling pet fish by “names of aggressive content, e.g. ‘Biter’, ‘Killer’, ‘Sugar-Ray’”
Bicycles may not be ridden without “appropriate fashion accessories” anywhere in Santa Clara County (de facto law).
In Blythe, California, a person must own two cows in order to legally wear cowboy boots in public.
In Los Angeles, a man is legally entitled to beat his wife with a leather belt or strap, but the belt can’t be wider than 2 inches, unless he has his wife’s consent to beat her with a wider strap.
It is illegal to set a mousetrap without a hunting license.
Community leaders passed an ordinance that makes it illegal for anyone to try and stop a child from playfully jumping over puddles of water.
In L.A. it is against the law to complain through the mail that a hotel has cockroaches, even if it is true.
It is illegal to drive more than two thousand sheep down Hollywood Blvd. at one time.
It is illegal to whistle for a lost canary before 7 am in Berkeley, CA.
In California, it is illegal to posses bear gall bladders.
In California, it is illegal to trip horses for entertainment.
a few more that maybe got missed above, maybe not
Women may not drive in a house coat.
No vehicle without a driver may exceed 60 miles per hour.
Many animals are illegal to own as pets, including snails, sloths, and elephants.
Nobody is allowed to ride a bicycle in a swimming pool (Baldwin Park).
You are not permitted to wear cowboy boots unless you already own at least two cows (Blythe).
It is illegal to spit, except on baseball diamonds (Burlingame).
Detonating a nuclear device within the city limits results in a $500 fine (Chico).
It is illegal to drive more than two thousand sheep down Hollywood Boulevard at one time (Hollywood).
It is illegal to walk a camel down Palm Canyon Drive between the hours of four and six PM.
It is illegal for a secretary to be alone in a room with her boss (Pasadena).
Two bathtubs may not be installed in the same house (Prunedale).
One may not carry a lunch down the street between 11 and 1 o’clock (Riverside).
Prohibits elephants from strolling down Market Street unless they are on a leash (San Francisco).
It is illegal to pile horse manure more than six feet high on a street corner (San Francisco).
It is illegal to wipe one’s car with used underwear (San Francisco).

 

Call James M Crawford at (714) 538-0305 now.

Search the links below to see if your friend, family member, or loved one is currently incarcerated:

Orange County

http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner%20-%20Sandra%20Hutchens/E-Services/Who%20is%20in%20Jail%20-%20Inmate%20Info

San Bernardino County

http://www.sbcounty.gov/sheriff/bookingsearch/bookingsearch.aspx

Los Angeles County

http://app4.lasd.org/iic/ajis_search.cfm

Riverside County

http://jimspub.riversidesheriff.org/

James M. Crawford

528 N. Glassell

Orange, CA 92867

Office: 714-538-0305 Fax: 714-538-0306

164 East 3rd Street San Bernardino, CA 92410

Office: 909-388-2690

Another Victory - James M. Crawford

Recent News

18-year-old convict is ordered released A friend of George Lopez says he committed the robbery for which Lopez, who has no other record, was imprisoned.

Byline:JOHN McDONALD The Orange County Register   

George Arnulfo Lopez was ordered released from custody Friday by a judge who said he will hold a hearing next month to decide if the Garden Grove man's conviction for robbery was justified.

Lopez, 18, has been serving 13 years at Ironwood State Prison in Blythe for the May 1999 holdup of an Anaheim loan office. But employees present during the robbery say he was not the gunman. Lopez, who has been incarcerated for two years, has no other criminal record.

``It's just a relief,'' said Lopez's wife, Leah, shortly after Judge Daniel Didier announced the decision. ``This is the first good thing that has happened in this case.'' She said she looks forward to her husband returning home and helping her care for their 18-month-old son, Joseph, whom Lopez has seen only in a prison visiting room.

Didier said he was impressed by Lopez's strong family support.
``It's a close call,'' the judge said of his decision to order Lopez temporarily released without having to post bail.

Defense lawyer James Crawford called the decision ``a significant step toward his ultimate release and freedom.'' Didier ruled against Crawford's request that he grant immunity to a friend of Lopez's, now serving a long prison term, who has stated that he, not Lopez, committed the robbery. The friend has said he will only say what his role was if he's given a deal on sentencing. 

Deputy District Attorney Brian Gurwitz opposed the release and said later,
``We disagree with the judge's ruling, but we respect it.''
Brent Romney, a criminal-law professor at Western State University of Law in Fullerton, said it is unusual for an inmate to be released without bail while seeking to have a serious felony conviction overturned. ``The judge must consider how likely a person is to flee, and the better his chance for being exonerated at the hearing, the less likelihood that he will flee.''

Contact McDonald at (714) 834-3784 or jmcdonald@ocregister.com

Return to James Crawford in the news 

Call James M Crawford at (714) 538-0305 now.

Search the links below to see if your friend, family member, or loved one is currently incarcerated:

Orange County

http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner%20-%20Sandra%20Hutchens/E-Services/Who%20is%20in%20Jail%20-%20Inmate%20Info

San Bernardino County

http://www.sbcounty.gov/sheriff/bookingsearch/bookingsearch.aspx

Los Angeles County

http://app4.lasd.org/iic/ajis_search.cfm

Riverside County

http://jimspub.riversidesheriff.org/

James M. Crawford

528 N. Glassell

Orange, CA 92867

Office: 714-538-0305 Fax: 714-538-0306

164 East 3rd Street San Bernardino, CA 92410

Office: 909-388-2690

Appeal Now

File An Appeal Now

Anyone who is convicted of a state or federal crime in California, whether as a result of a jury trial, a bench trial, or by pleading guilty is entitled to appeal his or her conviction or the criminal sentence received. An appeal is the request by a convicted person for a higher court to review the case in an effort to get the conviction reversed or the sentence reduced.
After the trial court has issued the final judgment, an appeal can be filed. There are very strict deadlines and requirements for filing a criminal appeal in the state and federal appellate systems, so individuals considering an appeal should consult with a criminal law attorney as soon as possible.
To learn more about filing an appeal, click here.
California Appellate Courts
The appellate court in California consists of a panel of three judges who review a written brief (argument) presented by both the defense and prosecution. Generally, the criminal defense attorney attempts to persuade the appellate court that an error or some other factor in the original trial prejudiced the outcome of the case. If the appellate court agrees with the defense, it can overturn a conviction, change the sentence, or order a new trial.
 Appellate law is a complex, specialized area of law. James M. Crawford has many years of experience as an appellate lawyer and has helped numerous individuals obtain a just and satisfactory outcome after a wrongful or unfair conviction.
 Specialized Area of Criminal Law
As an appellate attorney, Mr. Crawford can handle the following aspects of your appeal:
    · Posting an appellate bond
    · Preparing and filing necessary writs and motions
    · Pursuance of further relief on remand
    · Post-verdict motions
Mr. Crawford will review everything that has happened in your criminal case, including the pre-trial phase, your trial, and all post-conviction issues, including motions and evidence.
 His goal is to identify any new factors that may persuade the appellate court that your conviction or sentence is erroneous, such as:
    · Insufficient evidence
    · Unallowable evidence
    · Incorrect rulings on objections
    · Errors made by the judge imposing the sentence after a verdict
    · Jury errors
 Some appeals cite insufficient representation during the original trial.
For a complimentary case evaluation with an experienced appellate attorney,
contact James M. Crawford today.

Call James M Crawford at (714) 538-0305 now.

Search the links below to see if your friend, family member, or loved one is currently incarcerated:

Orange County

http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner%20-%20Sandra%20Hutchens/E-Services/Who%20is%20in%20Jail%20-%20Inmate%20Info

San Bernardino County

http://www.sbcounty.gov/sheriff/bookingsearch/bookingsearch.aspx

Los Angeles County

http://app4.lasd.org/iic/ajis_search.cfm

Riverside County

http://jimspub.riversidesheriff.org/

James M. Crawford

528 N. Glassell

Orange, CA 92867

Office: 714-538-0305 Fax: 714-538-0306

164 East 3rd Street San Bernardino, CA 92410

Office: 909-388-2690

Statictics On Wrongful Convictions In California

Do you need to file an appeal?

In California, more than 200 people have been wrongfully convicted of murder, rape, or other serious offenses since 1989; Across the country, 123 people have been exonerated and released from death row since 1973.; The average time spent in prison by persons who were sentenced to death and later found to be wrongfully convicted is nine years.; There are approximately 650 current death row inmates in California.; Since 1981, six people have been freed from death row as a result of proven wrongful convictions.; A 2004 study of over 30 cases of wrongful conviction in California indicates that African Americans have been wrongfully convicted at a much higher rate than people of other races and that the majority of wrongful convictions occur in just a few counties.
source: https://www.aclunc.org/issues/criminal_justice/death_penalty/fact_sheet_on_wrongful_convictions_in_ca.shtml

Call James M Crawford at (714) 538-0305 now.

Search the links below to see if your friend, family member, or loved one is currently incarcerated:

Orange County

http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner%20-%20Sandra%20Hutchens/E-Services/Who%20is%20in%20Jail%20-%20Inmate%20Info

San Bernardino County

http://www.sbcounty.gov/sheriff/bookingsearch/bookingsearch.aspx

Los Angeles County

http://app4.lasd.org/iic/ajis_search.cfm

Riverside County

http://jimspub.riversidesheriff.org/

James M. Crawford

528 N. Glassell

Orange, CA 92867

Office: 714-538-0305 Fax: 714-538-0306

164 East 3rd Street San Bernardino, CA 92410

Office: 909-388-2690

File an Appeal Right Now

 

Appellate Law

Anyone who is convicted of a state or federal crime in California, whether as a result of a jury trial, a bench trial, or by pleading guilty is entitled to appeal his or her conviction or the criminal sentence received. An appeal is the request by a convicted person for a higher court to review the case in an effort to get the conviction reversed or the sentence reduced.

After the trial court has issued the final judgment, an appeal can be filed. There are very strict deadlines and requirements for filing a criminal appeal in the state and federal appellate systems, so individuals considering an appeal should consult with a criminal law attorney as soon as possible.

To learn more about filing an appeal, click here.

California Appellate Courts

The appellate court in California consists of a panel of three judges who review a written brief (argument) presented by both the defense and prosecution. Generally, the criminal defense attorney attempts to persuade the appellate court that an error or some other factor in the original trial prejudiced the outcome of the case. If the appellate court agrees with the defense, it can overturn a conviction, change the sentence, or order a new trial.

Appellate law is a complex, specialized area of law. James M. Crawford has many years of experience as an appellate lawyer and has helped numerous individuals obtain a just and satisfactory outcome after a wrongful or unfair conviction

Call James M Crawford at (714) 538-0305 now.

Search the links below to see if your friend, family member, or loved one is currently incarcerated:

Orange County

http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner%20-%20Sandra%20Hutchens/E-Services/Who%20is%20in%20Jail%20-%20Inmate%20Info

San Bernardino County

http://www.sbcounty.gov/sheriff/bookingsearch/bookingsearch.aspx

Los Angeles County

http://app4.lasd.org/iic/ajis_search.cfm

Riverside County

http://jimspub.riversidesheriff.org/

James M. Crawford

528 N. Glassell

Orange, CA 92867

Office: 714-538-0305 Fax: 714-538-0306

164 East 3rd Street San Bernardino, CA 92410

Office: 909-388-2690

James M. Crawford - OC Criminal Defense Attorney

James M. Crawford is one of Southern California's most sought after criminal defense attorneys with over 14 years of experience in criminal and appellate law. With more than 300 appeals and 50 jury trials under his belt, he is supremely qualified to handle a wide range of criminal defense cases from felony and misdemeanor crimes to state and federal appeals.
Throughout his career as a criminal defense attorney, Mr. Crawford has been guided by a strong belief in justice and commitment to defending the legal rights of the accused. To arrange a no-cost consultation with Mr. Crawford,please click here.

High Profile Cases
Mr. Crawford's extensive experience and legal skill helped him obtain a reduced sentence for a non-violent offender who had been sentenced to 315 years to life in prison, the longest sentence ever meted out in the state of California for a non-violent crime. As a result of his research and investigation, Mr. Crawford was able to shave 300 years off the original sentence to bring it down to 10 years 8 months.

In 2002, Mr. Crawford took on a case in Santa Ana involving a man who had been wrongly convicted for a robbery he didn't commit and consequently sentenced to 13 years in prison. With Mr. Crawford's help, the man was exonerated and freed from prison after serving more than two years.

Education/Honors
James Michael Crawford graduated from the University of Irvine with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Ecology. He went on to receive his Juris Doctor at Western State University College of Law in Fullerton, CA, where he was in the top 20th percentile of his class. While studying law, Mr. Crawford received the American Jurisprudence Awards for Civil Procedure II and Corporations and was also an active member of Delta Theta Phi law fraternity. In 2006 Mr. Crawford graduated from Gerry Spence Trial Lawyer's College.

Professional Associations and Memberships
Mr. Crawford is an active member of numerous professional organizations including:

• NACDL (National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys
• CACJ (California Attorneys for Criminal Justice
• CPDA (California Public Defenders' Association)
• Orange County Bar Association
• Federal Bar Association

If you have been accused of a criminal offense or have been convicted of a crime and would like to file an appeal, contact James M. Crawford today to start planning a course of action.

Call James M Crawford at (714) 538-0305 now.

Search the links below to see if your friend, family member, or loved one is currently incarcerated:

Orange County

http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner%20-%20Sandra%20Hutchens/E-Services/Who%20is%20in%20Jail%20-%20Inmate%20Info

San Bernardino County

http://www.sbcounty.gov/sheriff/bookingsearch/bookingsearch.aspx

Los Angeles County

http://app4.lasd.org/iic/ajis_search.cfm

Riverside County

http://jimspub.riversidesheriff.org/

James M. Crawford

528 N. Glassell

Orange, CA 92867

Office: 714-538-0305 Fax: 714-538-0306

164 East 3rd Street San Bernardino, CA 92410

Office: 909-388-2690

James M. Crawford focuses his practice solely on criminal law, helping clients with their state and federal problems at all stages of the criminal law process, including:

• Accompanying and advising clients in police or prosecutor interrogations and interviews;
• Furthering the investigation of a client's arrest or case to reveal new and/or beneficial information;
• Negotiating with the prosecuting attorney to obtain a reduction or dismissal of charges;
• Representing clients in a plea bargain, probable cause hearing, other preliminary court hearings, and at trial;
• Arguing for the most favorable penalty or sentence;
• Filing appeals and other motions necessary to protecting a client’s rights

Call James M Crawford at (714) 538-0305 now.

 Search the links below to see if your friend, family member, or loved one is currently incarcerated:

Orange County

http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner%20-%20Sandra%20Hutchens/E-Services/Who%20is%20in%20Jail%20-%20Inmate%20Info

San Bernardino County

http://www.sbcounty.gov/sheriff/bookingsearch/bookingsearch.aspx

Los Angeles County

http://app4.lasd.org/iic/ajis_search.cfm

Riverside County

http://jimspub.riversidesheriff.org/

James M. Crawford

528 N. Glassell

Orange, CA 92867

Office: 714-538-0305 Fax: 714-538-0306

164 East 3rd Street San Bernardino, CA 92410

Office: 909-388-2690

James M. Crawford - Appeals Attorney

 

In law, an appeal is a process for requesting a formal change to an official decision. The decision maker to whom the appeal is made may be a court, a board, a tribunal or even a single official. Generally, only the party aggrieved below has standing to appeal.

The result of an appeal can be:

• Affirmed: Where the reviewing court basically agrees with the result of the lower courts ruling(s).
• Reversed: Where the reviewing court basically disagrees with the result of the lower courts ruling(s), and overturns their decision.
• Remanded: Where the reviewing court sends the case back to the lower court.

There can be multiple outcomes, so that the reviewing court can affirm some rulings, reverse others and remand the case all at the same time. Remand is not required where there is nothing left to do in the case. "Generally speaking, an appellate court's judgment provides 'the final directive of the appeals courts as to the matter appealed, setting out with specificity the court's determination that the action appealed from should be affirmed, reversed, remanded or modified'".
Some reviewing courts who have discretionary review may send a case back without comment other than review improvidently granted. In other words, after looking at the case, they chose not to say anything. The result for the case of review improvidently granted is effectively the same as affirmed, but without that extra higher court stamp of approval.

If you have a case for an appeal, James M. Crawford can help.

Call James M Crawford at (714) 538-0305 now.

Search the links below to see if your friend, family member, or loved one is currently incarcerated:

Orange County

http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner%20-%20Sandra%20Hutchens/E-Services/Who%20is%20in%20Jail%20-%20Inmate%20Info

San Bernardino County

http://www.sbcounty.gov/sheriff/bookingsearch/bookingsearch.aspx

Los Angeles County

http://app4.lasd.org/iic/ajis_search.cfm

Riverside County

http://jimspub.riversidesheriff.org/

James M. Crawford

528 N. Glassell

Orange, CA 92867

Office: 714-538-0305 Fax: 714-538-0306

164 East 3rd Street San Bernardino, CA 92410

Office: 909-388-2690

Orange County Criminal Defense Lawyer - Makes the Headlines Again...

Recent News                               

Unbusted
Why Frank Eiras will get out of prison 300 years early

Ever since California voters approved the so-called Three Strikes initiative seven years ago, thousands of nonviolent offenders—most of them drug addicts—have been sentenced to 25 years to life for crimes as pathetic as stealing a slice of pizza.
Former Newport Beach resident Frank Eiras did a lot more than steal pizza, but he never hurt anybody, and he was never even accused of committing a violent crime. But thanks to three Florida burglaries he committed in the late 1980s, Eiras received what must be the longest prison sentence ever handed down to a nonviolent offender in the annals of California justice: 315 years to life for a string of Orange County thefts.
According to his family, Frank Eiras was a bright kid with a burgeoning career as a real-estate agent whose life began to fall apart when he became addicted to cocaine. After a brief stint in a Florida prison during the late 1980s, Eiras settled in Newport Beach, where his drug habit got worse. In June 1996, Eiras broke into a Huntington Beach mobile home and stole some jewelry. He befriended a couple in Aliso Viejo in August and stole their car, ditched it in a parking lot near the San Diego airport, and made off with a laptop computer and several compact discs. Then in November, Eiras broke into the condominium of a Rancho Santa Margarita couple who lived near his estranged wife, stole some checks and went on a week-long bad-check-writing spree.
After he was arrested at the Westin South Coast Plaza Hotel, the Orange County district attorney’s office offered Eiras a deal: plead guilty and receive a six-year prison sentence. Eiras opted for a jury trial, which he lost. But long before the trial finally began in 1998, prosecutors had discovered Eiras’ Florida record. They argued that each of his three prior offenses there should count under the Three Strikes law. Orange County Superior Court Judge Frank Fassel agreed. On Sept. 11, 1998, he sentenced Eiras to prison for 315 years to life.

Crawford in his Orange office

Even Fasell seemed aware how counterintuitive such a sentence—about five to six times the length of the average human life—seemed, especially given that Eiras hadn’t molested, raped or murdered anyone.
“I’m not giving you short shrift on this, Mr. Eiras,” Fassel explained. “You’re facing one heck of a lot of time here, but it’s not the court’s idea. That is what the Legislature has deemed to be appropriate. . . . The amount of time may appear to be excessive, but, again, I don’t see where this court has any discretion whatsoever.”
Eiras appealed his long sentence and got it reduced—by 25 years, to 290 years to life. That’s when his stepfather, Jack Burthe, a retired lawyer and physicist who now lives in Palm Springs, hired James Crawford, the Orange-based defense attorney whose last client, George Lopez, saw his armed-robbery conviction reversed by county prosecutors last month after another man confessed to the crime.

Crawford took one look at Eiras’ prison sentence and couldn’t believe his eyes. “This guy never should have been sentenced under the Three Strikes law,” he said. “He has never hurt anybody in his life. He’s never committed a violent crime in his life. He’s never used a weapon—a gun or a knife—or ever had any history of violence.”

After looking into Eiras’ Florida robbery convictions, Crawford was convinced that he could prove they didn’t qualify as legitimate “strikes” under California law—and that any responsible defense lawyer could have done the same during Eiras’ trial. In Florida, you can be charged with robbery just for breaking into someone’s home without actually stealing anything. In California, that’s called breaking and entering and doesn’t qualify under Three Strikes. Late last year, Crawford filed a writ of habeas corpus, requesting Eiras’ sentence be recalculated without the Florida convictions, thereby bringing his sentence down to 10 years and eight months. Perhaps impressed by his well-researched, 51-page legal brief, prosecutors didn’t even bother to object, and in December, Fassel signed the paperwork letting Eiras out of prison in October, about 300 years early.

“He’s pretty happy now that he’s getting out of jail,” Crawford said. “He’s trying to find a job, an apartment, a way to get his life back together.”
Sheryl Eiras, his mother, was unable to comment for this story because of a medical emergency, but Burthe, who helped raise Eiras, said his stepson—like thousands of other nonviolent convicts—never should have been sentenced to life in prison in the first place.
“Violent criminals should stay in the joint,” Burthe said. “But the law makes no sense unless you can discriminate between violent criminals and guys like Frank who are basically dope addicts. Thirty years ago, we had six prisons in this state, and they were all half-full. Now we have more than two dozen prisons, and they are filled to capacity. If you steal 10 avocados from a field, you can go to prison for 300 years. The whole thing would make Kafka happy.”

By: Rock Schou

If you, a family member, friend or loved one has been arrested, James M Crawford, Orange County Criminal Defense Attorney can help.

Call James M Crawford at (714) 538-0305 now.

Search the links below to see if your friend, family member, or loved one is currently incarcerated:

Orange County

http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner%20-%20Sandra%20Hutchens/E-Services/Who%20is%20in%20Jail%20-%20Inmate%20Info

San Bernardino County

http://www.sbcounty.gov/sheriff/bookingsearch/bookingsearch.aspx

Los Angeles County

http://app4.lasd.org/iic/ajis_search.cfm

Riverside County

http://jimspub.riversidesheriff.org/

James M. Crawford

528 N. Glassell

Orange, CA 92867

Office: 714-538-0305 Fax: 714-538-0306 

164 East 3rd Street San Bernardino, CA 92410

Office: 909-388-2690

Orange County Appeals Lawyer Wins Another Case

James M Crawford is the most sought after appeals attorney in Orange County, California. Here is a recent L.A. Times article declaring another appeals victory for Attorney Crawford:

Recent News

Orange County; Teen Granted Appeal in Robbery Conviction; Courts:
Judge will hear new testimony on an Anaheim heist, then decide
whether a new trial is needed.

In a legal victory for a Garden Grove teen who insists he was wrongly convicted of robbery, an Orange County appeals court ruled Tuesday that his request for a new trial appears to have merit and should be heard by a trial judge.

The appeal focuses largely on two victims of an Anaheim loan office robbery who insist George Lopez was not the man who robbed them. Lopez, convicted last year, is serving a 13-year sentence at a state prison in Blythe.

The ruling means a Superior Court judge will hear testimony of the two victims as well as other details defense attorneys have raised in their appeal. The judge will then decide whether to sustain the conviction or grant a new trial.

"It's good news," said Lopez's attorney, James Crawford. "This is a key, first step toward getting George released from prison and returned home to his wife and family."

The appeal called into question several moves by Lopez's trial lawyer, Charles Stoddard, who elected not to ask the reluctant victims to testify about their doubts. Stoddard also failed to produce evidence that another man was convicted earlier of using an identical gun to rob three businesses in the days after the Anaheim robbery.

Since Lopez's conviction, the man convicted in the other three robberies offered to tell prosecutors who committed the Anaheim robbery--in exchange for immunity. Prosecutors have not accepted his offer.

Neither the trial prosecutor nor the deputy attorney general assigned the case could be reached for comment. But they have said in the past that they believe Lopez is guilty and the new evidence isn't enough to reopen the case.
Lopez's relatives said they were delighted to learn of the court's decision.
"I think they should face the fact they made a mistake and let an innocent young man come home," said Lopez's mother, Tricia. "All I ever wanted was for the truth to come out and it's finally happening."

At his trial, Lopez produced a time card he said showed he was working at a Santa Ana framing shop the day of the robbery. His uncle testified he drove Lopez home from work that day as usual.

The majority of similar appeals are denied without a hearing, so Tuesday's ruling is significant, said Richard Schwartzberg, an Orange County lawyer who specializes in criminal appeals.

"I think there's enough there that the likelihood is he's going to get a new trial," Schwartzberg said. "It just sounds like too many things went wrong."

Credit: TIMES STAFF WRITER

If you, a family member, friend or loved one has been arrested, James M Crawford, Orange County Criminal Defense Attorney can help. 

Call James M Crawford at (714) 538-0305 now.

Search the links below to see if your friend, family member, or loved one is currently incarcerated:

Orange County

http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner%20-%20Sandra%20Hutchens/E-Services/Who%20is%20in%20Jail%20-%20Inmate%20Info

San Bernardino County

http://www.sbcounty.gov/sheriff/bookingsearch/bookingsearch.aspx

Los Angeles County

http://app4.lasd.org/iic/ajis_search.cfm

Riverside County

http://jimspub.riversidesheriff.org/

James M. Crawford 

528 N. Glassell

Orange, CA 92867

Office: 714-538-0305 Fax: 714-538-0306 

164 East 3rd Street San Bernardino, CA 92410

Office: 909-388-2690

Orange County Criminal Defense Lawyer - On Youtube

Watch the first cut of my new video on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwTNGhBrkbs&feature=youtu.be

James M Crawford is undoubtedly an excellent Orange County appeals attorney with a proven track record to defend your case.

Search the links below to see if your friend, family member, or loved one is currently incarcerated:

Orange County

http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner%20-%20Sandra%20Hutchens/E-Services/Who%20is%20in%20Jail%20-%20Inmate%20Info

San Bernardino County

http://www.sbcounty.gov/sheriff/bookingsearch/bookingsearch.aspx

Los Angeles County

http://app4.lasd.org/iic/ajis_search.cfm

Riverside County

http://jimspub.riversidesheriff.org/

James M. Crawford 

528 N. Glassell

Orange, CA 92867

Office: 714-538-0305 Fax: 714-538-0306 

164 East 3rd Street San Bernardino, CA 92410

Office: 909-388-2690

Orange County Criminal Defense Attorney - Another Appeals Case Victory

 James M Crawford defends an innocent man who spent two years in jail: 

Recent News

Orange County; Judge Clears Man Who Spent 2 Years in Jail; Courts: Authorities believe someone else committed Anaheim robbery for which he was imprisoned. D.A., challenger disagree on the review process.

A judge on Friday dismissed charges against a man who spent two years in custody for a robbery authorities now believe someone else committed--prompting a candidate for Orange County district attorney to propose an examination of recent wrongful convictions.

George Lopez's case marks the fifth instance in two years that charges have been dropped against people convicted of robberies in the county. The cases turned on eyewitness testimony that ultimately proved unreliable.

Wally Wade, a veteran prosecutor running for district attorney, said the office should take a hard look at all five cases, then use lessons learned to train prosecutors and police on how to prevent wrongful convictions.

"The reason you analyze the past is to learn from it. I think these cases would be good examples," Wade said. "There are too many of these cases. I have no doubt the prosecutors and police are acting in good faith. But good faith doesn't get a man a year or 20 years of his life back."

Lopez, 19, was serving a 13-year sentence for the armed robbery of an Anaheim loan office when questions about his conviction began to surface. First, two victims of the crime stepped forward to profess his innocence. Last summer, another man told The Times that he, not Lopez, committed the crime.
Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas, who is running for reelection, said his office acted prudently in the Lopez case, agreeing to dismiss the case this week after its own investigation cast doubt on Lopez's guilt. He said Wade's suggested remedies are unnecessary.

"Our prosecutors train about eyewitness cases all the time," Rackauckas said. "This is not anything new. . . . He just sees this as an opportunity to try to help his campaign."
Rackauckas said that in 2000 he teamed with Public Defender Carl Holmes to launch a first-of-its-kind project that investigates prisoners' claims of wrongful convictions.
"The reason these people are being released is we have an attitude, if someone's not guilty, we're going to let them out," Rackauckas said. "I didn't see that under the past administration."

Lopez, 19, spent more than two years in custody before a judge ordered his release in September as questions about his guilt mounted. Lopez left the Santa Ana courthouse Friday hand-in-hand with his wife, saying he hopes that the dismissal of the case will help him find a job.
He said no one should have to go through what he did.
"I lost my job. All the money I'd saved for an apartment and wedding went to pay the lawyer," Lopez said. "This can't keep happening. They're playing with people's lives."

Wade questioned Rackauckas' handling of the Lopez case, faulting the district attorney for not ordering an investigation when questions about Lopez's conviction first surfaced more than a year ago. Wade also said Rackauckas has a duty to examine what went wrong.

"We have to analyze why this is happening because it shouldn't be," Wade said. "Police officers and D.A.s cringe at the idea that an innocent person is going to be convicted. So for this many to have been wrongly convicted is disturbing to everyone in law enforcement."
The five recent wrongful convictions in Orange County had some common threads. All involved armed robberies, and the convictions were based in large part on the testimony of victims.
Psychologists have reported for many years that testimony from victims of crime can be unreliable. Wade said prosecutors need to make sure they take additional caution in dealing with those cases.

"All jurors receive special instructions in cases involving eyewitness testimony. Prosecutors should also receive specialized training on evaluating eyewitness testimony," Wade said.

Michael Giannini, director of the Orange County Alternate Defenders Office, agreed that a new approach to eyewitness testimony is needed.
"Anyone in this business, we know the most unreliable evidence is eyewitness evidence," he said. "When it's a total stranger who's robbing you and you're under stress, the reliability goes way down."
Lopez said his concern now is providing for his family and raising the money to have a traditional wedding. He and his wife, Leah, were married by Judge Daniel J. Didier moments after his sentencing in 2000. It was Didier who dismissed the case Friday.
"The only thing I remember from our wedding day is he had to sign the wedding certificate and I could hear the handcuffs hitting the table," Leah Lopez said.

Credit: TIMES STAFF WRITER
James M Crawford is undoubtedly an excellent Orange County appeals attorney with a proven track record to defend your case.

Search the links below to see if your friend, family member, or loved one is currently incarcerated:

Orange County

http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner%20-%20Sandra%20Hutchens/E-Services/Who%20is%20in%20Jail%20-%20Inmate%20Info

San Bernardino County

http://www.sbcounty.gov/sheriff/bookingsearch/bookingsearch.aspx

Los Angeles County

http://app4.lasd.org/iic/ajis_search.cfm

Riverside County

http://jimspub.riversidesheriff.org/

James M. Crawford 

528 N. Glassell

Orange, CA 92867

Office: 714-538-0305 Fax: 714-538-0306 

164 East 3rd Street San Bernardino, CA 92410

Office: 909-388-2690

James M Crawford - Advocate For Native Americans

Advocate For Native Americans

James M. Crawford is an advocate for Native Americans. Have you, a loved one, or a family member who is Native American been wrongly convicted of a crime? Call James M. Crawford, he can help you file an appeal. He has handled more than 300 appeals in state and federal court and completed 70 criminal jury trials, and is supremely qualified to handle a wide range of criminal defense cases from felony and misdemeanor crimes to state and federal appeals. James M. Crawford has won many appeals and has overturned many wrongful convictions.  

If you’re a Native American, and have been charged with a crime, call James M. Crawford, Orange County’s Native American criminal defense attorney. He has over 17 years experience fighting for and defending the rights of the accused with extreme expertise.  

Some Helpful Links for Native Americans:

http://www.heydaybooks.com/news/ 

http://www.theindianreporter.com/breaking_news/

http://www.pechanga.net/ 

http://www.ocbtracker.com/ 

http://www.californiaindianeducation.org/educational_news/ 

http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2009/02/california-native-americans-face.html 

http://www.kumeyaay.com/ 

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/ict_sbc/rights-and-privileges-of-indian-health-care 

 http://www.tribal-institute.org/lists/news.htm

http://occriminaldefenselawatty.com/

Search the links below to see if your friend, family member, or loved one is currently incarcerated:

Orange County

http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner%20-%20Sandra%20Hutchens/E-Services/Who%20is%20in%20Jail%20-%20Inmate%20Info

San Bernardino County

http://www.sbcounty.gov/sheriff/bookingsearch/bookingsearch.aspx

Los Angeles County

http://app4.lasd.org/iic/ajis_search.cfm

Riverside County

http://jimspub.riversidesheriff.org/

James M. Crawford 

528 N. Glassell

Orange, CA 92867

Office: 714-538-0305 Fax: 714-538-0306 

164 East 3rd Street San Bernardino, CA 92410

Office: 909-388-2690