Recent Blog Posts in June 2009 |
| June 24, 2009 |
| Orange County Youth Pastor Sentenced for Statutory Rape |
| Posted By Robert Bernstein |
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Under California law,
Unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor (statutory rape) occurs when the victim is considered incapable of giving legal consent because they are under 18 years of age, even if the intercourse is consensual.
A former youth church pastor, Daniel John Pedroza, 28, has been sentenced to 90 days in jail for having sex with a 17-year-old girl he met through his youth ministry. Pedroza pleaded guilty to three California felony counts
of unlawful sexual intercourse, two counts of oral copulation of a minor and one count of sexual penetration by foreign object of a minor. Prosecutors asked the judge to give Pedroza a one-year-sentence. But the judge instead gave him 90 days and placed him on five years of probation.
Pedroza apparently met the girl at the Capistrano Beach church. Their relationship is said to have taken place between July 1 and December 1 at his home and hers when her parents were not home, prosecutors said. The girl told about their sexual relationship to Orange County Social Services staff. Pedroza was then fired by the church and charged.
The consequences for a
sex crime conviction may range from probation to a lifetime in jail in certain circumstances. Additionally, almost any conviction will include mandatory lifetime
sex offender registration, a label that will govern where you are able to live and work. Being labeled a sex offender carries with it serious social consequences - friends, business associates and even family members may no longer want to be involved in your life.
Don't let a conviction for a sex crime ruin your life and destroy your future. If you, or someone you know has been arrested or is under investigation for a sex crime,
Contact
Los Angeles sex crimes defense lawyer
Robert Bernstein regarding your case to defend your rights. As a former prosecutor, Attorney Bernstein has the experience with both sides of
the criminal process
to provide you with most effective, aggressive representation in all aspects of your criminal case.
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| June 05, 2009 |
| California Marine Recruiter Charged With Pimping a 14-year-old Girl |
| Posted By Robert Bernstein |
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Police have arrested
a U.S. Marine Corps recruiter in Riverside County, California,
on charges of felony pimping and kidnapping and are looking into whether he used sex with a 14-year-old girl to entice potential recruits.
Staff Sgt. Bryan Damone Cunningham, 33, of San Pedro pleaded not guilty to seven felonies last Thursday after police in Orange discovered the teenage girl in a car with Cunningham and two other men. The two men, ages 18 and 19, were potential Marine recruits, police said.
The girl told police that she met Cunningham online and had sex with all three men. She also told police Cunningham wanted her to work as a prostitute and had tried to take her to Los Angeles County against her will. Police said they are trying to determine if Cunningham may have been using the girl to entice Marine recruits.
Cunningham is being held on $1 million bail and has a court hearing June 18, said John Hall, a spokesman for the Riverside County district attorney's office. The two potential Marine recruits face felony charges on having sex with a minor.
Being charged with
kidnapping, pimping or any
sex crime can be a terrifying experience and you will need
a truly skilled Criminal Defense Attorney to protect your rights and your future. If you, or someone you know has been arrested for a sex crime or kidnapping,
contact Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer Robert Bernstein for a free consultation today.
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| June 05, 2009 |
| Music Producer Phil Spector sentenced in Los Angeles murder case. |
| Posted By Robert Bernstein |
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A Los Angeles County jury convicted Phil Spector of actress Lana Clarkson's
murder last month, a year and a half after his first trial had ended in a mistrial after the jury had deadlocked, unable to agree upon a verdict.
At the sentencing hearing, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler sentenced Spector to serve 19 years to life in prison. Meaning Spector would not be eligible for parole until he is 88 years old.
Spector's lawyer said his client was focused on his appeal and eager to get through the sentencing so he could move to a prison facility nicer than the Los Angeles County Jail where he has been held since the conviction.
Judge Fidler denied defense arguments for a new trial and also ordered Spector to pay about $26,000 for Clarkson's funeral expenses and the cost of counseling provided to her mother and sister.
If you or someone you know has been charged with murder or manslaughter,
contact Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer Robert M. Bernstein today. When facing murder or manslaughter charges in California, your very life may be at stake.
Attorney Robert Bernstein has the experience and know-how to conduct an in-depth investigation into the charges that his clients face and build a winning defense strategy.
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| June 05, 2009 |
| Felony Criminal Charges filed against the "Breast Implant Bandit" |
| Posted By Robert Bernstein |
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An Orange County, CA woman has been accused of using a false identity to obtain new breast implants from a plastic surgeon. Yvonne Jean Pampellonne, 30, nicknamed the 'Breast Implant Bandit', is now facing three felony charges, including commercial burglary, grand theft and identity theft.
Pampellone surrendered to police in March after detectives caught up with her using breast implant tracking numbers. Police say that in September of 2008 Pampellonne used the personal information of another woman to establish a line of credit at the Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery in Huntington Beach.
Doctors performed $12,000 in liposuction and breast augmentation surgery at the center, police say, charging $12,000 to the phony line of credit and exchanging her existing implants for new ones.
Burglary,
grand theft and identity theft are felony criminal offenses under California law and are punishable by state prison sentences. If you, or someone you know is under investigation or has been arrested contact
Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney Robert M. Bernstein for a
free consultation.
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| June 05, 2009 |
| California Marine Recruiter Charged With Pimping a 14-year-old Girl |
| Posted By Robert Bernstein |
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Police have arrested
a U.S. Marine Corps recruiter in Riverside County, California,
on charges of felony pimping and kidnapping and are looking into whether he used sex with a 14-year-old girl to entice potential recruits.
Staff Sgt. Bryan Damone Cunningham, 33, of San Pedro pleaded not guilty to seven felonies last Thursday after police in Orange discovered the teenage girl in a car with Cunningham and two other men. The two men, ages 18 and 19, were potential Marine recruits, police said.
The girl told police that she met Cunningham online and had sex with all three men. She also told police Cunningham wanted her to work as a prostitute and had tried to take her to Los Angeles County against her will. Police said they are trying to determine if Cunningham may have been using the girl to entice Marine recruits.
Cunningham is being held on $1 million bail and has a court hearing June 18, said John Hall, a spokesman for the Riverside County district attorney's office. The two potential Marine recruits face felony charges on having sex with a minor.
Being charged with
kidnapping, pimping or any
sex crime can be a terrifying experience and you will need
a truly skilled Criminal Defense Attorney to protect your rights and your future. If you, or someone you know has been arrested for a sex crime or kidnapping,
contact Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer Robert Bernstein for a free consultation today.
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| Continue reading "California Marine Recruiter Charged With Pimping a 14-year-old Girl" » |
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| June 02, 2009 |
| Police Misconduct; Officer Withholds Crucial Evidence for Eight Years |
| Posted By Robert Bernstein |
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Police misconduct refers to objectionable and even illegal actions taken by police officers
in connection with their official duties, which can lead to a miscarriage of justice.
Some criminal defendants could get new trials because an Oceanside, CA police officer withheld taped interviews in cases dating back to 2001.
Officer Damon Smith, who disclosed that he had some recordings in his locker that were not entered into evidence as part of a
domestic violence case in April, apparently failed to turn over interviews with suspects and witnesses ever since he was hired eight years ago.
In criminal proceedings, all evidence must be made available to both sides to ensure a fair trial. The tapes found in Smith's locker were extremely significant and should not have been withheld from the court. The San Diego District Attorney's Office is currently reviewing and gathering information in order to complete a legal analysis and take appropriate action. Prosecutors are reviewing the tapes and plan to turn them over to their
defense attorneys, who could argue for new trials.
At the
Law Offices of Robert M. Bernstein, we are able to provide the highest level of legal representation to our clients. Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney Robert M. Bernstein is experienced in defending all major felony and misdemeanor cases in Federal, State, and Juvenile Court.
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| June 02, 2009 |
| Santa Barbara Psychologist Pleads Guilty to Sex Crimes |
| Posted By Robert Bernstein |
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A former Santa Barbara County psychologist was convicted of sexual exploitation and other felony sex crimes and pleaded guilty Wednesday to a new felony allegation of sexual exploitation by a psychotherapist or
drug abuse counselor.
Fernando Cordero, 66, was convicted by a jury last month on four felony counts, including
Sexual Battery, Sexual Exploitation by a psychotherapist or drug abuse counselor and two counts of attempting to dissuade a witness from reporting a crime after he had been released on bail following his arrest in November 2007.
Cordero has lost his license to practice psychology, as the California Board of Psychology obtained a license suspension for him in January 2008.
Los Angeles sex crimes lawyer
Robert M. Bernstein knows that being accused of a sex crime is a terrifying experience with serious, life changing implications.
Los Angeles criminal defense attorney
Robert M. Bernstein is an experienced, aggressive and knowledgeable legal professional who provides the highest level, of legal defense for individuals who have been accused, or are under investigation for
sex crimes or sexually based offenses in Los Angeles and throughout California.
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