Criminal Law

Have you been arrested and are criminal charges in San Diego? If so, it is important to understand how the early phase of the criminal proceedings against you will unfold. The Arraignment hearing is the first official legal proceeding in a criminal case. Here is a brief overview of the Arraignment process in San Diego. […] Read more

Every time a person is arrested for a crime in California a record of that arrest is created. It does not matter if the person is actually guilty of the crime. Arrest records in California are available to the public. This means that if you have been wrongfully arrested in California, a record of that […] Read more

If you are arrested for a misdemeanor in California you may wonder if it is worth the effort to hire an attorney to defend you. You may believe that a misdemeanor arrest or conviction may not be a big deal or that it may not have a significant negative effect on your life. It is […] Read more

Vandalism refers to the offense of destroying or defacing someone else’s property without their permission. This includes acts such as breaking windows, drawing graffiti, damaging cars and even damaging or destroying another person’s website. Results of vandalism can be seen on billboards, street signs, building structures, cemeteries and many other public spaces. It is a […] Read more

There is no statute of limitations in the state of California for any offense which is punishable by death or life in prison, including murder. The embezzlement of public funds also has no statute of limitations. Perhaps one of the primary reasons there is not statute of limitations for the crime of murder, aside from […] Read more

If you are wanted for a crime, you are probably wondering what happens after an arrest. At the Law Office of Vikas Bajaj, APC, we have over 16 years experience helping people accused of a crime. To assist you, we put together an infographic that explains the post-arrest process. If you need more information, call […] Read more

Clemency occurs when a person from a governmental executive branch makes the decision to pardon a person who has been sentenced to prison time. The President of the United States, or the governor of a state are the persons who grant clemency. However, the governor is only allowed to grant clemency on state-related crimes, while […] Read more

Court records can be either civil or criminal, however both summarize all the events which occurred during the court date or dates. Court records are public in nature, therefore anyone can request access to the records. A criminal court record is known as a docket, which shows a series of checked boxes and arrows detailing […] Read more

At a time of dwindling resources both in terms of physical facilities and prosecutor/judicial staff, California’s criminal courts process over six million cases a year. Even though the vast majority of these cases are resolved by plea bargain, and many of these plea-bargained cases are settled very early in the process, there are still a […] Read more

This infographic outlines the top 8 questions to ask a criminal defense attorney during a free consultation. They are: Where Did You Go To Law School? How Long Have You Been Practicing Law? How Long Have You Been a Criminal Defense Attorney? How Many Criminal Defense Cases Have You Handled? How Many Jury Trials Have […] Read more

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco will soon decide how far San Diego police can go to “get the bad guy” before they cross the line. Ironically, the lawsuit currently before the court does not involve a “bad guy,” and according to some civil libertarians, that it exactly the problem. The case […] Read more

Social media outlets have removed many of these built-in filters that could once defuse tense situations. The anonymity of the Internet compounds the problem because insults can be hurled at someone that a person does not know. These insults can be shared with thousands–or even millions–at the touch of a button. A situation of this […] Read more

Despite what you may think, more often than not, being convicted of an attempted crime can lead to the same sentence as if you had actually completed the crime. The basis of all criminal law comes down to intent. The rationale is that if you attempted to do something, you had the requisite intent to […] Read more

Police departments in the greater San Diego area recently installed surveillance cameras between the OB Pier and San Diego River, hoping to deter crime. Cities in Northern California are also advocating for surveillance as a safety measure in public areas, in response to increasing reports of crime in California. According to a 2015 FBI study, […] Read more

The theory behind mandatory minimums is great: People who are repeat offenders have not learned their lesson and should be in prison for a longer amount of time until they learn the necessary lessons. The intentions of the policy makers are good, but good intentions do not always make for the best policies. Statistics show […] Read more