This past year the California Legislature passed SB 395, which is designed to protect youth aged 15 or less from the pressure of custodial questioning by law enforcement and, in reality, from themselves. Under existing law, the same Miranda rights and standards for waiving those rights apply whether the person in custody is a 14- or 40-year-old. Effective January 1, 2018, this … Read More
Discrepancies in State Cannabis Regulations and Local Regulations.
Humboldt County’s Commercial Medical Marijuana Land Use Ordinance (CMMLUO) has been in existence for almost two years. The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Emergency Regulations concerning cannabis cultivation have been out for almost a month. Already, the two are at odds. The issue stems from how the County defines “mixed light” cultivation versus the State’s definition of the same … Read More
Abalone Fishery Closed for 2018
The California Fish and Game Commission unanimously voted earlier this week to close the sport abalone fishery statewide for the entirety of 2018. The decision follows several years of increased restrictions on the fishery including reduced season length, bag limits, and other measures aimed at lowering the number of abalone harvested. Despite these measures, scientific surveys show declining abalone populations … Read More
New Protections for Child Sex Abuse Victims
Sex abuse and harassment are much in the news of late. Recently, California’s Governor signed into law a bill to help sexually abused children who decide to hold perpetrators accountable. In the past, child victims who sued for justice were subjected to overly long psychological examinations by defense teams. As a result of Senator Beall’s SB 755 legislation, the new … Read More