For a moment, we would like you to imagine a teenage girl who experienced a traumatic event. Rape. Imagine now that it was someone you knew or was close to you. What might you expect to be done about it? If you are in any way familiar with the criminal justice system, or have a…
Continue reading ›Kids who get in trouble with the law, more times than not, lack parental supervision. Without direction, adolescents often fall in with the wrong crowd. From there, anything is possible, from drug use to committing petty crimes. Such teenagers, at one point or another, get arrested by local authorities, and may have to serve time,…
Continue reading ›No matter which state you live in, most people would probably agree that sex crimes are some of the most heinous. Some may even argue that the damage caused by sexual assault, molestation and rape have lasting effects on victims that could be considered worse in many ways than that of murder. Everyone has different…
Continue reading ›Last week was National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW), April 2 through the 8th, with the theme of—Strength. Resilience. Justice. The goal is to inspire communities to raise awareness about victims’ rights and address the unmet needs of such victims. With that in mind, it is timely given that the California Assembly Public Safety Committee…
Continue reading ›American reliance on smartphones for day-to-day tasks increases steadily every year, as the devices become ever increasingly more advanced. There was a time when people could easily point out what a cellphone can’t do, but with each passing year that becomes more and more difficult. While there are thousands of apps available across many platforms,…
Continue reading ›When you or someone else sits down with a therapist, or medical professional of any kind,— they typically expect some level of privacy. That’s what they say will be protected by the patient rights. Not only is patient privacy of the utmost importance to patients, it is vital to therapists for building a bond of…
Continue reading ›Teenagers are notorious for making rash decisions, some of which can greatly impact the course of their life. Young people, just like adults, often find themselves caught up in the legal system for such decisions, but with an important exception. Minors are usually tried within the juvenile criminal system. The records of which that many…
Continue reading ›With November 8, 2016, seemingly long behind us, it is time for California defenders, prosecutors and judges to change their ways with regard to juveniles. California voters supported putting an end to what is known as “direct file,” a law that gave prosecutors the authority to dictate which juveniles would be tried in adult criminal…
Continue reading ›Over the summer, we wrote about what is known as “direct file,” where states prosecutors have discretionary power about which court system to try a minor: juvenile or adult criminal court. California is one of 15 states that allows prosecutors to dictate the severity of an offense, deciding which court a juvenile case should be…
Continue reading ›While human trafficking is something that the majority of Americans only know of via Hollywood, it is in fact a tragic occurrence that happens all over the world. What’s more, while the practice of forcing teenage and young adult women into sexual slavery may be more commonly associated with overseas practices, it is something that…
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