Understanding the factors that determine who is to blame for a car, motorcycle, or bicycle accident can be key in filing your personal injury claims. As with any type of accident, finding fault in a traffic accident is a matter of deciding who was careless or “negligent.” In most cases, common sense will prevail, but…
For many, estate planning feels uncomfortable it forces us to acknowledge human limits; that we may become incapacitated mentally or physically; who gets what after we pass away; and what provisions we want taken for end of life care. Facing mortality is one of the hardest things we must do in life, but meeting with…
When you hear estate planning you may think of giant mansions, jets and yachts, or maybe a precious heirloom diamond broach from your great-great Aunt Myrtle. Simply put, estate planning is the process of anticipating and arranging, during a person’s life, for the management and disposal of your property and assets either during your lifetime…
It is difficult to imagine anything simpler than the definition of an expert witness – someone who can help the jury understand something, some aspect of the factual dispute, or possibly even an ultimate fact that the jury must decide on. California Evidence Code §720 defines an expert as a person qualified to testify based…
In 1995, the California Legislature enacted Penal Code §186.11 to add two arrows to the quiver of prosecuting attorneys. Penal Code §186.11 can sting a defendant in two ways: The first holds additional incarceration and fines over a defendant’s head. The second arrow of this section is potentially more damaging to a defendant and his…
This is the outline of my California estate planning seminar presentation at the December 12-13, 2013 NBI Seminar in San Francisco on” Estate Planning from A to Z.” It will be delivered to estate planning professionals, but the information should be helpful to everyone. NBI ESTATE PLANNING FROM A TO Z December 12-13, 2013 KEY…
Restitution Is Payback–What Goes Around, Comes Around. By Andrew Dósa, Law Office of Andrew Dósa, Alameda, Northern California. The law is clear. California has made it a Constitutional Right of a crime victim. Restitution is imposed when a defendant is convicted of a crime. It is good for a victim. It is supposed to be…
This article was original published in Crime Justice & America, Alameda County Edition, 2009. THEY ARE SPEAKING IN CODE–What Kind of Motion or Waiver is That? By: Andrew Dósa Do you remember getting a box of Cracker Jacks, that caramel covered popcorn with peanuts? There was always some kind of “prize” inside. The coolest had…
This article was first published in Crime Justice & America, 2009, by Andrew Dósa, and was written directly to defendants, to assist them as they prepared for the Pre-Sentence Probation Officer Interview. SPEAK FOR YOURSELF–HELP YOURSELF: BE PREPARED FOR THE PROBATION INTERVIEW You have been forced to be silent. From the start of your case through…
