San Diego Criminal Lawyer Blog

The July 25 death of former American Idol contestant Alexis Cohen has shocked and touched many of the show’s fans here in San Diego. Officers arrested a suspect in the killing -- a 23 year old man named Daniel Bark, who’s been accused of killing Cohen in a hit and run accident and then illegally eluding a law enforcement officer. Bark faces charges of aggravated manslaughter and could face many years in jail.

According to Bark's attorney, David Glassman, the defendant is on suicide watch and is suffering from emotional trauma from the event. Had an experienced San Diego defense attorney been on hand to advise Bark about how to behave in the immediate aftermath of the accident, he would have likely counseled him not to evade authorities and not to leave the scene of the accident. In fact, the fact that Bark fled from the scene -- quite possibly, a panic reflex -- may significantly complicate his legal defense. The additional charges he may face for hit and run and eluding arrest could tack on years to his jail sentence and make probation and rehabilitation much more difficult.

Building a sound San Diego defense strategy requires careful planning and a thorough knowledge of California law, both in theory and in practice. The Law Offices of Stephen Brodsky can equip you to address criminal charges pending against you, whether they’re relatively minor (e.g. a misdemeanor) or severe (e.g. a felony DUI or aggravated manslaughter). Attorney Brodsky has won numerous complex battles at trial, and he understands how to negotiate with prosecutors to get excellent results for his clients. Please check out more resources at www.criminalattorneysandiego.com, or call 1-800-GOOD-ADVICE.

Comic Con has wowed comic book fans for four decades. Over the past ten years, however, the niche festival has blossomed into the entertainment industry’s biggest trade show. 2009’s Comic Con -- held at the San Diego Civic Center -- attracted literally tens of thousands of comic book, gamer, animation, and feature film buffs. Fortunately, crime statistics for this year’s Con were down significantly from Con 2008.

Major attractions this year included a Tim Burton inspired Alice in Wonderland exhibit, a booth for Richard Kelly’s much-anticipated new film, The Box. (Kelly directed the critical darling, Donnie Darko, which inspired a generation of young filmmakers to reach for new heights of eccentricity.) In addition, James Cameron floored the crowd with stupendous teasers for his upcoming 3D movie, Avatar. Sci-Fi fans also mooned over previews for Tron: Legacy, the sequel to the 1984 sci-fi classic starring Jeff Bridges.

Despite the influx of literally tens of thousands of tourists, the San Diego Police Department managed to contain the crowds effectively, and no serious crimes (e.g. manslaughter, assault, and other violent crimes) were reported. Officers did report some instances of petty theft, vandalism, and a handful of street altercations. But for the most part, the crowd was well behaved. Attendance was down from 2008, perhaps due to the fact that the recession forced would-be conventioneers to spend their money on more practical pursuits, like paying the gas bill.

If you were charged with a San Diego crime at the 2009 Comic Con, or you need help with some other San Diego criminal defense matter, turn to Attorney Stephen Brodsky. Since 1988, Attorney Brodsky’s practice has served hundreds of San Diegans. Attorney Brodsky leverages a deep knowledge of San Diego defense law, an agile and intuitive way with legal argumentation, and a results-focused attitude to deliver for his clients. Find out more about how the law offices of Attorney Stephen Brodsky can go to work on your San Diego criminal defense today by connecting with someone at 1-800-GOOD-ADVICE or by exploring www.criminalattorneysandiego.com.

If you’ve been charged with a crime in San Diego -- be it a minor misdemeanor for violating terms of a probation, or a serious felony, like a felony DUI or a charge of manslaughter or assault and battery -- you may be feeling a range of conflicting and powerful emotions. It's important to understand that you’re not the first person to experience similar reactions to being charged with a San Diego crime. One of the keys to moving beyond feelings of vulnerability, weakness, anger, regret, and panic is to acknowledge the reality of your emotions -- this way, emotions won't get in the way of constructing your best San Diego crime defense. To that end, let's examine some emotions commonly felt by the criminally accused:

1. Guilt/remorse -- whether you injured someone in a motor vehicle crash, hurt someone in a bar brawl, or simply embarrassed yourself in front of your friends or coworkers, you may feel a strong component of remorse. In some cases, this remorse may be merited; in other cases, it may be an exaggerated emotional response. A sound and comprehensive defense strategy and treatment program can help you confront these feelings and take action on them in a constructive way. For instance, by making amends to a victim or his or her family, you may help mitigate your sentence.

2. Panic/anxiety -- the fear of the unknown is powerful. Although you’ve been charged with a crime, you don’t know exactly how your defense will play out in a court of law. Will you be able to make a plea arrangement with the prosecution? Will your case go to trial? How soon will it take to resolve the matter -- two weeks or three years? With all these unknowns at play, it's unsurprising that many defendants experience profound anxiety over their futures. A good remedy to that is to connect with a solid San Diego criminal defense attorney to plan a strategy for your defense. Once you have a plan in mind, you may find some of your anxiety and panic falling away.

3. Numbness -- accused criminal defendants often report feeling less emotion than expected. “Going numb” may indicate that you have not fully processed the event, the arrest, or other matters relating to the crime or alleged crime. The human psyche tends to be both fragile and self-protecting. For instance, in many cases, emotional numbness protects your psyche from confronting the harsh realities of the situation. One potential solution is to enter therapy as quickly as possible. This can help not only with your legal defense but also with your coping and rehabilitation strategies.

For more help about how to handle your San Diego criminal defense matter, connect with the Law Offices of Attorney Stephen R. Brodsky ASAP. Attorney Brodsky can provide a free, no obligation consultation to you and advise you about your options. Attorney Brodsky has tremendous qualifications, and he’s represented a wide variety of defendants in his more than 18 years of practicing law. Book your appointment now by phoning 1-800-GOOD-ADVICE or by emailing the firm via www.criminalattorneysandiego.com.

#1: Copycatting – Juvenile crimes in San Diego almost always occur in an instructive context. By seeking to understand why criminal behaviors occur, authorities and parents can develop better solutions. When criminologists discuss patterns in juvenile crime, they often refer to trends as “epidemics” (e.g. "the meth epidemic"). This designation is extremely insightful. Kids and teens tend to mirror behaviors – both good and bad. When kids witness their role models engage in vandalism, theft, and gang violence, they copycat. The motivation to copy occurs on a subconscious level. Thus, one key to breaking the cycle is: 1) identify the popular dangerous behavior(s); 2) develop a strategy to psychologically inoculate other juveniles against repeating the behavior(s).

#2: Hormones – Developing juveniles undergo tremendous physiological and biochemical changes as they mature from prepubescents to full adults. During this tumultuous period, kids can be driven by their hormones to engage in risky behaviors and destructive practices that they otherwise would never commit. The physiological factors driving these behaviors may reside completely outside of these kids' conscious control! To resolve physiologically-driven behavior problems, therefore, parents must identify what the physical problem is and remedy it using appropriate strategies (including, possibly, medication).

#3: Overstimulation - Young Americans today are assaulted by stimuli. Ubiquitous advertising, video games, web media, social networks, cell phones, and dozens of other stimuli compete for attention spans all day long. Many kids are desperate to turn off the spigot of this near-constant stream of information. Unfortunately, like a tilted pinball machine, info-overloaded kids often tune out good information along with bad. One solution is to reduce or remove excessive stimuli and to train children in the art of meditation. Medications for ADHD can also be useful as an adjunct to this therapy.

To explore a sound defense strategy for your San Diego juvenile offender, connect with the law offices of Stephen Brodsky & Associates through www.criminalattorneysandiego.com.