Criminal Defense 101 - What to Do If Arrested and Charged With a Crime

If you have recently been arrested and/or charged with a criminal offense, there are a few important legal issues you will need to take into account ad address as the criminal process unfolds in your case. In addition, there are several things you can do during the arrest that will most likely help you in the forthcoming criminal case against you. Here are some important things to remember if you have been arrested and charged with a criminal offense in, both during the arrest itself and shortly thereafter:

o Remember your right to remain silent. Many times law enforcement does not know whom to believe and they may easily record events in the police report that end up being flat out false. In criminal arrest situations, it is possible to cooperate with roadside testing without agreeing to say anything. It it highly recommended that you talk to an attorney before talking to the police.

o Contact a criminal defense attorney, preferably one with considerable experience in handling the kinds of criminal charges being levied against you. An attorney can set things in motion and give critical advice. If you are aware that you are a suspect or person of interest in an investigation, it is extremely important that you consult with an attorney as soon as possible.

o If there has been an arrest, work with your attorney to post a release bond as soon as possible. After a short period of time in your case, it generally becomes more difficult to obtain a reduction in your bond as opinions harden and the court and prosecutors move on to other matters.

o Consider who is a witness (good or bad) to anything you have been accused of and gather statements as well as contact information as quickly as possible. This is particularly important in motor vehicle matters as the police often do not interview all witnesses and finding them later may prove to be difficult.

o Consider carefully whether you have any evidence that might be useful in establishing your side of the story. Immediately being to think over your side of the story and gather information (on paper or physical evidence) that could help with your defense.

Many defendants choose to accept the free court-appointed attorney, provided they meet minimum income requirements, which currently encompass persons earning than $1,000/month gross income and are residents, among other requirements. Many of these defendants assume that the court-appointed and often inexperienced criminal defense attorneys will be able to get them as favorable a deal as hiring a private and more experienced criminal defense attorney. More often than not, people that take the cheap legal defense route pay far more in the end with harder sentences and fines that can have greater consequences in both the short and long term.

Consequently, it is highly recommended that you give yourself the best possible chance of getting the best possible outcome for your particular criminal case. Choose and pay more for an experienced criminal attorney who is familiar with the court system in the city or county where your are being charged, as doing so is going to give you the best chance for success in your criminal defense legal process. Such an attorney will work most effectively within the local court system and prosecution, having dealt with the local prosecutor's office many times before, and presumably avoiding the mistakes that most inexperienced attorneys tend to make, thus saving you time, money and perhaps even a little sanity in the long run.

In sum, if you are arrested and charged with a criminal offense, remember the above points during the initial arrest process and immediately seek an experienced criminal attorney who is familiar with the local court system in the city or county where your are being charged. Such an attorney will best help you understand the options you have in your case and will clearly explain what you can expect out of the case, ultimately speeding up the legal process so you can go on with your life. Remember that your quality of life for years to come is on the line; don't trust it to just any run of the mill legal representation!

Manage Your Life With Microsoft Outlook, Google and a Smart Phone

These three tools can help manage your busy life and work in a big way. Microsoft outlook has features like Calendar, along with your usual Email and Contact list. Google has Gmail along with Google Calendar and a tracking application called Latitude. Lastly, your smart phone has a calendar, GPS and can install applications. It also has internet access at all times of the day. With these three things you can manage your life more simply.

For starters Outlook is a great mail application. It has features for receiving and composing email and, among other things, has a built in calendar. The calendar is a simple click and type interface with scheduling for days, weeks, months, and years. Outlook is basically the one stop shop for emailing and scheduling.

Google has many neat programs under its belt, but the ones we are going to be using are Gmail, Google Calendar, Outlook Sync and Google Latitude. Gmail is an online email service with approximately 7 Gigabytes of storage space. Google Calendar is an appointment book that has a lot of the same features you will see in Microsoft Outlook. Outlook Sync is a program that will update your Google Calendar with Outlook Calendar and the other way around, Outlook Calendar with Google Calendar. Lastly Latitude is an application you can install on your smart phone that will use your GPS to track your phone, thus your location, and will send it to Google.

Smart phones have the capability of having internet all day, which makes them handy with receiving and sending real time information. Smart phones also support many 3rd party applications like the ones we will use. Lastly, they come equipped with a calendar that should be similar in functionality to Outlook calendar.

So how do we put all these resources together to manage your life?

1. Create a Gmail account. Don't worry if you do not want to use Gmail as your main mailing application. For example if you have a business email address that you have been using for years, you will still be able to keep this address. If this is the case, you must take an extra step. Open your original mail client online and forward mail to your new Gmail account. The option for this should be in the control panel. This will copy and forward messages you receive in that mailbox to Gmail's inbox.

2. Sign into Google Calendar, which has become available from signing up for Gmail. This will activate it.

3. Install Outlook Sync Manager to your computer. After you install Sync Manager go ahead and type your email credentials to complete the install.

4. Install Gmail smart phone app. It will give your smart phone the Gmail icon to check your emails and notify you of new messages. You will probably want to place this icon on the homepage of your phone for easy access. After the install type your credentials to begin receiving emails.

5. Install Google Maps on your smart phone. This program comes with Google Maps and Latitude. After the install is complete open the app. and choose to join latitude from the menu.

After these steps, you should be on your way to an easier method of emailing, scheduling, and letting your loved ones and friends know where you are. Using your phone, you now have the capability of sending and receiving email at any time of the day. You can also schedule appointments in your phone and they will be sent to Google calendar for others in your family to read. All the while, your location is being uploaded to Google so anyone you have added to your Latitude friends list can now see your location.

Using your PC, you can add the Google Latitude app to your iGoogle.com homepage. This way you know where your friends and family are located at a glance. You can also use your Microsoft Outlook to send and receive email and add new scheduled appointments. Any Appointments made in Outlook with be automatically updated in your phone. Just like any appointments you make in your phone will be automatically update in Microsoft Outlook. With Google's ability to combine calendars from separate Gmail account into one, you can see who is doing what, and when.

Summary:

It is now possible to stay connected with family and friends whether you are on the go or at home. By using auto synchronizing calendars it's easier to plan your day and see what others have in store. With Latitude you can locate your friend or show the status of your road trip! These tools really can make scheduling and emailing easier.

Warmest Regards,

Erik Mjelde

Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyers

Los Angeles is a city of fun and dreams. It attracts thousands of young people, as it is the center of entertainment and also is a business place for many professionals. But it can become a nightmare if you are caught doing a criminal act.

A crime is any act done in violation of public law. If you are facing any criminal charges then you can get help from criminal defense lawyers in Los Angeles. Criminal law is branch of law that defines crimes, establishes punishments, and regulates the investigation and prosecution of people accused of committing crimes.

Criminal defense lawyers in Los Angeles are very famous for their intelligence and professionalism. There are thousands of criminal defense lawyers who might help you in your case. There are many lawyers who specialize in criminal cases and also take cases of civil defense and other kind of laws. One has to find a lawyer who specializes in criminal law. There are many legal associations in Los Angeles. One should aware about the different associations. The lawyer should be a member such an organization.

The need for an experienced, professional criminal lawyer is always there, because Los Angeles has the busiest court system in the United States. It means there is a huge crowd in the courts, and the judges and prosecutors are also very busy. Therefore, a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer who is experienced and respected by his peers in the justice system can achieve greater results. Also, criminal charges in Los Angeles have high fines and harsh punishments; therefore, one really requires a professional criminal defense lawyer.

Killer Keyword Marketing Research

Everyone wants more traffic. But most do not know how to excel at the one thing that will insure their site is jammed with traffic like a Los Angeles freeway at rush hour. That is, they fail to do anywhere near enough keyword marketing research.

Granted reading one article will not you an expert make. But I can at least begin to bring you up to speed when it comes to finding visitor laden top search terms. To do so I will reveal four of my sacred keyword research rules of thumb.

My first rule of thumb is simple. Do not settle for the obvious keyword phrases. I know. Sounds obvious. But apparently isn't.

For example the term "easter baskets" gets 120 searches/day. While going up against 420,00 other pages.

Not insurmountable. But I like less of a challenge. Especially when "personalized easter baskets" gets 109 searches/day and only has 615 competitors.

See the difference one word makes? Similar to the difference between lightning and a lightning bug, no? Since you get nearly the same number of searches with no where near the same number of competing pages.

The next secret rule of thumb is to compare the plural verses singular forms to see which is better. Since when it comes to this most webmasters tend to pile onto the wrong choice.

Take the term "gold earrings" It gets 168 daily searches in all engines, and has 1,540,000 competing pages in Google. While "gold earring" gets 84 daily searches and faces 440,000 competitors. In other words it has less than a third of the competition for half the searches. So we're on the right track. Best of all "italian gold earrings" is used by 52 searchers daily. And only has to fend off 514 pesky competitors. Or what you might call a slam dunk.

Your third keyword research tactic involves grabbing the low hanging fruit. Or what I call "orphan keywords".

Ideally you're looking search terms with less than 1000 competing pages in Google when searching for the EXACT phrase. 500 or less is better still.

Of course the closer to 10 competing pages you get for a search term, the more likely it is your page will be to stumble into the top 10. These are true "orphan keywords". So named due to neglect by your competitors.

Then don't forget to think outside the box. Just like your potential customers do.

Say you had a law practice in California. One term you might consider is "criminal defense attorney". That gets 131 searches but faces 1,450,000 competing pages. I'm not wild about those odds. Plus the term really isn't very targeted.

Digging deeper I found that "criminal defense attorney LA" gets 85 daily searches. And only has 11,1100 pages to beat out. Not bad.

Digging deeper still "criminal defense attorney la county" gets 84 daily searches. But only has 575 competing pages. Paydirt!

Once again I turned up a search term with total searches at least in the same ball park as the generic term I started with. Yet with just a handful of competing pages to deal with. Rarely do I fail to do this. In fact you'll discover dozens of such gems by thoroughly researching your keyword universe.

Never forget that keyword marketing research is THE factor that determines the success or failure of your niche site. Applying rules of thumb like these can help you do smarter optimised keyword marketing. Which in turn will help you attract more traffic from search engines more easily. And traffic is something we could all use more of, right?

Reading the Safeties Quarterback Training

Today the quarterbacks are schooled that reading the safeties is the key to being able to read the defense. Whether the defense is blitzing, going with man to man or zone, it is very important quarterbacks are able to read the safeties.

As a quarterback you will get your first read of the defense when you break the huddle and approach the line of scrimmage. You want to see how the free safety and strong safety are lined up, this will give you and idea of what play the defense has called.

Typically the strong safety lines up opposite the tight end closer to the LOS than the free safety. The primary role of the strong safety is to support stopping the run, while the free safety is focused on stopping the pass. This article will focus on the basic fundamentals quarterbacks need to be able to read the safeties.

*Strong Safety*

Watch how the strong safety lines up, usually he will be closer to the LOS opposite the tight end or the second receiver. If SS lines up close the line of scrimmage and is inching up closer to the LOS, this indicates the defense anticipates a run play to the strong side of the field. If the SS is lined up deeper, five to seven yards back, the defense is preparing for pass defense.

*Free Safety*

The free safety is usually smaller and quicker than the strong safety. The free safety acts like the center fielder in baseball. The free safety covers the deep areas to protect against the long ball by defending the middle of the field and to protecting against the deep routes.

*Safety Line Ups*

If the safeties are lining up deep, each on the hash mark, this indicates a cover 2 defense, opening up the short routes and quick hitter short timing pattern passes.

If you see both safeties inching up toward the line of scrimmage, this usually means a safety blitz, opening up medium and long passing routes.

When you see the strong and free safeties are deep and the middle line backer has dropped back as a third safety, you are facing a cover 3 defense, which can be beaten with a short quick hitter to the tight end, or short crossing routes by the wide outs.

In conclusion being able to read the safeties is an essential skill you need to be a successful quarterback. This article gives you some of the basics in reading the safeties, there are many instructive DVDS available on reading defenses that can help you learn to read the safeties.

Why DUI Attorney Experience, Skills, and Time Are Important

It's unfortunate that some DUI, DWI, and OWI attorneys are a waste of money. Go to just about any drinking and driving forum or board and you'll hear cries foul not only for the charges, but how ineffective the lawyer was.

How much of an impact should a DUI attorney have? What of experience should you look for? What skills can help your case the most? And how can you factor in time and availability if you find a skilled and experienced attorney?

How much of an impact should your DUI lawyer have?

They're impact can be most effective in cases where you feel wronged. If the situation where you were charged with a DUI and arrested seem wrong, you have a right to fight the charges. For example, if the officer was incorporated with you, operated the sobriety test incorrectly, or never read you your rights, in some cases all charges can be thrown out. Is that a big enough impact?

In cases where you want to plead guilty, often the attorney defending you can make a deal with the prosecution for a lesser charge. This is done all the time, especially in cases where you did not hurt anyone or endanger someone under age.

What experience do you look at?

Experience is more than a resume and a strong opinion. On paper, an experienced attorney needs to have shown clear effectiveness in DUI cases. This is not your public servant court-appointed lawyer This is someone who specializes in DUI law, and has specialized for years. They need to prove they've impacted many other cases in similar situations.

How can you see "Skills"?

Skills are sometimes the hardest to judge, but when it comes to law, you'll see it in how they defend you. If you hire an attorney but feel their plan for defense is wrong, you may want to hire a different one. There is no rule that says you must stay with one attorney; in most cases, judges will allow changes in attorneys. An experienced attorney doesn't always win the case for you; some of these are lost causes. But at the least they should help lessen your penalties.

What if they have no time?

Lastly, defending a DUI, DWI, or OWI takes more than experience and skill. There is one other vital ingredient: time. There is only so much. You can hire the best attorney in town, but if they are overbooked, if they have no time to spend with you, if they choose someone else in the firm to represent you in court who has little to no experience, these are all clear problems.

As you can see, not all DUI attorneys are equal. To find the right one, you just have to put time and effort into it.

How New Laws Affect Future Drunk Drivers

There are many new laws that have recently been passed by various states (and the Federal government) that govern what happens to those who are convicted of drunk driving. Drinking and driving is a serious crime in most states, and multiple convictions normally result in harsher penalties each time. Now, in order to curb drunk driving, states are resorting to stricter punishments for even one drunk driving conviction.

For example, the state of California allows convictions for drunk driving to be counted under their Three Strikes laws. Someone with three strikes could see a much longer prison term than they would normally see under the old laws. This includes as much as lifetime imprisonment terms for drinking and driving time after time.

Other states use certain devices to steer people away from wanting to drink and drive. Ignition interlock devices are among the most widespread ways of preventing drunk driving, as they require a driver to pass a breathalyzer test before the car will even crank. In addition, the owner of the car has to pay for the machine to be installed, and it can be somewhat expensive in some areas, especially if the owner has to travel to a larger city to find a qualified mechanic.

Similarly, courses such as AA or comparable programs become mandatory in some states after even one drunk driving incident. Some courts will allow the successful completion of these courses to count as adequate punishment for the crime, and will then remove it from the defendant's criminal background completely (much like a First Offender Act crime).

For those who choose something like community service and/or rehabilitation courses, the degree of punishment is no less severe under new laws. Hours or courses can be significantly longer and harder, and most new community service jobs are physically taxing. However, they are often preferable to being forced to spend weekends or entire weeks in a jail cell.

Finally, the laws have also changed regarding drunk driving as a probation violation. Instead of a similar legal limit to that of someone who has never been convicted of a crime, those still on probation often have much lower legal limits (if they are given license to consume alcohol at all). This zero tolerance policy is, again, designed to decrease the number of incidents in the United States each year.

This information is provided solely for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.

2010 NBA Playoffs - Portland Trail Blazers Vs Los Angeles Lakers?

The Month of March had been really great for the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers have won 11 of 13 games and are climbing in the playoff race. Heading into the 2009-2010 season, there were great expectations and Championship inspiration. If you look past the right hamstring of Brandon Roy, Knee injury to Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla, the Portland Trail Blazers are where they would like to be. Especially, moving out of the eight spot will gurantee the Blazers will not have to play the Los Angeles Lakers. Even thou, The Lakers have a really tough time in the Pacific Northwest. I know a lot of people in Portland feel we've a excellent chance against the sunshine boys. Lets take a look at why Phil Jackson hate the Portland weather and the rain coats.

First, Ron Artest is known for playing excellent defense. Ron has the attitude that he can stop anyone he play against. But during the playoffs with Houston last year, Brandon Roy averaged over 27 ppg against Mr Defense. To illustrate this point, Ron commented that Brandon Roy was the best player he ever faced. And that include LeBron and Kobe. Artest's can play really tight defense, but Roy was a step stronger and quicker. The biggest key to Brandon success against Artest is his ability to fight screens and get aggressive. Also, Footwork is really important when playing against touch defense players like Artest. Portland would definitely have to get the ball in Roy hands to make Artest work harder. So, the advantage would be to the Blazers.

Secondly, The Portland Trail Blazer fans are the best in the NBA. This season is the 40th Anniversary of the Blazers, and Rip City is back! There have been a season long tribute to past players and community leaders. The Blazer fans are ready to wear red, black and silver. The Rose Garden is the loudest and craziest place on earth. The Blazers have sold out for 3 straight seasons and ready to begin another 21 straight playoff run. In the past, Phil Jackson had made many comments about playing in Portland. Phil has a way of expressing his dislike for rain. "It's not like there are live lumberjacks running around with saws". But Phil would make you feel as thou Portland is a cloud that don't go away. No wonder Portland has won 9 of 10 games at the Rose Garden and counting. So, the Blazers fans give the Portland Trail Blazers the advantage.

Also, There is the Kobe Factor. The Portland Trail Blazers have no one that can guard him. Kobe will go down as one of the greatest basketball players ever. So, trying to slow kobe down is like trying to stop "Sara Palin'' from speaking. You know he is going to have something to say about winning in the Rose Garden. Kobe don't like loosing every time he depart Portland to Los Angeles. It's has been a roller coaster for Kobe every since he has been in the league playing against the Blazers. Except for the 16 point blow up back in "2000" in the fourth quarter. Maybe we will be talking about Portland having 4 championships. But that is hear say now. The advantage will be to the Lakers.

Last but not least, The rivalry between the Blazers and Lakers is one of the best in the NBA. It's like "Sunshine vs Rain". The current look of the Blazers have changed, and the fans are starting to come back. Around the city you will see black, red and silver. Young kids are starting to wear their favorite player uniform. The city of Portland is starting to believe and embrace the team with open arms. Hopefully, we can celebrate against the lakers or any other team we face in the playoffs. History will show that the Portand Trail Blazers are back, and Rip City is ready to explode. The Lakers will be a welcome sight at the Rose Garden. Our fans know how to get up for Kobe and Phil Jackson. There will be a final celebration in the Rose City some day soon. I guess Phil and Kobe will have something to say about that party. Maybe Phil we can buy you a "rain coat", and Kobe one less ring. If the Blazers play hard, and make little mistakes.. maybe a championship is a possibility.

Why Hire a Criminal Defense Lawyer? And How to Hire a Good One

When being faced with a criminal charge I highly recommend that you hire a criminal defense lawyer. I recommend this because the hire of a professional in this matter could be the major difference between a jail sentence and the charges being dropped. A criminal defense lawyer handles many different charges a person can receive such as drug crimes, domestic violence, juvenile crimes, parole and probation violations, white-collar crimes, traffic violations, weapons trafficking, kidnapping, murder and much more.

Consider This While Searching Through Criminal Defense Candidates.

Start off by making a criminal defense candidate list. You can create this list by browsing either through a phone book or via internet searches. Thing's you may want to look for is someone in your area. Or quite possibly you have special needs such as a language barrier, so do they have someone to accommodate to your special needs? After all communication between you and your lawyer is vital! Now that you have done this you are ready to make some phone calls to the firms and get more specific information pertaining to meet your exact needs.

Things to Ask When Deciding Best Fit to Represent You

While speaking with these firms some information that will play an important role in deciding who is best fit to represent you, would be do they have an exact area of expertise in criminal defense? How many years experience do they have? Or even more valuable information would be what kind of result have they produced with previous cases? How many people have they represented? How many times have they been to trial? Are they able to meet with you and if so when? How do they get paid, because some want full payment up front and some want an hourly this differs from firm to firm. By now you should have been able to narrow your list down to only a remaining few candidates.

Making the Final Decision

Now that your list should have only a few candidates remaining you should ask these lawyers for references. Check these references see what these people have to say about the lawyer and how they handled their individual case. Knowing how they handled cases similar to yours should be of great value to you. Make sure you are treated with common courtesy from the lawyer and the other staff at the firm. The criminal defense lawyer should have complete total knowledge of the law of the state they represent. It is also a necessity that they have had a great amount of experience with the federal criminal system also. Make sure that you have confidence in the criminal defense lawyer you choose to represent you, because after all you two make up a team now. Do not allow yourself to be forced into any action you do not agree with taking. Last but not least take your time in choosing the perfect criminal defense lawyer to represent you. The research is worth your time and hopefully in the end it turns out to be worth your money also.

Computer Would Not Boot Up With USB Printer Plugged In!

So you installed your brand new HP printer, printed a test page and everything works the way you want to. You turned your computer off just before you leave work. The next morning you turn your computer on and to your surprise your computer does not boot up. Lights and fans are on but there is no Windows logo showing up. What happened. Did someone mess with your PC during the night?

Well the last thing you did was installing the printer. You unplug the USB printer cable and try to start you PC again. This time your PC boots up fine. You are thinking that this printer has mess with your PC and you are ready to uninstall the printer software and take back this printer. Wait!!

Here is a solution that I have found. Some of the motherboards have the USB Legacy Support enabled and that prevents the PC from booting up. You need to go in the BIOS and disable USB Legacy Support.

To do that you restart your PC and you check at the bottom of the first screen for the key that will allow you to press and enter the SETUP (BIOS). Once there, look around for USB Legacy Support, by using the UP and DOWN, ENTER and ESC keys to navigate. Once you disable the USB Legacy Support press F10 to save and exit. Done.

The same problem will also happen with other USB devices like USB hard drives etc. Just follow the same steps.