California’s Car Seat Laws
Every parent who has an infant knows that they’re supposed to have a car seat installed in their vehicle. They even know that it’s state law. What some parents don’t know is how important the car seat is and the consequences of having a car seat that doesn’t meet current safety standards, that isn’t properly installed, or that isn’t properly fitted to their child.
According to Car Buyers Guide, “in a recent study, the RSA inspected 5000 child seat installations from the public and found that over 4000 of them needed adjustments of some kind to ensure optimum safety.”
California’s lawmakers used Vehicle Code 27360 VC to address the issue of car seats. The law clearly states that:
- Children under the age of 2 must be properly restrained in a rear-facing car seat
- Children under the age of 8 must ride in the back seat and be safely restrained in an age/size appropriate safety seat.
- The child must be secured into the safety car seat in a manner that complies with both height and weight limits that are to be specified by the car seat manufacturer.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the most common mistakes parents make when it comes to the car seats they’re using include:
- Purchasing a used car seat without making sure it isn’t more than 6 years old, hasn’t been involved in an accident, hasn’t been subject to a recall, and has no indications of damage or structural problems that could endanger a child.
- Failing to properly install the car seat
- Failing to properly restrain the child before driving
- Reclining the car seat so that the child isn’t at the correct and most safe angle
- Switching their child to a forward-facing car seat before the child is ready
The first time a driver is ticketed for not following California’s car seat laws, they’ll be issued a ticket. $100 of that ticket pertains to not having the child properly restrained. Court fees and additional charges will also be added to the ticket. After that initial ticket, the fine connected to not properly restraining the child is $250.
In some cases, the ticket for not having a child properly restrained to a child seat is the least of the driver’s worries. In many situations, the driver will also face charges of negligence and child endangerment.
It doesn’t matter how big a rush you are in, always take the time to make sure your child is safe before you hit the road.
Top Internet Scams
Shortly after the internet was created, the internet scam was born. It’s amazing the number of different ways the internet has been used to scam different people. It seems like every single year, a new scam hits the virtual world and people start falling for it. While new internet scams are interesting and you should stay on top of the newest scam trends so you can identify the early warning signs, some have withstood the test of time.
Here are the top internet scams of all time.
Email Phishing
Email phishing is a type of internet scam that’s nearly as old as email itself.
Email phishing is a type of scam that involves a con artist sending out emails that look like they come from a legit organization or person. The main purpose of these types of emails is to collect personal information, particularly credit card numbers, which the scammer then uses for their benefit.
One of the most famous email phishing scams is the pseudo-Nigerian prince who used to send out emails asking for donations.
Tech Support Scams
Tech support scams are becoming increasingly common. This type of internet scam works because we’ve grown so accustomed to using virtual tech support options. The difference is that the virtual support you’ve sought out is usually legit. The tech support scams never are.
The way tech support scams work is that someone either calls or emails you. They claim to be from a major computer system company, security company, or common tech store. They then launch into a spiel about how they believe you’re computer is infected. Not only does the malware infection negatively impact your computer’s performance, but the tech support con artist will also explain how it could compromise your identity and steal credit card information.
The problem is that your computer isn’t currently infected. The con artist plans to place some malware on it that will allow them to collect your sensitive data. They do this in a manner that’s both easy to fall for and hard to trace.
Social Media Fraud
Social media fraud is an internet scam that doesn’t get quite as much attention as it should. The idea behind social media scams s that someone will connect with you via a social media channel. They often do this by posing as your friend. They can do this because they create a mirror account that not only uses your friend’s name but also their profile picture. They will usually send a private message that starts as a friendly conversation but quickly turns into a desperate plea for money.
The two best ways to make sure you don’t fall victim to a social media scam are contacting your friend directly and asking the scammer specific questions. If they don’t provide you with the type of answer you’d expect from your friend, report the fake account.
Learning How to Be Aware of Your Surroundings
In this day and age, you can’t afford to not be aware of your surroundings. It doesn’t matter if you’re strolling around the block near your home or walking across a busy parking lot after getting groceries, you must be aware of your surroundings.
The world has become a dangerous place. Not only do you have to worry about muggers and careless people, but horror stories about people being snatched from relatively busy places and becoming a part of human trafficking are also becoming increasingly common. Things go wrong so fast that all it takes is one moment of inattention for you to get into trouble.
Yes, many of these crimes are completely random incidents but that doesn’t mean that victims were picked at random. What often happens is that the person who commits the crime notices someone who simply isn’t paying attention to their surroundings. The person’s lack of attention makes them the perfect victim.
What does this mean to you? It means that the better you get at recognizing your surroundings, the less likely you’ll be victimized.
Eliminate Distractions
A distracted person is far more likely to attract trouble than someone who is paying attention. And do you know what the number one distraction is? Your cell phone. Instead of scrolling through social media or answering your emails keep your phone tucked into your pocket until you are safely indoors or locked in your car.
Conversely, if you do sense trouble. It’s not a bad idea to be talking on your phone. In a loud voice, let the person you’re speaking to know what is happening, your exact location, and a description of the person who has triggered your concern. Simply hearing you provide this information is enough to make a potential assailant dismiss you as a victim.
Be Alert
When you’re walking by yourself, be alert. Keep your head up and your eyes moving. Make sure you’re looking all around you. Keep your head on a swivel. This alertness not only makes you unattractive to an assailant but also gives you time to prepare if you do see someone approaching you.
Have an Escape Route in Mind
It doesn’t matter if you’re simply out for a stroll or in a parking lot, don’t let yourself be boxed in anywhere. Always pay attention to your surroundings and know how you would get away if someone suddenly started approaching you in a sinister manner.
Be Prepared to Get Help
There is nothing wrong or shameful about going into a store and asking someone to walk you to your car. This is a far better plan than trying to be brave and potentially getting hurt.
Learning how to pay attention and to always be aware of your surroundings takes time and practice. The good news is that once you force yourself to become more aware of your surroundings and the potential dangers, it will quickly become a habit. A habit that will go a long way towards keeping you safe.
Staying Safe While Enjoying Dorm Life
One of the best things about finally going to college and moving into a dorm is that not only are you free of your parent’s strict rules but you’re also in the perfect place to meet people who will become lifelong friends.
While there are many perks connected to living in a dorm, there are also some drawbacks. The first is safety. While most colleges and universities try to take as many precautions as they can and to keep all students safe, they can’t stop everything. It’s up to you to make sure you do everything in your power to stay safe while also enjoying dorm life.
Keep Your Doors Locked
Dorms foster a community vibe that makes it feel like the entire building is your home. This is a great thing but can also be dangerous. The problem is that while you might know and like everyone who lives on your floor, you don’t know who might be visiting. No matter how comfortable you are with the people who live in your dorm building, always be good about keeping your dorm room locked both when you are and aren’t in it.
You also need to get into the habit of checking the identity of anyone who knocks before you open your door. Don’t assume that everyone who knocks on your door has friendly intentions.
Lock Up Your Valuables
It’s a good idea to keep a safe in your dorm room and use it to lock up your valuables, such as your laptop when you’re not using it. Locking away your valuables makes your dorm room less appealing to thieves.
Pay Attention to Your Drinks
It doesn’t matter if you’re hanging out in your room with a handful of friends, at a party, or have gone to a restaurant, pay careful attention to your drinks. Never leave your drink unattended. If you do have to walk away from your drink, dispose of it and get a new one. The last thing you want is to drink something that has been drugged.
Don’t Travel By Yourself, Especially at Night
It doesn’t matter if you were at a party or simply engaged in a late-night study session at the library. Don’t walk home alone. Find someone you trust to walk with you back to your dorm. Don’t ask a stranger. If no one you know can walk home with you, spend a little money and take a cab or call an Uber.
What things do you plan to do to not only make sure you enjoy dorm life but that you also stay safe while you’re at college?
5 Things You Should Know About Your Rights
At Absolute Bail Bonds, we serve to protect the rights of those who have been arrested, whether that person is truly guilty of the crime or not. That’s why we offer an unmatched bail bond service. We are the most reliable, affordable, and helpful bail bonds in California.
If you are arrested, it is first and foremost important that you know your own rights:
- You have the right to remain silent
- You have the right to legal counsel
- You have the right to know the charges against you
- You have the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty
- You have the right to non-excessive bail
Absolute Bail Bonds will help you protect these rights by helping you bail out of jail. It is not right to hold you in jail until court (you haven’t been formally found guilty yet!) and it is not right to “force” you to stay in jail because you cannot afford your expensive bail. This is where Absolute Bail Bonds can help you. To make an appointment, please call us immediately at 1-800-793-2245.
Proposition 57
Traditionally, whenever a law/proposition is proposed that involves crime, it’s a move to actually create stricter laws/penalties. This is especially true when it comes to violent crimes and repeat offenders. In many cases, when you research the reasoning behind the proposal, you’ll discover that crime rates have been steadily increasing and the voting population is starting to feel insecure and has been applying pressure to the officials they voted into office.
Proposition 57 is a result of people looking at the current state of California’s criminal justice system and questioning if using longer forms of incarceration is really the best way to encourage a person to change their ways. Many California residents have also started wondering if maybe there isn’t a better way to spend the millions of tax dollars that are currently used to house/feed/clothe criminals. Many wonder if spending that money on rehabilitation/education programs might be a better solution.
While many lawmakers were skeptical about the future of Proposition 57, after all, who ever heard of the voting public liking laws that were viewed as being soft on crime, in November 2016, California voters passed the proposition.
The interesting thing about Proposition 57 is that it placed the issue of rehabilitation squarely in the hands of convicted criminals. What the proposition did was created an incentive program for inmates that allowed them to be responsible for their own rehabilitation while also increasing the odds of them being granted parole.
Proposition 57 created a credit program. Inmates who were well-behaved and who also took part in an in-prison rehabilitation/education program received a credit.
The different credits created by Proposition 57 include:
- Good Conduct Credits
- Educational Merit Credits
- Milestone Completion Credits
- Rehabilitative Achievement Credits
The great thing about these credits is that anyone who has been convicted of a non-violent crime has the opportunity to really prove that they are not considered a violent risk to the community and should be considered for parole. The parole board looks at the credits an inmate has earned and their criminal history and is more inclined to grant them early release.
Recently the California Supreme Court heard a case that prompted them to rule that Proposition 57 did not apply to incarcerated criminals who have a history of violent crimes. “In reaching this conclusion, we find the constitutional text (of the ballot initiative) is ambiguous,” Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye wrote on behalf of the court. The ruling made it impossible for inmates who were serving sentences for a combination of violent and nonviolent crimes to use the credit program to qualify for early parole.
The Purpose of Proposition 47
The purpose of Proposition 47 is to make some changes to felony sentencing laws.
Proposition 47 officially became law in 2014. At the time it had the distinction of being one of the biggest changes to laws to alter the ability for convicted felons to receive housing, admittance into the workforce, and other issues that had previously made it impossible for them to enjoy a quality life after they served their sentence. The way this was done was taking non-violent felony convictions and turning them into misdemeanors. The hope was that by lowering the barriers convicted felons faced when they were released from prison, they would be better able to become a useful member of society and be less likely to return to a life of crime.
When Proposition 47 became law, it was estimated that over 1 million people living in California would be able to change their non-violent felony conviction records into more socially acceptable misdemeanors.
The three changes the passing of Proposition 47 triggered include:
- Turning some nonviolent theft and drug laws from felonies into misdemeanors
- Allowing anyone currently serving time for a felony that could now be reclassifying to petition the court for a change of sentence
- Allowing individuals who’d completed their sentence for a felony that was now considered a misdemeanor to change their criminal history
While there was a great deal of concern about what would happen once Proposition 47 became law, the impact it has had on California has been mostly positive.
Improved Public Perception
One of the biggest positive changes it made was changing the way the rest of the country perceived California’s judicial and prison situation. When California first passed the three-strikes law, many objections were raised, and several people stated that the three-strike laws proved that there was something inherently wrong with the way California treated criminals.
The passing of Proposition 47 proved to the world that California was prepared to give people a second chance as well as an opportunity at a better life.
Less Prison Overcrowding
Overcrowding in the prisons has been a huge issue for California. The sheer number of people housed in the state’s prisons is not safe. While Proposition 47 hasn’t totally reversed California’s prison overcrowding situation, it has helped.
Better Criminal Rehabilitation
One of the things California lawmakers discovered after they passed the three-strike law was that tougher sentences didn’t really encourage criminal rehabilitation. In some cases, the three-strike laws seemed to make things worse.
When Proposition 47 became law, it allowed some people to be released from prison which created some room in the budget. This extra money has been used to help finance criminal rehabilitation programs.
Schools have Benefited
In 2016 a fund connected to Proposition 47 was started that helped benefit schools throughout California. The funding came in the form of grants that were designed to help reduce the number of truancy issues the schools dealt with on a daily basis. The hope is that the extra funding will decrease the drop out rate. With more children completing high school and able to enter the workforce, hopefully petty crime rates will decrease.
Perhaps the most encouraging thing the state of California has experienced since the passing of Proposition 47 is that there hasn’t been a noticeable increase in violent crime since 2014.
Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card
Credit card fraud happens when someone uses another person’s credit card to either make unauthorized purchases or to withdraw/transfer funds.
There are two main ways that credit card fraud takes place. The first method involves someone either finding or stealing another person’s credit card. Instead of turning it in, the person decides to put the credit card to use and goes on a shopping spree.
The second way that credit card fraud happens is when one person hacks into another person’s credit card accounts, steals the numbers, and starts using them for themselves.
The good news is that you have it in your power to limit the amount of strain both types of credit card fraud puts on your life. The first thing you need to do is become vigilant about checking your credit card statement for unfamiliar charges. The best approach is to have email alerts sent to you each time your card is used. If that’s not possible, get into the habit of logging into your credit card account and checking the transactions at least once a day.
As soon as you see charges that you didn’t make, you need to leap into action and arrange to have your current credit card canceled and a new one issued. Once you’ve done that, start working with your credit card company to get the charge reversed. The sooner you contact the insurance company, the better.
California lawmakers take credit card fraud very seriously. Using another person’s credit card without that person’s permission is illegal. The exact consequences depend on which of California’s laws were broken. In some cases, credit card fraud is only a misdemeanor while in others it is treated as a serious felony. In serious cases, someone who is convicted of credit card fraud in California could be sentenced to three years in prison and also be charged a large fine.