Laws About Hitting a Pedestrian in California
California has a reputation as being a great place for pedestrians. The weather makes it possible for pedestrians to walk year-round and the state has done a wonderful job of creating places where pedestrians can stroll without encountering traffic. While pedestrians are invited to enjoy the benefits of walking, it’s important to understand that if you decide to stroll, there’s a chance you could be hit by a car. It’s equally important to understand that the odds of you having a pedestrian-car incident have increased in recent years.
Studies indicate that life for pedestrians is becoming increasingly dangerous. The Governors Highway Safety Association recently gathered data that indicated that the number of pedestrian deaths in the United States increased by 35 percent between 2009 and 2017. According to Triple-A, things are getting worse. The organization reported that from 2010 to 2019 pedestrian deaths increased by 46%.
It doesn’t appear that there is one particular reason pedestrian deaths have risen so much. Some feel that the fact that drivers are getting older could play a role. Another issue is the fact that drivers continue to ignore warnings about using cell phones while driving. It’s worth noting that not all pedestrian/car incidents that involve phones aren’t because the driver was using their phone. In 2010, an estimated 78,000 pedestrian injuries were the direct result of the pedestrian using their phone and not paying attention to their surroundings.
If you drive in California, you have a responsibility to look out for pedestrians. It’s an aspect of being a good defensive driver. Since California has a reputation for being such a great pedestrian state, you must assume that you’ll see a few people walking whenever you drive.
When you do see people walking, automatically check how you’re driving. The last thing you need is to be accused of reckless driving that resulted in you striking a pedestrian. It doesn’t matter if you fail to yield, are speeding, or are distracted, if you strike a pedestrian with your vehicle and there’s proof that you’re at fault, you could face steep fines, jail time, and civil lawsuits.
When you see a pedestrian walking, particularly if they are using their phone, give them as wide a berth as possible. Don’t automatically assume that they will stop at crosswalks, pay attention to no crossing signs, or that they won’t suddenly veer off the sidewalk.
You Can Still Get Your Drinks To-Go
For as long as most of us can remember if you wanted to go out for a drink, you had to stay at the bar until you were finished. You weren’t allowed to order a drink to go.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, things changed. Bar and restaurant owners struggled to keep their businesses afloat while their regular patrons worked hard to obey social distancing and self-quarantining laws and stayed home.
The problem prompted lawmakers to take an unexpected step. As the pandemic continued to drag on, they passed a law that made it legal to order a drink to go. The catch was that this was a temporary law, designed to get people through the pandemic.
If you loved ordering your favorite drink from a bar and then taking it home so you could enjoy it in your own home, you’ll be delighted to know you can still do this. The recent passing of Senate Bill 389 allows some bars and restaurants to send customers home with wine and cocktails. Best of all, this law will remain in effect for the next five years. It’s likely that in five years, lawmakers will evaluate the situation and if it’s going well, they could decide to allow to-go adult beverages to continue.
Just because you can order your favorite wine and cocktail to-go, you’re free to do whatever you want with the drink. You still aren’t allowed to drive while intoxicated. Nor are you allowed to drink while you’re driving. Getting caught for either of these things will result in you getting into legal trouble.
You already know about California’s drunk driving laws, but you’re probably less aware of the state’s open container laws. In California, you aren’t allowed to consume alcohol or marijuana while you’re in a car. It doesn’t matter if you’re a driver or a passenger, you can’t have an open container in the vehicle.
If you are caught with an open container in your car, you will be hit with an infraction. The fine ranges from $100 to $250. If the drivers or passengers are underage, the repercussions of the open container is could result in six months in jail or a $1,000 fine.
Do you think that continuing the adult beverage to-go option is a good deal? Do you think that in five years lawmakers will choose to extend the law?
We’re Quick, Right To The Point
We don’t want to waste your time (we know it’s precious and there’s no time to waste) so we’re going to get right to the point.
Here at Absolute Bail Bonds in Los Angeles, we offer:
- Customizable, low monthly rate payment plans.
- 24/7 availability.
- No hidden fees.
- Convenient and secure online payment system.
- Cash, credit, debit, and checks are accepted.
- Discounts for qualifying individuals.
- Licensed and experienced bail bond agents.
- Friendly, hardworking, understanding bail bond agents.
- Confidentiality.
- Phone approvals; if a face-to-face meeting is necessary, our agents go to you.
See how quickly we laid out what we can do for you? Error-free speed is our thing – we work very fast (and don’t worry we don’t cut corners either) to get people bailed out of jail, and our process, efficiency, and reliability won’t be any different for you and your loved one.
Contact someone at Absolute Bail Bonds in Los Angeles by opening a chat room online with us, or by calling us at (800)793-2245. We absolutely won’t let you down!
Down Powerline Safety tips
There are a variety of ways a power line can come down including severe winds, natural disasters, and even an auto accident. The reason the power line is down isn’t important. The important part is knowing how to stay safe when you find a downed power line.
Don’t assume that just because the downed power line isn’t sparking or because it’s coated with rubber that it’s safe. When it comes to power lines, always act like it’s a live wire and that touching it will result in a fatal shock. Power lines aren’t something you should ever take a chance on.
As soon as you spot the downed power line, you need to change the way you move. Instead of lifting your feet when you walk, start shuffling. Keeping your feet, especially if you’re wearing rubber-soled shoes, on the floor increases the odds of your remaining grounded and safe from the electricity.
Most people assume that the damaged power line is the only dangerous thing. It’s not. When a power line goes down, the electricity actually fans out, which means that anything in the area could potentially deliver a deadly shock. Stay at least 100 feet, the length of two semi-truck trailers, away from the line and don’t touch a single thing. The further you are from the line, the safer you are.
As long as you are safe, remain in the area. Your responsibility while you wait for the proper authorities to arrive is to warn anyone who approaches of the danger and prevent them from coming into contact with any stray voltage.
Early Warning Signs that Your Partner is Dangerous
One of the things many domestic abuse victims say is that they never thought that it could happen to them. Another comment is that they simply didn’t recognize the early warning signs.
The truth of the matter is that many people don’t know that most relationships have red flags that could serve as important signs that it’s time to get out of the relationship before your partner becomes dangerous. Heeding these early red flags and removing yourself from the relationship early is the best way to preserve your mental and physical health.
Frequent Bursts of Aggressive Behavior
If your partner frequently succumbs to bursts of aggression, particularly if it’s aimed towards you, a pet, or others, treat it as a red flag. Yes, everyone has bad days. Yes, everyone does get angry from time to time, but when that aggression causes a person to punch holes in a wall, kick a dog, make a threat, or grab you, your partner hasn’t learned how to properly manage their anger.
Possessiveness
The fact that your significant other gets jealous when others are around you might seem cute at first. It might even make you feel more loved, but possessiveness can go to far. Signs that your significant other’s jealousy is becoming dangerously possessive include that they think you’re deliberately trying to make them jealous, that the jealously leads to physical and verbal aggression, that they are actively trying to cut you off from your friends and family.
Many abusers demonstrate possessive behavior early in the relationship. In many cases, it’s the first red flag that the relationship will take a dangerous turn. Take the early signs of a possessive nature as an early indicator that you should end the relationship sooner rather than later.
Manipulation
One of the hardest red flags to catch is manipulation. Many abusers are geniuses when it comes to manipulation. They are so good that it can be difficult to realize that you’re being manipulated. If you frequently find yourself doing things you wouldn’t normally want to do, or if you notice that your partner constantly uses emotions, particularly guilt, to change your mind about situations, people you like, and attending events, they’re a manipulator and you should proceed with care.
Pay Attention to How Friends and Family Feel About Your Partner
The odds are good that the people who truly love you the most will be the first to notice that something simply isn’t right about your significant other. If they say that you’re changing, or that they have a bad feeling about your partner, ask them to clarify. While it’s okay for one or two friends to simply not like your new partner, if everyone mentions the same red flags, or if it’s someone who is usually an excellent judge of character, give yourself some time and space to evaluate your relationship and determine if your friends and family are right and that your partner isn’t actually as perfect as you think.
Most people automatically assume that domestic abuse situations always involve an abusive male and a female victim. The truth is that women can be as abusive as men, which is why everyone needs to be mindful of red flags when they are involved in a relationship.
California’s Child Safety Seat Laws Keep Kids Safe
All of us know that young kids have to be strapped into a safety seat whenever they’re in a vehicle. The reason for this is because those safety seats save lives. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that properly installed car seats reduce the number of infant fatalities suffered during car accidents by 54 percent and lower the number of serious injuries sustained during car accidents by 71 percent.
Like other states, California has strict child safety seat laws. Lawmakers used data collected during accidents that involved seriously injured children and accidents that involved a child fatality to decide how they could make it safer for parents to transport their children.
If you’re driving with children who are two years old or younger, the child must be securely strapped into a rear-facing car seat. The child will have to use this seat until they are either 40 pounds or 40 inches tall. The seat the child uses much comply with all the manufacturer’s height and weight restrictions.
Don’t assume that because your child is older or bigger that they no longer need special seating in the car. Children who are under eight years old can only ride in the back seat of the car and they must be in a car seat or a booster seat that’s designed to handle their weight and height. State law mandates that your child use the seat until they’ve passed their eighth birthday or until they are at least 4’9” inches tall.
It’s not enough to have your child secured in the car seat. The seat must also be properly installed. It is in your best interest to visit your local police or fire station. Someone who is on duty will have the training and time to make sure your car seat is properly installed. You are free to get help each time you purchase a different car seat or need to use a different vehicle.
Failing to make sure your child is properly secured in a safely installed child car seat is an infraction. You won’t go to jail if your child isn’t properly strapped into their car seat but you’ll get a ticket. The first time you get a ticket for not having a child in a car seat it’s a $100 fine. Each child’s car seat violation ticket after the first is a $250 ticket.
No matter how big a hurry you’re in when you leave your home, always take a few seconds to make sure your child is properly secured in their car seat before you pull out of your driveway.
Different Types of Domestic Violence
Most of us are familiar with the concept of domestic violence. What many of us don’t realize is that there is different types of domestic violence charges.
There is both misdemeanor and felony domestic violence. The exact circumstances surrounding the domestic violence incident determine which of those charges you face.
When the prosecutor is trying to decide if a specific case represents felony or misdemeanor domestic violence there are a few factors they consider. These factors include:
- The circumstances surrounding the incident
- How serious the victim’s injuries were
- Criminal history
It’s also possible that witness statements and medical records will play a role in determining how the charges will be handled.
In misdemeanor cases, a guilty verdict can result in a maximum sentence of 12 months in jail as well as possible fines. In felony domestic abuse cases the sentence can be 2,3, or 4 years in a state prison, mandatory counseling, a fine that could be as high as $6,000.
Felony domestic violence is a crime that often has sentencing enhancement added. The circumstances surrounding the case will often determine if the enhancements are added. If the newly convicted person already had a record that includes previous domestic violence convictions that occurred within the last seven years an additional $10,000 in fines as well as 2,4, or 5 years can be attached to the sentence.
If the domestic violence incident that’s currently on the table involved a great bodily injury, the judge has the option of using a sentence enhancement that adds 3,4, or 5 years to the sentence.
A single domestic violence charge can have a massive negative impact on your life. It can cause loved ones to turn their back on you, hurt your chances of securing houses, and make it significantly more difficult to find a romantic partner. The best way to prevent a domestic violence conviction from ruining your life is thinking before you act and removing yourself from the situation when you feel that you’re losing your temper.
Most Common Reasons People Are Arrested During the Holiday Season
The holidays are here. For most of us, that means spending time with friends and family members we love. This is a time when we make good memories and spread love.
Unfortunately, not all of us will enjoy the holiday season. Some studies indicate that crime rates increase during the holiday season. There are a few different reasons for the surge of crime. First, people have time off work which gives them more time to get into trouble. Second, many people who don’t usually overindulge will often misjudge how much alcohol they’ve consumed. The increased alcohol content lowers inhibitions and results in them doing things they’d never have considered if they were sober. The third reason crime rates increase during the holiday season is because money is often tight.
Police have noticed that there are certain crimes that surge more than others during the holidays.
Drunk driving offenses are always a problem during the holidays. People get together and want to have a good time which often involves alcohol. The problem is that many don’t plan to spend the night where they are drinking and fail to have a DD at the ready so they slide behind the wheel and ultimately get caught driving while intoxicated.
The best way to make sure you aren’t charged with a DUI this holiday season is to only drink while you’re home, always having a DD at the ready, or arranging to take a cab/Uber home. If you aren’t sure you’ll be able to get yourself home safely, stay away from the alcohol. Staying sober might not seem like fun, but it beats spending a night in jail and dealing with the fallout of a drunk driving arrest.
Retailers report that shoplifting increases during the holiday season. This is likely due to the fact that some people find themselves short of money and unable to purchase gifts for their families. If you’re contemplating stealing a gift this holiday season, please reconsider. Store managers are going to be on the lookout for sticky fingers and with more stores installing elaborate video surveillance systems, the odds of you getting away with the theft are small. Instead of trying to steal a gift, consider making a homemade present.
Domestic violence arrests also increase during the holiday season. There are likely a few different reasons for this. First, stress over finances and strained family relationships can push some people over the edge. Second, people are often home rather than working and the increased contact can result in some pushed buttons. Third, having family and friends around can encourage the victim to report the violent acts which they may not have felt they could do in the past.
Recognizing that emotions run high during the holidays, it’s in your best interest to recognize when your temper is getting short and remove yourself from the situation before you react with violence. It’s better to take a walk or go for a long drive than to get arrested for domestic violence during the holidays.
Stay safe this holiday season!
California’s Stance on the Theft of Intellectual Property
These days, both large and small businesses rely heavily on intellectual property.
Cornell Law School defines intellectual property as, “any product of the human intellect that the law protects from unauthorized use by others.”
Investopedia elaborates on that definition and describes intellectual property as “a broad categorical description for the set of intangible assets owned and legally protected by a company from outside use or implementation without consent. An intangible asset is a non-physical asset that a company owns.”
Quick examples of intellectual property include:
- Website content
- Logos
- Slogans
- Sound recordings
- Videos
- Trademarks
- Copyrights
- Trade secrets
- Photos
- Blog posts
- Social media posts
While there may be some confusion about the exact definition of intellectual property, the one thing everyone agrees on is that intellectual property is a major business asset. Every single year millions of dollars get invested in the creation of new and fresh intellectual property.
Like all things of value, intellectual property is highly sought after by thieves.
The problem with intellectual property theft is that many of the people who steal the intellectual property don’t realize that they are doing anything wrong. Many assume that because a slogan, logo, or even pages of website content can be found online that it’s okay to use that content for their own purposes. They don’t realize that copying that entire blog post or using another’s company’s logo and passing it off on their own is just as wrong as stealing a pack of gum from a gas station.
One of the biggest differences between shoplifting from a local store and passing off someone else’s intellectual property as your own is that when you steal from a store, the case will likely only involve the local police. When it comes to the theft of intellectual property, the FBI sometimes gets involved. That’s because in many situations the theft of intellectual property is a federal offense.
While intellectual property theft is a federal offense, according to the FBI, most of the cases they look into involve extreme examples of copyright theft (remember all of the warnings that play at the start of movies,) patent theft, and trade secrets.
Don’t assume that because you took a few pages of content from a competitor’s website and are currently passing it off as your own, that you won’t get into trouble for the theft of intellectual property. The value of the intellectual property has inspired many companies to take matters into their own hands. An increasing number of businesspeople have started talking to lawyers about pursuing both criminal and civil cases against people who blatantly steal intellectual property.
California has the Uniform Trade Secrets Act which officially labels the theft of intellectual property as misappropriation. While this was originally created to protect trade secrets, such as pending patent projects, some businesses feel that it can also be used to protect other forms of intellectual property. If they are unable to use the Uniform Trade Secretes Act to launch a case against you, they could decide to file theft or fraud charges against you.
In addition to facing potential criminal charges for the theft of intellectual property in California, if you’ve used someone’s intellectual property without their permission, the business owner could name you as the defendant in a civil case where they try to recoup any financial losses they sustained as a result of your theft.
Cases of intellectual property theft are on the rise, the best way to make sure no one files charges against you is to make sure that everything you post to the internet or use to promote either yourself or your business is your original work.
The Benefits Connected to Using Absolute Bail Bonds
Many people think bail is only a few thousand dollars. The truth is that the median bail is about $50,000, far more than the average person can afford. That’s where we come into the picture. In exchange for a ten percent fee, we’ll cover the entire price of your bail. That means that if your bail is set at $50,000, all you have to do is come up with $5,000.
Not having to pay the full $50,000 is just one of the benefits you’ll enjoy when you decide to use Absolute Bail Bonds in Burbank rather than posting the bail yourself.
Experience Helps
One of the things many people find is that posting bail, even a small amount of bail, is often overwhelming. The more bail you owe, the more overwhelming the experience becomes. We have over thirty years of experience. We use that experience to get you out of jail as quickly as possible. Letting use worry about your bail, allows you to focus on how you want to handle your case.
We Can Quickly Get You Released From Jail
One of the things that surprises many people is how much faster the process of being released goes when you choose us rather than trying to handle bail on your own. Once you’ve signed a bail bond contract, we leap into action and start the process of having you released. The process is usually completed in just a few hours, though there is sometimes a delay on the court/jail side of thing.
No Worry About Mistakes
One of the biggest problems many people encounter when they try handling bail by themselves are mistakes with the paperwork. Filling out the wrong form, forgetting to include some crucial piece of information, or failing to sign things correctly can significantly delay the release process.
The sooner you contact us about posting a bail bond for you, the sooner you’ll be reunited with your family and able to start preparing your defense.
Reasons so many people who are in your exact situation turn to Absolute Bail Bonds include:
- Simple contracts
- 24/7 service
- Phone consultations
- Online consultations
- No hidden fees
- Fast service
- Discretion
Feel free to call (800)793-2245 or click the Chat With Us now link for a free consultation.