Tips for Finding a Safe Rental Property
While there are many perks connected to living in California, the ability to easily find rental properties isn’t one of them. While it’s possible that there are some areas in California where safe and affordable rental properties are available, those locations are very rare. Difficulty finding rental properties is an issue that plaques nearly all of California’s large cities.
No matter how desperate you are to find a rental property where you can live, you must remember that your safety is very important. You do not want to put yourself in a position where you are always worried that something is about to happen. Here are a few tips that will help you find a safe rental property in California.
Check Out the Neighborhood Crime Stats
These days, it’s easy to learn not only what the crime rate in a particular neighborhood is, but to also find out what the most common types of crime are in the area. There are several sites that will provide a great deal of information about the crime rates in an area, allowing you to gain the information you need in just a few minutes.
Learn What Safety Precautions the Property Owner Has Taken
One of the first things you should do when you’re looking at a property is learning what type of safety precautions the owner has taken. Find out what types of locks are installed on the doors. Are there security cameras at the entrances? If the property is a multi-family dwelling are the other residents long term tenants, or are the other units used for short term rentals, such as Airbnb’s? Can the windows be locked? Are there bars over the windows? Are you allowed to make changes that would improve your sense of security.
Carefully Examine the Property for Potential Hazards and Safety Concerns
Most people only think about crime rates when considering the safety of a potential rental. While crime rate is important, it’s also important to really consider what type of hazards are found on the property. Are there maintenance or clutter issues that could lead to trip and fall accidents? Is there something noisy nearby that could cause you to lose precious sleep? Do the stairs have banisters? Is the home in decent enough repair that you don’t have to worry about thing falling apart? Are the appliances in good working order.
Don’t let the scarcity of rental properties in California distract you from considering the pros and cons of every rental property you look at. Considering the potential safety hazards only takes a few minutes and could spare you a great deal of stress and worry once you’re locked into a contract.
How Does A California Bail Reduction Work?
A high bail amount is often the difference between getting released from jail and resuming your life while your case goes through the slow judicial process or spending all of that time stuck in a jail cell.
When bail is set so high that it seems impossible, one of the options you will likely want to explore is a bail reduction. Before you start the process, you should know that it is complicated, time-consuming, and often doesn’t work out. Another and considerably easier and quicker choice is contacting Absolute Bail Bonds about the possibility of getting bonded out of jail.
If you decide to pursue the possibility of getting the bail reduced, you first need to consider why such a large bail was set in the first place. There are several factors California judges consider when setting bail for a defendant, including the following:
- The severity of the characters you’re dealing with
- If you have a prior criminal history and the types of convictions that history includes
- If the prosecutor plans to file additional charges against you
- If you have an account of failing to appear for court dates
- If there is anything that indicates you are a public safety risk or could potentially threaten the safety of your alleged victims whiles you’re out on bail
If you feel that the judge set bail unreasonably high, you can arrange for your lawyer to file a bail reduction motion. If you can show that the high Bail violated statutory or constitutional factors, the amount will likely be reduced.
Another option that is usually more successful is motioning for a bail reduction due to a change in circumstances. The most common reason for this motion to be granted is that some charges were dropped.
If you find yourself in need of bail and are unable to raise funds yourself, you should contact Absolute Bail Bonds. We are a 24-hour bail bond service with decades’ worth of experience helping people like yourself.
Every single one of our clients enjoys the following:
- 20% Discount
- Phone/online approvals
- 0% Interest payment plans
- No hidden fees
- No collateral is required for working signers
To learn more about how you’ll benefit from an alliance with Absolute Bail Bonds, contact us for a free consultation at (800)793-2245.
Affordable Bail Bonds in Lynwood
If you’re concerned you can’t gather enough money to pay for your loved ones bail in time, do not worry. There are other options, and the best one is to use a bail bond from Absolute Bail Bonds.
Will take the name, location, and bail amount of the person in jail. You will strategize with your specialist the best payment plan that fits your financial needs so you don’t need to stress too heavily. By utilizing Absolute’s services, you will only be paying 10% of the full bail amount. There will be no interest, no down, and no hidden fees. There may be collateral needs. Once everything is finalized, will get the bail bond over to the jail and your loved one will get out after it has been processed.
You will need to just make sure your loved one attends his or her appointed court date so the bail bond is secure. If he or she fails to do this, they will be rearrested with no bail option, and you will lose any collateral offered up for the bail bond.
Absolute Bail Bonds in Lynwood makes paying for bail easier, less stressful, and most importantly, affordable. That being said, do not hesitate to call 1-800-793-2245 as soon as you know you need to pay for bail. With our help, you can relax a little bit!
What Is the Difference Between Assault and Battery in California
If you think that assault and battery are the same thing, you’re mistaken. In California, assault and battery are two different crimes. The reason so many think they are the same charge is that it’s not uncommon for a person to be simultaneously charged with both, which means they’re linked in police reports and media write-ups.
According to California law, you’re guilty of assault if you commit an act that convinces the victim that they are in danger of either harmful or offensive contact. Battery is what happens when you actually carry through with the act. The way the laws are written, it’s quite common for someone to be charged with both assault and battery.
What Happens if You’re Charged with Assault
In order to be convicted of assault in California, you must have done something that indicated an unlawful attempt, coupled with a present ability, to commit a violent injury on the person of another.” The way the law is currently written, as long as the intent is there, you can be charged with assault even if you ultimately fail to go through with the act.
If you’re convicted of simple assault, the maximum sentence involves a $1,000 fine and/or up to six months in a county jail. If the assault involved a deadly weapon, you could be sentenced to as much as four years in a state prison and also be ordered to pay up to $10,000 in fines.
What Happens if You’re Convicted of Battery
Battery is one of California’s wobbler offenses which means that the circumstances surrounding the incident determine whether you’re charged with a misdemeanor or a felony.
In California, battery is any willful and unlawful use of force or violence upon the person of another. What this means is that if you threaten to hurt someone and don’t go through with the act, you cannot be charged with battery. On the other hand, if you go through the act and by some lucky chance the victim doesn’t get injured, you can still be charged with battery because you went through the with the intended action.
If you’re convicted of misdemeanor battery, you can be ordered to pay as much as $2,000 in fines and serve six months in prison. If you’re convicted of felony aggravated battery, you’ll be sent to prison and ordered to pay even larger fines. It’s likely the victim will also file a civil complaint against you.
Why Some People Are Sentenced to a Maximum-Security Prison
When you watch news stories covering criminal cases, you’ll often hear the word maximum security prisons and minimum security prisons mentioned. Many people find it difficult to understand why some people are sentenced to maximum security prisons.
What are Maximum Security Prisons
Maximum-security prisons doesn’t necessarily mean that the prison is considerably worse than a low-security prison. When a person is sent to a maximum security prison, it means they will be incarcerated at a facility where they will experience the maximum amount of supervision.
In the United States, maximum security prisons are designed so that the perimeter is heavily reinforced, making an escape difficult. The exact housing situation inmates experience depends on what type of treatment they require, solitary confinement or communal living. Most maximum security prisons have both single cell housing and multiple cell housing. The biggest difference between maximum-security prisons and low-security prisons is the staff. Maximum security prisons have a significantly higher staff-to-inmate ratio than other types of prisons.
Inmates who are sentenced to a maximum-security prison will sometimes have access to educational, religious, and health services, but they won’t be offered the work-related programs lower security prisons offer. They will also find that visitors face stricter rules. The ability for inmates to socialize is extremely limited in a maximum-security prison. In most cases, inmates at maximum security prisons are confined to their cells for 23 hours a day.
Why Some Inmates are Sent to Maximum Security Prisons
Several different things are considered when it comes to deciding where a person will be sent after they’ve been convicted of a crime. The severity of the crimes they’ve been convicted of. They’re criminal history. Whether they seem like an escape risk.
No one is sent to a maximum-security prison without serious consideration. The main thing that’s taken into consideration is whether the inmate is someone who is considered a great risk to the general public. If the answer is yes, they will be sent to a maximum-security prison where their ability to interact with the public and other inmates is severely limited. If an inmate has tried to escape from prison, they will be sent to a maximum-security prison. Inmates that have a history of aggressive behavior toward other inmates and/or prison staff will likely be transferred to a maximum-security prison.
Individuals who commit non-violent crimes and who stay out of altercations while they serve their sentence are usually allowed to stay at lower-security prisons.
The Danger of Fentanyl | Fentanyl Awareness
When fentanyl was first starting to generate some media attention, the synthetic opioid was a good thing. It was a popular and extremely effective method to treat extreme pain. Doctors commonly prescribed it post-surgery, and patients with advanced cancer often used it to help control their pain. When used in a medical setting and under close supervision, fentanyl is a good thing.
The problem is that illicitly manufactured fentanyl isn’t used in a medical setting.
Fentanyl is extremely popular amongst the manufacturers of illegal drugs because it’s similar to heroin but even more potent. It is extremely common for heroin, meth, and cocaine to be laced with fentanyl. The addition of fentanyl enhances the effect of the other drugs. According to narcotics experts, fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin. The addition of fentanyl makes the other drugs extremely popular on the street and allows dealers to charge a premium. The problem is that fentanyl also makes the drugs more dangerous.
The CDC estimates that 150 people suffer a fatal fentanyl overdose every single day.
The symptoms of a fentanyl overdose are:
- Extreme nausea
- Confusion
- Repressed breathing
- Constricted pupils
- Choking sounds
If help is not received shortly after the first signs of a fentanyl overdose, the victim will lose consciousness and stop breathing. If they still don’t receive help, they will pass away. If you are near someone who has taken a suspected fentanyl overdose, calling the paramedics and dosing the victim with Narcan can help them survive the experience. According to LiveScience, Narcan is an effective treatment for fentanyl overdoses, but in 89% of the cases, more than one dose was required.
One of the reasons fentanyl is so dangerous is that some people don’t realize that they are using drugs that are laced with fentanyl or the fentanyl amount is higher than anticipated. The best way to detect the presence of fentanyl in drugs is to use fentanyl test strips which are relatively inexpensive and provide results in approximately five minutes. While the test strips are highly effective when determining if a supply of heroin or cocaine is laced with fentanyl, they won’t provide you with information about other popular and dangerous additives such as carfentanil.
Stay Safe While Taking Advantage of Online Dating
The days of going to bars hoping to find that special someone are long over. Bar hopping and awkward getting-to-meet-someone scenarios have pretty much been completely replaced by online dating sites. There are several reasons online dating sites are so popular, including the following.
- They’re considerably less expensive than going to bars and ordering drinks night after night.
- Everyone you connect to via an online dating site is genuinely looking for someone.
- You can pursue potential love matches while sitting at home, in your pajamas, while gorging on ice cream.
- You can quickly reject anyone who doesn’t appeal to you simply by scrolling past. There’s no need to worry that you’re going to hurt their feelings or damage their self-confidence.
While there are many perks connected to online dating, there are also a few drawbacks. While most of the people who use the various dating sites are good people, a few predators do occasionally create accounts. The good news is that there are some things you can do to protect yourself while engaged in online dating.
Create a New Email
Do not use any email that you regularly correspond with. Create a brand new email account that isn’t linked to your personal data. Do not attach social media accounts, your address, or your phone number to this email address.
Get a Good VPN
VPNs are designed to protect your location while you’re using the internet. A good VPN makes it look like you’re in one country while you’re really in a different one that’s on the other side of the globe. A good VPN makes it very difficult for anyone you’re corresponding with to track you down. Make sure you have the VPN on whenever you’re using the online dating site or using the email connected to the dating site.
Make Your Photos Generic
Before uploading photos to your profile, carefully look over them and make sure that there’s nothing in them that could give clues to where you live or the places you routinely hang out.
Meet in Public and Drive Yourself
If you’ve connected with someone and think they are a potential match, make sure your first several meetings are in a public place and arrange for your own transportation.
Tell People Where You’re Going and Check-In with Them
The first few times you go out with an internet date, let one or two people you trust know where you’re going, who you’ll be with, and what you’ll be doing. You should also set a time when you’ll check back in with them and let them know how it’s going. If the date is going well and you decide to keep the experience going, let your check-in people know about the change. If the date changes venue at any point, share this information.
The best way to stay safe while engaged in online data is to trust your gut. If you get a funny feeling that the person you matched up with isn’t quite what they seem, you should immediately cut ties and look for a new potential match.
What is Sober Living in California? How Does It Work?
When most people hear the term sober living, they assume that it refers to a person who has decided to completely abstain from alcohol and drugs.
The truth is that sober living is actually a program that’s designed to help addicts start the long road to recovery.
Sober living in California involves an addict moving into a facility where they will not only be able to avoid temptation but will also be provided with the tools needed to rebuild their lives and learn how to live without drugs/alcohol. In the past, many of the facilities that currently identify as sober living facilities were called halfway houses.
Most of the residents at sober living facilities are individuals who have been recently released from jail for drug charges. Many have just completed a lengthy sentence. The idea behind sending them to a sober living facility is that it provides them with a place to stay and the resources needed to ease their transition back into reality. While many of the people enrolled in one of California’s sober living facilities have been recently released from jail, some are individuals who don’t necessarily have a criminal record but were actually residents of a long-term rehab program who want to reenter life outside of rehab at a slower pace.
The great thing about sober living facilities in California is that they do more than provide residents with a place to stay. They are no longer run like mini-jails that some halfway houses became. While the residents do have rules they have to follow while they are residing at the sober living facility, they also have access to tools and resources that would have been difficult for them to find had they simply returned to their homes.
One of the things sober living residents learn is how to embrace a sober lifestyle and resist the temptation to give into their addiction once they are reunited with their loved ones. This education can include recognizing which people aid in their addiction. What habits triggered their addiction. How to replace illegal substances with healthier, less addictive options.
Each sober living facility has different rules, policies, and approaches to helping the residents establish the foundation for a sober future, but most have a few common rules, which include:
- Zero-tolerance for addictive substances
- Frequent alcohol and drug tests
- Mandatory chores
- Curfews
- Employment requirements
- Mandatory attendance at sobriety support groups and rehabilitation programs
While each person’s experiences are different, many of the people who have gone through one of California’s sober living programs credit the program with giving them the confidence and tools needed to enjoy a sober lifestyle even after they’ve graduated from the sober living program.
Teen Marijuana Use in California
Recreational marijuana is legal in California. However, that doesn’t mean that teens are allowed to partake in marijuana.
At this point, it’s legal for anyone who is over the age of 21, to grow, use, and carry marijuana. That age limit is important. If a person is 21 and enjoying some marijuana, they’re fine. The same isn’t true if their 19-year-old friend is doing the same thing.
The one exception to marijuana use in teenagers is if that medical marijuana can be prescribed to anyone who is at least 18 years old. That means that if an 18-, 19-, or 20-year-old has a prescription from a legit doctor, they can legally use marijuana. If a teen is prescribed medical marijuana, they must adhere to the rules laid out in the prescription. The slightest deviation could result in them facing serious legal repercussions.
Teens who are caught illegally in the possession of marijuana will face the same legal consequences they’d face if they were caught with alcohol. As long as the teen is merely in the possession of the marijuana but not using it, they will be charged with an infraction. The consequences of this particular marijuana infraction include a fine, mandatory drug education, and community service.
Teens who are caught operating a car after they have been illegally using marijuana will face the same consequences that they would had they been illegally drinking. In addition to fines and drug counseling, they will face license suspension. The more times they are caught driving while under the influence of marijuana, the more severe the legal consequences become.
At the end of the day, it’s important to make sure teenagers understand that it’s really in their best interest to wait until they are 21 before they experiment with marijuana. While they still have to be careful and make sure they don’t take so much that their ability to drive is impaired, by waiting until they’re legally able to do so, they don’t have to worry about getting into trouble for simply having marijuana in their pockets or tucked into a purse.