Should My Child Talk to the Police?
Jerod Gunsberg, Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer
The bottom line is this: If your child is being questioned about being involved in a crime, he or she should not talk to the police without first consulting a qualified juvenile defense attorney.
read moreCalifornia Gov. Signs Law That Would Allow Juveniles Who Received Life Sentences to Receive A Shorter Sentence
Jerod Gunsberg, Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer
California Governor Jerry Brown signed a law that would give juveniles who received life sentences a chance to petition a judge to reduce their sentences. There are approximately 300 inmates in California who received life sentences for crimes they committed…
read moreGiving Adderall to Poor Children Who Don’t Have ADHD
Jerod Gunsberg, Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer
Adderall is a prescription drug that the FDA approved to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). According to a recent New York Times article, Attention Disorder or Not, Pills to Help in School,certain doctors are taking it upon themselves to…
read moreSchool Officials Believe Rosary Beads Are Gang Symbol
Jerod Gunsberg, Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer
A guest blogger, criminal defense attorney Andrew Bouvier-Brown, comes to us this week with his take on a bizarre incident in which a Colorado high school student had his rosary beads confiscated by school authorities. Why? They believed that the rosary,…
read moreBrain Scan Evidence Impacts Sentences Received by Juveniles
Jerod Gunsberg, Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer
A groundbreaking study published by the journal Science shows that judges are likely to be influenced by the results of brain scans that are introduced into evidence. The brain scan evidence was introduced as part of a hypothetical case that…
read moreCalifornia’s Ban on Synthetic Marijuana
Jerod Gunsberg, Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer
This is not your parents’ marijuana or the marijuana you might have encountered when you were a teenager. In the last several years, a new designer drug has become available, much of it used by juveniles—synthetic marijuana. Unlike old-fashioned, naturally…
read moreOne 20-Minute Hearing, Two Consecutive 30 Year Prison Sentences
Jerod Gunsberg, Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer
If a child is accused of murdering two adults, what is a reasonable amount of time to determine whether they should be treated as an adult? I am a criminal defense lawyer representing juveniles in Los Angeles, so you may…
read moreEarly Exposure to Juvenile Court System Leads To More School Dropouts
Jerod Gunsberg, Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer
The media is beginning to catch on to a trend that many juvenile justice reform experts have known for quite some time: The earlier a student is exposed to the juvenile court system the more likely they are on average…
read moreTeacher and Four Fontana Students Arrested For Hazing
Jerod Gunsberg, Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer
A teacher and four students in Fontana, about 50 miles east of Los Angeles, were arrested for what the media is describing as a “hazing” incident. The teacher is accused of having four of his students assault other students as…
read moreAdderall Abuse By Academically Ambitious Juveniles
Jerod Gunsberg, Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer
The New York Times recently published a lengthy advertisement for the amphetamine, Adderall. Technically, it wasn’t supposed to be a commercial. It was a feature story entitled, “Risky Rise of the Good Grade Pill.” But the manufacturer of Adderall would…
read more