Articles

The Legal Rainmaker’s Power Play: Designing Your Own Future

Robert Hartmann

A law student named Tyler skipped a coveted holiday ski trip to cram for Civ Pro, a foundational first-year course on civil litigation. Still stressed about his grades and getting…

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Facing New Criminal Charges with a Record? What You Need to Know

Robert Hartmann

Jaime S. is no saint, but most reasonable people would agree the sentence he faced in a Los Angeles courtroom didn’t fit the crime. Short of money, and trying to…

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Can You Say No? What to Know About Field Sobriety Tests in California

Robert Hartmann

Imagine a police car dashcam capturing a DUI stop. A female sheriff’s deputy pulls over a large man in a cowboy hat on a country road, believing him to be…

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Can the Police Search My Car Without a Warrant?

Robert Hartmann

Whoop whoop. You’ve just been pulled over by a cop. The red and blue flashing lights are disorienting—to put it mildly. As if that wasn’t bad enough, you just know…

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Do Federal Agents Really Knock, Guns Drawn, and Arrest, at 7 AM? YES

Robert Hartmann

It’s early Friday morning in your sleepy suburban neighborhood. You pull back the bedroom curtain and are confronted with a shocking sight. Your neighbor across the street shivers in his…

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The Secret to a Strong Legal Defense? Honey, Not Vinegar

Robert Hartmann

What’s your favorite courtroom drama? If I had $5 for every time someone asked me this as a lawyer, I’d be set for life. Seriously, though, any list of the…

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When Your Freedom Is On The Line You Need a Certified Legal Specialist

Robert Hartmann

Imagine being married and the father of two wonderful children. You own a beautiful home in a desirable neighborhood. Your kids are prospering, especially since you’ve achieved a wonderful work-life…

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The Surprising Way Misdemeanors Can Strip You of Your Firearms in California

Robert Hartmann

A man named Jim, age 77, is asleep when a strange sound startles him awake. Jim knows every creak in his house—this is different. Alarmed, he retrieves a firearm from…

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The Power of Empathy: It Turns Cases into Wins

Robert Hartmann

Imagine you’re a citizen of Chicago in 1924. You’ve just been granted the golden ticket—a pass to sit in the gallery for what’s being billed “The Trial of the Century.”…

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How Common Is Perjury?

Robert Hartmann

Perjury is defined as the act of swearing an oath to tell the truth, either by speaking it or writing it with the intention of lying or withholding information. As…

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What Happens When You Get Your First DUI?

Robert Hartmann

Regardless of what state you are in, driving under the influence is illegal. Each state defines DUI differently and the punishment can vary greatly by state and county. Orange County,…

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Why Crime Is So Difficult To Prosecute

Robert Hartmann

“Better a hundred guilty persons should escape than one innocent person should suffer.” This quote, usually attributed to Benjamin Franklin, has its philosophy rooted in English Common Law, which traditionally…

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The FBI’s 6 Most Prevalent Types of White-Collar Crime

Robert Hartmann

In previous articles, I’ve described in general terms, the meaning of “white collar crime.” While non-violent in nature and, by definition, committed by members of the educated, professional class, these…

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Yes, Marijuana Is Now Legal — Within Limits

Robert Hartmann

Where can you buy and legally use marijuana in California? While pot is legal, significant restrictions remain in place. Although marijuana has been legal for recreational use in California for…

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What Would Happen if Prosecutors Never Flipped Defendants?

Robert Hartmann

With all the recent high-profile discussion of “flipping defendant’s” I thought it might be interesting to discuss what “flipping” really means and how it affects a defendant and the criminal…

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A Handful of Facts about California’s New Bail Reform Law

Robert Hartmann

The California Money Bail Reform Act signed into law September 25, 2018, is meant to level the playing field between rich and poor defendants in the state’s criminal justice system. Essentially, the…

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You Can’t Bail on Bail: How to Reduce the Costs of Jail Time

Robert Hartmann

“Can you bail me out?” Are you imagining your favorite coming-of-age movie? The character desperately clinging onto the phone as they nervously wait for an exasperated “yes”? Maybe their friend…

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Is This Taken? Understanding Intellectual Property Theft

Robert Hartmann

Whether you’re a business owner, artist, or consumer, intellectual property impacts you every single day. We constantly use patented technology, watch and listen to copyrighted material, and invent or learn…

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Call Anytime: The Importance of Attorney Availability

Robert Hartmann

Have you ever called a friend or relative with important news and deflated at the sound of the BEEP? Realized your sent box was bigger than your inbox? When people…

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Check It Twice: Are Your Exports Legal?

Robert Hartmann

International exports are closely monitored, regulated, and restricted by the Government. Regardless of how innocuous you think your item is, you need to know what can happen to them and…

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When the Officer Isn’t a Gentleman: Understanding Loan Fraud

Robert Hartmann

To continue our month-long examination of white-collar crimes, we’re going to explore the various ways a loan officer or borrower can commit loan fraud. Similar to other white-collar crimes, a…

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May Cause Jail Time: The Casualties of Healthcare Fraud

Robert Hartmann

Due to the prevalence and serious consequences to defendants of white-collar crime, we’ve decided to make them the focus of our summer blog series. Let’s start July off right by…

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Dispelling the Top Two Myths About White-Collar Crimes

Robert Hartmann

White-collar crime is my featured topic for the month of June. As discussed in my previous post, white-collar crimes can involve powerful people, complex schemes, and of course, lots of…

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All About the Money: Exploring White-Collar Crimes

Robert Hartmann

Criminologist Edwin Sutherland coined the term “white collar crime” in 1939, and it remains the umbrella term to define crimes eliciting financial gain. Wearing a white collar means you’re a…

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Beware the Warning Signs of a Bad Lawyer— It Just Might Save Your Life

Robert Hartmann

The difference between a good lawyer and a bad lawyer can mean the difference between freedom, a prison term and yes—even a death sentence. Based on the severity of the…

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Are You the Target of a Criminal Investigation? Here’s What to Do

Robert Hartmann

Imagine this. You come home from a long day at work, kick off your shoes, and absentmindedly sort through the mail sprawled on the kitchen table. Mixed up with the…

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The Philosophy of a Certified Criminal Defense Lawyer

Robert Hartmann

When you’re accused of a crime, the stakes are high. With your future and reputation on the line, you must appeal to those responsible for deciding your fate. Now, I’m…

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Do Juries Like Blue Jeans or Slacks? The Answer May Bring You Freedom—or Jail Time.

Robert Hartmann

You’re facing twelve strangers, chosen to determine your fate in a court of law. You’ve prepared for weeks, months, and maybe years. Mountains of evidence, a good lawyer, and truth…

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