- Divorce
- Child Support
- Child Custody and VisitationFalse Allegations/Innocence: It is not uncommon for people to be falsely accused for purposes of revenge, jealousy, anger or in an effort to interfere with a child custody dispute.
- Child AbuseChild abuse and elder abuse may also be domestic violence crimes; those crimes are discussed under separate headings. Below are links to the most common domestic violence crimes when the crime is committed against a person with whom the perpetrator has or had an intimate relationship as defined by the statute.
- Criminal DefenseAttorney William M. Weinberg was born and raised in Orange County. As the youngest child in a family of lawyers— both of his parents were attorneys and all four of his siblings are attorneys—you could say that his passion for the law is “in his blood.” Mr. Weinberg’s law practice is devoted solely to criminal defense. He believes that all individuals accused of a crime are entitled to a fair and competent defense.
- DUI/DWIMany professionals don’t appreciate the long reach of their state board. Even a one-time DUI or a seemingly minor, but negligent, oversight can result in a board accusation and discipline. Orange County professional license defense attorney William Weinberg is committed to preserving your license and your career.
- Traffic ViolationsOne question is why this subject matter with merit a entire page of the website. Well, the answer is that over 25% of Californians have some time of criminal history, whether traffic violations or otherwise. What does that mean to you? It means that the next time you apply for a job where you try to sign a lease for an apartment there's a good chance your conviction is going to show up.
- Sex CrimesThe consequences for a conviction for a sex crime are extremely harsh. Even an accusation, unproven, could follow your around for years to come, affecting your reputation and your ability to get jobs or housing. Sex crimes include child molestation, sexual assault, sexual battery, date rape, oral copulation, rape, pandering, solicitation, pimping, lewd conduct, and child pornography. While guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt as with all crimes, sex crimes are particularly stigmatized. If you need a trustworthy Orange County sex crimes lawyer, give William M. Weinberg a call. Mr. Weinberg has close to 30 years of experience and understands how prosecutors think about and pursue these charges. He provides personalized and attentive services. Defending Sex Crimes in Orange County
- FraudMany people don’t know that a crime of fraud does not require that actual loss or damage occur; the crime requires only that by the act, there was the intention to cause that loss or damage. Just as one example: if a person attempts to purchase an item with a fraudulently produced credit card, and even if no purchase is actually made on the card because the purchase is denied at the point of sale, the crime of credit card fraud has already been committed by the use of the fraudulent card.
- RobberyThe crime of robbery is a felony. It is a very serious charge with the potential for a long prison sentence. If you have been charged with robbery, you need to consult with an experienced Orange County robbery defense attorney immediately. Depending upon the circumstances, an experienced criminal attorney may be able to obtain a reduction in the charges or even secure a dismissal of the charge.
- BurglaryWilliam Weinberg, an experienced Orange County burglary defense lawyer, can identify the elements of the alleged burglary charged and determine whether the conduct actually fulfilled the requirements of burglary under California statute. The crime of burglary requires that the prosecution prove the intent to commit the underlying crime. Sometimes the charge can be defeated on that alone. For example, if a person enters a residence for another reason but then sees an opportunity to commit a crime, the person may be guilty of the other crime, but he or she is not guilty of burglary because when the person entered the residence there was no intent to commit that crime.
- White Collar CrimesIn most cases, no violence is involved in white collar crime. Typically these crimes are perpetrated by professionals in positions of trust. A federal agency such as the SEC or the FBI may investigate prior to charges being brought. However, as a target, you may not realize there is an ongoing investigation against you unless law enforcement shows up with a search warrant.
- Theft
- MisdemeanorsViolation of this statute can be charged as a misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in county jail and a maximum $20,000 fine or as a felony, with a penalty of up to three years state imprisonment and a maximum $20,000 fine.
- EmbezzlementWhile we hear about the high profile, big money embezzlement crimes, a person may be charged with embezzlement even when the amount of money or value of an item is small. Say a store clerk is caught taking a $5 bill out of the register at the end of the day because he was out of cash and wanted to buy a loaf of bread on his way home from work. Under California law, the clerk has committed embezzlement because he intended to use the money, which was the property of the shop owner, for his own benefit and the owner had put her trust in the clerk to keep the money safe for her. And guess what? It doesn't matter if the clerk considered it a loan and intended to put a $5 bill back in the register the next day; the intent to repay embezzled money or property is not a defense.
- Drug CrimesDrug related charges run the gamut from minor possession, which usually results in a court referral to a drug diversion program, to the very serious charge of drug manufacturing, which carries the potential for a long prison sentence. Whatever the charge, representation by an experienced Orange County drug possession defense lawyer can make a huge difference in the outcome. A good defense lawyer is often able to get minor drug use or possession charges dismissed outright and sales charges reduced to simple possession, with a possibility of dismissal if a drug diversion program is ordered. For the more serious charges that carry sentences of confinement, an experienced attorney can often get the sentence of confinement waived and a grant of probation ordered instead of a jail or prison sentence.
- AssaultBattery is a related crime to assault, which requires the prosecutor to prove that there was willful contact with another person. Aggravating circumstances can result in a charge of aggravated assault or aggravated battery, which may lead to enhanced penalties. Domestic Violence
- MurderCapital murder is a charge that requires the prosecutor to also show the murder took place under a specific circumstance. The specific circumstances that can cause a murder charge to be elevated to a capital murder charge are enumerated under Penal Code section 190.2 PC. They include...
- Juvenile CrimesAs many people know, Juvenile crimes are prosecuted differently than adult crimes. A person under the age of 18, when accused of a crime is prosecuted in juvenile court. We don’t call them criminal proceedings, rather we call them delinquency proceedings. Why is that? Well, Juvenile crimes in California occupy a peculiar terrain. Some might say that it is neither fish nor fowl. In essence, someone prosecuted under California law for a juvenile offense is both treated as someone who needs an Orange County lawyer to be protected and someone who needs to be prosecuted.
- Probation ViolationIf the defendant successfully served and completed his or her probation term without any violations of probation, the court must grant the petition for expungement of eligible convictions. However, if the defendant violated any term of probation, the expungement is discretionary to the court. In such cases the court will consider the petition in light of evidence that the petitioner has demonstrated his or her rehabilitation. Orange County expungements attorney, William Weinberg, has assisted numerous clients in successfully petitioning the court for an expungement of a conviction with probation violations. He will guide you through the gathering of documentation the court considers evidence of rehabilitation and will prepare a convincing petition on your behalf. More often than not, these petitions are granted.
- Identity TheftEquifax Breach: A Cybercrime That Affected Millions of Americans You have probably heard about the Equifax breach by now. As far as identity theft…
- HomicideHomicide occurs when somebody deliberately kills another person. Broadly, the two different categories of homicide are murder and manslaughter. However, there are seven types of homicide charges...
- ArsonUnder California Penal Code section 451, arson is a felony that involves willfully and maliciously burning any structure, property, or forest land. You can face misdemeanor or felony arson charges for setting a fire with reckless or intentional conduct. Robbery
- ShopliftingBurglary can be charged if a prosecutor proves you illegally physically entered into a particular structure or vehicle with the intent of carrying out a felony or petty theft other than shoplifting. You can be charged with burglary so long as you entered and had the required intent, even if the actual crime you intended to commit didn’t occur. There are several different degrees of burglary, which carry sentences that escalate in severity along with the severity of allegations. The most serious type would be first degree burglary, which occurs when the structure into which the defendant enters is inhabited. Theft
- Restraining OrderAfter an emergency protective order is issued, which usually retrains the alleged abuser from any contact with the protected person, the protected person must file for a Domestic Violence Restraining Order with the court. The court will ultimately decide whether to issue the restraining order.
- ForgeryWhile we commonly think of forgery as signing someone else’s signature without their permission, forgery also includes forging a seal, altering a legal document, counterfeiting a driver’s license, falsifying insurance documents, passing a fictitious check, and filing false judicial or public record documents—and that’s just to name a few of the many acts that may be charged as forgery under the California Penal Code forgery sections 470, 472, 475, 476, and 115. Forgery does not necessarily require that you personally signed or altered the document, it is enough to pass or use a forged document if you know it is forged.
- Money LaunderingLegal and regulatory compliance data as required for purposes such as know your client, anti-money laundering, and market abuse regulations requirements, or as part of our client onboarding process, which may include passport or other identification data, date of birth, home address, and other due diligence data.
- KidnappingUnder California law, certain crimes are specifically designated as violent felonies. These crimes include crimes you would expect such as murder and armed robbery but also crimes such as kidnapping, sexual molestation of a child, and gang extortion. But crimes such as sexual battery and drive-by shootings (if no one is killed or injured) are not violent felonies under the statue. The violent felony statutory designation has significant implications.
- ManslaughterYou may recall the case some years ago in San Francisco where two dogs under the care of a husband and wife attacked and killed a woman who lived in their apartment building. The dogs, trained to be vicious, attacked the neighbor in the hallway of the apartment building shared by the couple. Both the husband and wife were convicted on manslaughter charges.
- ExtortionIn order to establish extortion, a prosecutor must show that you (1) used force or fear, (2) to compel someone else, (3) to give up consideration or property, and (4) that person consented to your demands. A prosecutor could also prove extortion if you try to use force or fear to compel a public official to act or not act in an official capacity and that official agreed to your demands. Extortion is a serious felony that carries up to 4 years in state prison. Conspiracy
- Hit and RunJames, a long-haul truck driver, was charged with hit and run on another car. All charges were dismissed after a thorough investigation showed the victim gave false testimony. People vs. Richard L.
- Corporate LawRecruitment – Personal information about job applicants is collected and processed for purposes of screening, identifying, and evaluating candidates for positions; record-keeping related to hiring processes; analyzing the hiring process and outcomes; and conducting background checks, where and to the extent permitted by applicable law, which may also be subject to relevant local recruitment privacy policy. If you are hired by the Firm, this data will be transferred to our employee record files for the purpose of your employment. This is necessary in order to take steps at the request of the job applicant in the context of recruitment prior to entering into a contract. In addition, job applicant data and legal and regulatory compliance data may be used as necessary to comply with legal, regulatory, and corporate governance requirements. Information Sharing
- Dog BitesClosely related to Penal Code section 399 is Penal Code section 399.5, which makes it unlawful to own a dog that is trained to fight, attack, or kill if the dog bites a person on two separate occasions or on one occasion if the bite causes a substantial bodily injury. This offense applies if the owner of the dog fails to use ordinary care in the control of the dog. The statute is different from section 399 in that it applies to dogs trained to attack and specifically applies to dog bites, whereas section 399 does not have this requirement. In other respects, the two laws are similar.