Alhambra Courthouse – Criminal Court in Alhambra

If you have been charged, under investigation or facing criminal charges at Alhambra Courthouse, you can always count on an expert group of criminal defense attorneys at Goruvich, Berk & Associates. Feel free to contact our criminal defense attorneys and ask for a free consultation.

Alfred J. McCourtney Juvenile Justice Center

crimlawla — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:13:52 +0000

Alfred J. McCourtney Juvenile Justice Center

1040 West Avenue J, Clerks office Room 1157
Lancaster, CA 93534

Courthouse Hours

The courthouse is open from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, except

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Free parking is available in parking lots on Ave. J and Ave. J-2. Limited street parking is available.

Alfred J. McCourtney Juvenile Justice Center

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Criminal Courthouse Lancaster, CA

If you have been charged, under investigation or facing criminal charges at Lancaster Criminal Courthouse, you can always count on an expert group of criminal defense attorneys at Goruvich, Berk & Associates. Feel free to contact our criminal defense attorneys and ask for a free consultation.

It is extremely important to have an experienced and knowledgeable criminal defense attorney begin working on your case as early as possible. Critical issues, such as how your particular case will be filed and what charges will be leveled against you, are decided, many a time, very soon after your arrest or during the investigatory period. Whether your case goes in front of the grand jury or not, early intervention gives us an opportunity to potentially reduce or dismiss the charges against you before the first court date.

Gurovich, Berk & Associates

333 South Grand Avenue 25th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Tel: (213) 385-1555

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Airport Courthouse | Airport Criminal Courthouse | LAX Courthouse

crimlawla — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:32:26 +0000

Airport Courthouse

Airport Courthouse
11701 South La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90045

Hours - Airport Courthouse

The courthouse is open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday

Parking – Airport Courthouse

Airport Courthouse parking lot is reserved for jurors and employees only.
Pacific Concourse parking lot and metered parking around the courthouse for $0.25 every 30 minutes are available for the public.

Airport Courthouse Los Angeles

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Airport Courthouse Los Angeles

If you have been charged, under investigation or facing criminal charges at Airport Courthouse or LAX Court, you can always count on an expert group of criminal defense attorneys at Goruvich, Berk & Associates. Feel free to contact our criminal defense attorneys and ask for a free consultation.

Gurovich, Berk & Associates

333 South Grand Avenue 25th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Tel: (213) 385-1555

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Insurance Fraud Case

crimlawla — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:45:01 +0000

Two defendants charged in a massive 60 plus defendant insurance fraud case. Each defendant was charged with more than 20 felony counts of insurance fraud. The criminal defense attorneys of Gurovich, Berk & Associates settled both defendants to amended counts for a charge other than insurance fraud which will be reduced to a misdemeanor after 18 months. NO JAIL!

Federal Healthcare Fraud

crimlawla — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:38:43 +0000

Represented client in a multiple defendant Federal Healthcare Fraud case … Continue reading →

A new study published by Robert Nash Parker

crimlawla — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:05:55 +0000

A new study published by Robert Nash Parker, a sociologist and director of the Presley Center for Crime and Justice Studies at the University of California at Riverside, argues that the California Three Strikes Law has had absolutely no impact on reducing violent crime is California. In fact, all it has done is overcrowded California prisons, and increased spending to impossible levels. Parker does not talk of morality or justice. His focus is purely statistical in nature.

Proponents of the Three Strikes argue that violent crime has dropped, and the law thus has achieved its goals. To state otherwise is to fly in the face of statistics that show a decrease in violent crime.

Parker dismisses these arguments, however, stating that violent crime has dropped equally in states that have Three Strikes legislation and in those that do not. The State of Washington, for example, has a very similar drop in violent crime as does The State of California. Yet California incarcerates 300 times more people than does Washington, but has a population that is only 5.5 times that of the other state. Moreover, the drop in violence in California had started two years prior to the passing of the Three Strikes Law. The real reason violent crime has declined in the country as a whole is the decline in alcohol consumption.

Since the 1930′s statistical data suggests that a decline in homicide rates is preceded by a drop in alcohol consumption approximately two years earlier. A rise in homicide rates is preceded by a rise in alcohol consumption approximately two year before.

So if Three Strikes is a failure, if violent crime is decreasing on its own simply due to lower alcohol consumption nationwide, do we need to continue with the status quo? If we do, our prisons will overflow even more than now, and the money we spend on housing, feeding and guarding these inmates will go through the roof. In 1985, California spent 11% of its budget on higher education and only 4% on prison funding. Today, higher education receives 6% and prison spending has risen to 10% of the annual budget. We literally are throwing money away.

If the Three Strikes had actually worked, we could justify the argument that it’s continued existence is a necessary evil. Given this new analysis by Parker, however, it makes absolutely no sense to keep Three Strikes in place. The immediate savings to California would be somewhere around $1.3 billion. That will pay for a lot of higher education as well as other state programs that need rescue.

Senator Mark Leno, a San Francisco Democrat, has introduced a bill in California

crimlawla — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:03:41 +0000

Senator Mark Leno, a San Francisco Democrat, has introduced a bill in California that would make it a misdemeanor to possess narcotics such as cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines for personal use. Possession for sale still will remain a felony. The purpose of this proposed law is to ease the overcrowding in our prisons and to save close to $2 billion over the next 10 years. Plus, says the Senator, there’s no evidence to suggest that longer custody time deters the use of these drugs.

I would argue that longer sentences not only fail to deter, but are a waste on a true addict. By definition, an addict is someone that can not control his or her overwhelming desire for the drug of their choice. Rational and logical thought has nothing to do with the addict’s choice to use drugs. It’s a need, an urge that is almost impossible to control. Thoughts of the length of prison sentences do not enter into the mind of an addict. The only consideration is where and how to get the drugs. Getting the drug is a need, not a result of a decision making process where the addict weighs the pro’s and con’s of what he or she is about to do. They will lie, cheat, steal, and sometimes hurt others in order to get a fix. What the addict needs is treatment not more punishment.

Some may argue that we will be sending the wrong message to kids, that longer prison sentences may deter the first time user from ever trying and thereby getting addicted to the drug. This maybe so for some. But, I think, those that may be deterred by longer time in custody will be deterred by less time in custody as well. Most that would otherwise try the drug will still do it despite the longer sentence. How many kids will refuse to try the drug if the punishment is three vs one year? I would think that this thought does not even enter their minds. In fact, considering the consequences of one’s actions is purely an adult concept.

What we need is more education. We should continue to enlighten kids to the horrors of these drugs. We also should continue to treat those that are addicted. Money saved by this proposed law should be applied to treatment. This money will do a lot more good educating than feeding and housing addicts in prison.

Two former agents with the Immigration and Naturalization Service

crimlawla — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:01:06 +0000

Two former agents with the Immigration and Naturalization Service, what is now called ICE, have been convicted, in Los Angeles, of defrauding the United States Federal Government of hundreds of thousands dollars. Frank Johnston was convicted of 22 counts of wire fraud and one count of theft of government property over $500,000. His wife, Teryn Johnston was convicted of two counts of providing false statements to federal prosecutors.

It appears that between 2002 and 2008, Frank Johnston, a high ranking supervisor with the INS, had allowed his wife, another INS agent to stay home with their kids and still receive her full $90,000 salary with benefits, overtime, and holiday pay on top. What maybe even more disturbing than this husband and wife team of thiefs, is that in their testimony at trial several ICE officials stated that they knew about this scheme but did nothing about it.

This goes beyond the outrageous. So this is how our Federal Government functions: some steal and others close their eyes and pretend that it is not happening. How many more situations like this are occurring at this very moment?

The Federal prosecutor on the case, AUSA Akrotirianakis told the jury that they may become disappointed in the government after this case. This is a fair observation. Unfortunately, it does not address the root of the problem. This case is not only about stealing money, it is about having the ability and opportunity to do what is illegal and getting away with it. Certain human beings will always be drawn to that. It is in our nature. Federal agents are not immune to this. What differentiates them from mere mortals is that they are uniquely situated to be in the position of power and thereby tempted to abuse it. As John Acton said in 1887 “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely…” Given an opportunity to do something illegal and a feeling of immunity, many will take that fateful step. Being an agent with the Federal Government has a tendency to provide both the opportunity and the felling that one can get away with whatever it is one is doing. Group mentality also breeds complacency from those around, spreading the feeling of responsibility and making witnesses of this abuse think that it’s not their problem to address.

So what is the solution to this flaw in our character? Limiting the power of government and more accountability seems be a good place to start.

LAPD has taken these allegations seriously

crimlawla — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:24:04 +0000

You never want to believe that things like this actually happen. Unfortunately they do. According to the LA Times, a Los Angeles Police Detective has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation of his alleged theft of money belonging to a suspect. Detective Ramon Alvarez, who has been with the force for 27 years, was allegedly seen by another officer taking money of a suspect while serving a warrant. It is not clear where the money was located at the residence in question and how much money is at issue. Nor is it clear how exactly this taking transpired. Nevertheless, the LAPD has taken these allegations seriously. Detective Alvarez’ vehicle was immediately searched at the scene. Investigators found money inside Alvarez’ vehicle they believe belongs to the suspect being served with the original warrant.

Alvarez was arrested. Bail was set at $20,000.

If Alvarez did indeed steel the money, it is outrageous behavior. This is a person charged with upholding the law. Yet here he is using his status and position to violate these same laws. He is a criminal that is flying under the radar. He is in a unique position to do exactly what he is being accused of doing. He is in the position of power. He has access to the money. He is the one that is to catalogue how much money was seized from a suspect, if he is the arresting officer. Who will believe a suspect, a person accused of committing a crime, that a Detective with the LAPD has actually stooped so low as to steel money from him?

Unfortunately, this is probably more common that we may want to believe. I can not tell you how many times my clients have told me that money was taken from them during a search or arrest and not reported by the arresting officer. Ultimately, they choose not to pursue the issue either because they believe they can not prove the existence of the money, the fact that it was taken, or because they simply do not want to accuse and thereby upset the person that is investigating their case.

It is commendable that the LAPD took immediate steps toward investigating this incident. If Alvarez is guilty of this crime, he should be punished harshly. Not only did he allegedly violate the law, but he also violated our trust in him, in the system and in the LAPD the agency that we as citizens rely on to uphold the law.

Pharmacy Healthcare Fraud

crimlawla — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:50:51 +0000

Owners of Pharmacy investigated by FBI for fraud by way of phantom billing, billing for services not rendered, and billing for services not medically reasonable and necessary. After early intervention by our criminal defense attorneys, the FBI and US Attorney’s Office were convinced that it would be difficult to take the case to trial and the case was never filed.