Booth & Davalos, LLP

BOOTH & DAVALOS, LLP - starting a business with partners

This is an interesting 4th Amendment (Search and Seizure) case that flew under the radar. The abridged version is that the court held that in certain circumstances, an initially illegal search without probable cause can be rendered legal by intervening circumstances. Here, the police officer learned of an arrest warrant after making an illegal stop. The court held once the officer learned of the arrest warrant, the arrest, search and discovery of drugs was legal. Of tangential but particular interest from the story is this tidbit. "She [Justice Sotamayor] and Kagan both noted that outstanding warrants are now a common feature in American life. A Justice Department report in the aftermath of the riots in Ferguson found that there were 16,000 outstanding warrants in the city of 21,000 residents."

For those who enjoy watching "get rich scheme" criminals fail...and a bit of mercy for the criminally inept.

Post-Fire Insurance Claims Over the last week we have all seen the photos and news stories about the San Diego wildfires. The photos show displaced families and charred moonscapes where neighborhoods once stood. In the aftermath, homeowners face a myriad of contractors, realtors, insurance adjusters and temporary housing while attempting to rebuild. Most policies provide coverage for damage to the dwelling, garage, sheds, furniture, clothes and appliances, subject to the ...policy limits. Some policies also provide additional living expenses to cover temporary housing. While the coverage provided by insurance policies varies, claims must be made properly and timely to ensure a full recovery. Homeowners with doubts or uncertainty regarding the extent of coverage provided by the homeowner’s insurance policy should seek expert advice in making claims to their insurers.