by Andy Chen | Jun 24, 2021 | California, Feel good series, Statutes... and stuff
This past week, I came across several memes on Facebook about what you’re supposed to do in California if you encounter a dog or other animal locked inside a vehicle with the windows up. The concern, of course, is that the interior of the car will overheat on a summer day and the animal will die. Being the legal research nerd that I am, I took it upon myself to look up the relevant and bore — er, I mean, share — that law with all of you. It’s also an opportunity for me to share a lot of the dog photos I’ve accumulated over the years. Anyway, there are two questions I’ll answer: What California law prohibits leaving a dog or other animal in a hot car? What California laws allow a bystander who sees a dog locked in a hot car to break the window of that car to rescue that dog or animal? #1: What law prohibits leaving a dog in a hot car? The relevant California law here is Section 597.7 of California’s Penal Code. Section 597.7 has a lot of subsections to it so I would encourage you to read the actual text of the statute if you have a situation that involves an animal having been left in a hot vehicle. As I’ve mentioned before, my posts are ultimately just my paraphrasing of the relevant law. I’ve included links in this post and in all my other posts to the relevant code sections in California should you want to do your own research. Anyway, the subsection that addresses the leaving of animals in...
by Andy Chen | Oct 31, 2017 | Feel good series
by Andy Chen | May 27, 2013 | Feel good series
In my last post, I mentioned that one of the reasons why I like being a solo practice lawyer is that it allows me to pick and choose the cases I want to take and not take. One of the kinds of cases that I generally will try and take are those in which I can help a veteran. There’s a lot of bad news in the world, so today I’m beginning a new series of posts in which I relay a good story to, hopefully, restore your faith in humanity. Today’s story begins like this. Bob (not his real name) was in the Navy. He and his wife Jane (also not her real name) had a home in which they had raised two children. About 7 years ago, Bob and Jane — like many people — borrowed against their home. When the economy turned in 2008, Bob and Jane found themselves unable to pay back the loan they had taken out. When the bank came to take their home, Bob and Jane put up a fight. During the course of that fight, they were ordered by the court to put up a $4,000 security bond. Sadly, Bob and Jane ultimately lost their fight and their home was taken from them. They should have been able to get back their $4,000 when they lost their house, but didn’t. It turns out that their old attorney neglected to tie up that loose end for them. Bob and Jane tried on their own for almost 10 months to get the $4,000 back on their own, but with no success. The court...
