CLEARLAKE — Lake County defense attorney Jesse Chrisp, Esq. will lead a free Criminal Procedure Clinic on Tuesday describing people”s basic legal rights and effective ways for dealing with law enforcement in a respectful manner. This will be strictly a legal information discussion and nothing in the clinic is to be regarded or construed as legal advice.
The clinic will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Burns Valley Elementary School in Clearlake. Food and refreshments will be provided.
“This forum will provide people with basic education in how to deal with law enforcement effectively,” Chrisp said. “This is a win-win opportunity for those people who are charged with a crime, local law enforcement and the county and court system of Lake County.”
Chrisp said that in his experience working in the legal defense sector in Lake County that he”s noticed that there are numerous incidents in which people may have benefited from knowing their rights. “Working in the criminal law field in Lake County I”ve been able to see that many of the cases that I deal with could have been prevented had the people who were being charged with the crimes known their basic constitutional rights and understood how to effectively assert those rights in a respectful manner,” he said.
Chrisp said that a basic understanding of the law presents benefits for the entire community. “I”ve found that when people understand their legal rights they are not as scared when dealing with law enforcement, which allows them to deal with and respect law enforcement in a non-confrontational manner,” he said. “On the contrary, when people don”t understand their basic rights and don”t understand how to effectively interact with law enforcement that increases risks to the officers, it increases risks to the people and it increases tension within the incident, which could lead to additional charges thus impacting the county courts, the jails and the taxpayers.”
Chrisp said the clinic will cover areas such as when to remain silent and when to consent, what is probable cause and when to request a lawyer. Other areas to be addressed include the difference between consensual contact and detainment by law enforcement as well as law enforcement”s role in the community, among other topics.
“This is not a course on how to break the law and get away with it. It”s about knowing how to respectfully assert your rights,” Chrisp said. “I think education is always a great solution and good prevention tool. The more education people have on the subject, the more comfortable they feel when dealing with law enforcement.”
The clinic is being offered to all members of the community, free-of-charge. The clinic is for informational purposes only and information should not be construed as legal advice. Participation in the clinic in no way creates an attorney relation with Chrisp or any of the other private attorneys providing information during the session.
The Law Offices of J. Chrisp can be contacted at 1-877-JCHRISP (524-7477).
Contact South County reporter Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
