Vista DUI Lawyer and Criminal Attorney Peter M. Liss

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    • Juvenile Offenses
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Larry David Has ‘No Lessons Learned’ Regarding Courtroom Proceedings

April 11, 2024 Written by Jill Harness and Edited by Peter Liss

curb your enthusiasm season finally: larry david in court

Mark Twain advised entertainers to ‘never let the truth get in the way of a good story.” Throughout the twelve seasons of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David heartily embraced those words, making a farce of his own life as he plays a fictional version of himself. Of course, he already test-drove this recipe for success […]

Filed Under: CRIMINAL DEFENSE, WHITE COLLAR CRIME, HYPOTHETICAL SITUATIONS, LEGAL PROCEDURES Tagged With: witness accounts, civil rights, juries, better understanding the law, how courts work, trials, politics, court, juror misconduct, mistrials

The Good Samaritan Bystander Law in Seinfeld

August 30, 2023 Written by Jill Harness and Edited by Peter Liss

Difference Between Jail and Prison

 In one of the most famous season finales in television history, George, Elaine, Jerry, and Kramer are all charged under a “Good Samaritan Law” for watching someone get carjacked and failing to offer assistance. But over 25 years later, countless fans still wonder if the Latham, Massachusetts Good Samaritan law in Seinfeld even exists. […]

Filed Under: CRIMINAL DEFENSE, HYPOTHETICAL SITUATIONS Tagged With: know your rights, misdemeanors, witness accounts, evidence, civil rights, better understanding the law, how courts work, fictional, court, legal myths

What are the Best Criminal Defenses in CA?

March 28, 2023 Written by Jill Harness and Edited by Peter Liss

Criminal Defense Strategies

If you are charged with a crime, you will be asked to plead guilty or not guilty. If you plead not guilty, you and your criminal defense attorney will need to present a defense to show the prosecutor does not have enough evidence to prove your guilt. To do this, you and your criminal lawyer […]

Filed Under: CRIMINAL DEFENSE, THE CA LEGAL SYSTEM, LEGAL PROCEDURES Tagged With: statute of limitations, witness accounts, evidence, probable cause, confessions, insanity defense, intent, defenses, self defense, better understanding the law, duress, false allegations, consent, entrapment

Fighting Evidence from Police Informants

August 2, 2021 Written by Jill Harness and Edited by Peter Liss

fighting evidence from informants

Police often rely on outside tips to solve crimes. Occasionally, they even incentivize people who have been accused of crimes to share information they have about other criminals. While the theory is that those in the criminal underworld are likely to get closer to other criminals and, thus, have more information about their illegal acts, […]

Filed Under: CRIMINAL DEFENSE, THE CA LEGAL SYSTEM, LEGAL PROCEDURES Tagged With: witness accounts, police investigations, evidence, probable cause, defenses, legal stories in the news, court motions

Not Guilty Due to Sleepwalking? It Can Happen, but Rarely

July 29, 2021 Written by Jill Harness and Edited by Peter Liss

sleepwalking crimes

It seems like something out of a bad detective story, but as more and more people have begun taking prescription drugs with sleepwalking as a side effect, the number of crimes committed by sleepwalkers have dramatically increased over the last few decades and most commonly include offenses such as murder, sex crimes (a specific condition […]

Filed Under: CRIMINAL DEFENSE, DUI / FELONY DUI, DRIVING OFFENSES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, Homicide, VIOLENT CRIMES, SEX OFFENSES Tagged With: dui, sex crimes, murder, witness accounts, defenses, better understanding the law, medical conditions

What Happens to the Passengers in a DUI in Vista?

March 31, 2021 Written by Jill Harness and Edited by Peter Liss

Passengers in a DUI

Many people pulled over for drunk driving aren’t alone in the car. While most people aren’t surprised to learn that a driver can face additional charges if the passengers are minors, they are often surprised to discover that adult passengers of a drunk driver in Vista can sometimes complicate DUI arrest investigations and may even […]

Filed Under: DUI / FELONY DUI, Traffic Stops Tagged With: dui, alcohol, witness accounts, evidence, better understanding the law, driving, open container laws

Maybe Rabbits Shouldn’t Be Police Officers in the World of Zootopia

January 4, 2021 Written by Jill Harness and Edited by Peter Liss

officer hops is a terrible cop

The world of Zootopia is an inspirational tale about overcoming prejudice and stereotypes to make a better, more inclusive world. But when the protagonist is the city’s first bunny police officer, who happens to break the law and put the public at risk more often than not, it undermines the positive message she should be […]

Filed Under: CRIMINAL DEFENSE, WHITE COLLAR CRIME, HYPOTHETICAL SITUATIONS Tagged With: know your rights, shoplifting, witness accounts, extortion, probable cause, fictional, search and seizure, lying, miranda rights, entrapment

California Penal Code Section 118 (PC): Perjury Charges in Vista

March 4, 2020 Written by Jill Harness and Edited by Peter Liss

criminal court process

alt When you swear to tell the truth, you are not only ethically held to tell the truth; you are legally obliged to do so. If you are caught lying under oath in Vista, California, you can be charged with knowingly providing false testimony while under oath, better known as perjury, a crime under California […]

Filed Under: CRIMINAL DEFENSE, THE CA LEGAL SYSTEM, WHITE COLLAR CRIME Tagged With: felonies, fraud, witness accounts, evidence, perjury, false allegations, forgery

Will a Case Get Dropped if a Victim Refuses to Testify?

October 19, 2018 Written by Jill Harness and Edited by Peter Liss

Many cases, particularly those involving domestic violence and sexual assault, come down to the alleged victim’s word versus the word of the accuser. Because these charges depend on the accuser’s testimony, courts have to balance the risks of further traumatizing the victim with the rights of the defendant to face their accuser in court and […]

Filed Under: CRIMINAL DEFENSE, Gang Crimes, Rape, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, VIOLENT CRIMES, SEX OFFENSES Tagged With: domestic violence, California criminal process, witness accounts, contempt of court, inadmissible evidence, evidence, hearsay, rape, how courts work, trials, court

Call Today, I Can Help You

criminal justice attorney Peter M. Liss

The Experience You Need

I have been practicing law for over 40 years, and opened my own law firm in 1998, after serving as Assistant Supervising Public Defender for the Vista Public Defender’s Office. I have successfully defended hundreds of cases in my career, fighting charges ranging from drunk driving to capital murder.

Two Easy-to-Find Offices

My Vista offices are located just off the 78 freeway, directly across the street from the local courthouse and jail facility. For those further south, I have another office in Carmel Valley, off the 5 freeway and highway 56. Both offices offer free parking.

Call (760) 643-4050 Now

You can call my offices any time of day, every day to speak with a live person who can help you schedule a free initial consultation. If you have any questions, I return my calls promptly and courteously.

My Guarantee to You

I ensure all clients receive top quality representation at affordable rates and I accept all major credit cards. Hablamos Español.

I’m available, let’s talk

My Practice Areas

I handle all types of misdemeanor and felony criminal cases in San Diego County, including:

  • Driving Under the Influence
    • DMV DUI License Hearings
  • Domestic Violence
    • Sex Crimes
    • Sexual Assault/Rape
  • Child Molestation
    • Child Pornography
  • White Collar Crimes
    • Fraud Cases
    • Identity Theft
    • Computer Crimes
    • Theft Crimes
    • Petty Theft
    • Grand Theft
    • Shoplifting
    • Robbery
  • Drug Charges
    • Drug DUI
    • Trafficking
  • Violent Crimes
    • Weapons Offenses
    • Assault
    • Homicide
    • Hate Crimes
    • Gang Crimes
    • Three Strikes Law
  • Criminal Traffic Offenses
    • Driving on a Suspended License
    • Hit and Run accidents
    • Reckless Driving
    • Vehicular Homicide
  • Juvenile Crime Defense
    • Truancy
    • Vandalism
    • Minor in Possession

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vista crimminal law logo
  • Attorney Peter M. Liss
  • (760) 643-4050
  • 380 S Melrose Drive #301 Vista, CA 92081

Copyright 2003, 2024 Peter M. Liss, Esq. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


About the Legal Information on This Website

I rely on my experience as a top defense lawyer in my area to personally review all information on this site; however the information offered here should not substitute as legal advice. If you have been arrested or charged with a crime in Vista, please contact a qualified criminal defense attorney.

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