Schwartz & Powell are Ventura lawyers who defend against all BUI and DUI charges.

It might be time to reconsider "decriminalizing" carrying concealed weapons in Ventura County and throughout California. Many other states, such as Arizona, have far more liberal gun laws than California.

At the present time, it is a crime to carry a concealed weapon, for example, a handgun. Only Peace Officers, military on base when required and those who have a Carrying Concealed Weapon or "CCW" Permit may do so. And those permits are few and far between (although not impossible to get for really good reasons).

Any Ventura County criminal defense lawyer knows it costs a fortune to prosecute death penalty cases. I knew this when I was a Deputy District Attorney for Ventura County prosecuting capital murder. Nothing defending death penalty cases has changed my mind.

What I would like you to think about today is the cost of the death penalty system in California. It costs a lot of money the State can't afford.