Though homicide is down in San Jose compared to 2013, the city recently experienced a twelve hour period in which three homicides occurred. The most recent occurred in the parking lot of a convenience store on Edenview Drive on Saturday, August 2, the San Jose Mercury News reports. The newspaper also suggests that the area in South San Jose has recently experienced a rise in tension between rival gangs. Suspects are still being sought in all three homicide cases.
When the number of homicides becomes state-wide and even national news, there may be increased effort focused cracking down on such violent crime. While homicide is down, 29 homicides were reported in San Jose by this point in 2013, there have been 23 so far in 2014. Having three homicides in less than seven days also draws unwanted attention to the city's crime rate. Furthermore, violent crime in the San Jose is up by approximately four percent, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
In such an environment, aggressive and knowledgeable criminal defense attorneys are particularly important. Assuring the constitutional rights of the accused are protected is always paramount but the pressure for prosecutions from law enforcement officials, politicians and the public may be particularly acute when crime is high. Thus, criminal defense attorneys must be as resilient as ever to protect the guaranteed rights that the constitution affords to their clients.