What Happens When You Turn 18 in the State of California?

/

Age 18 in the United States is considered the "age of majority" and is a major milestone.

Age 18 has been the age of majority since the 26th Amendment, signed into law by President Nixon in July 1971. Historically the age of majority was 21, but when Franklin D. Roosevelt lowered the military draft age to 18 during World War II, there was a push to align the voting age with the military draft age.

So what changes when you turn 18? The State Bar of California previously published a nice guide for teenagers to help better understand how their rights and responsibilities change at age 18.

Here's a summary of these rights and responsibilities, excerpted from the California Lawyers Foundation booklet (updated in 2021), “When You Turn 18 - A Legal Survival Guide” (pdf file) (Spanish language version):

  1. Enter into binding contracts - for example, leases, opening bank accounts and applying for loans (of course, to obtain the loan, you may still need a co-signer).

  2. Buy or sell property, such as real estate and stock.

  3. Marry without written consent of parents or guardian.

  4. Sue or be sued.

  5. Compromise, settle or arbitrate a claim.

  6. Make or revoke a will.

  7. Inherit property outright.

  8. Vote in federal, state and local elections. (Since 2016, 16 and 17 year olds may pre-register to vote at age 18.)

  9. Consent to all types of medical treatment.

  10. Join the military without parental consent. Male U.S. citizens or immigrants living in the U.S. generally must register with the Selective Service System within 30 days of turning 18. (Females are not currently not required to register for the draft.)

  11. Get a job without a special work permit.

  12. Serve jury duty.

  13. Be subject to more serious consequences for breaking the law.

  14. Prior to June 9, 2016, you could buy tobacco products. The law changed, however, and now you have to wait until you are age 21. This also includes e-cigarettes and vaping products.

  15. At age 18 you can give blood without parental consent in California (written parental consent is required for 16 and 17 year olds).

  16. At age 18 you may become an organ donor without parental consent. www.organdonor.gov/about/donors/child-infant.html

  17. Apply for credit in your own name, though you will likely need to show proof of income or have a co-signer.

  18. You can get a tattoo at age 18 and can do so without parental consent. You cannot get a tattoo under the age of 18. It is a misdemeanor to give or even offer to give a tattoo to someone under the age of 18 in California. (PC 653)

  19. You can get a piercing without parental consent at age 18.

  20. You can file a petition to change your name at age 18.

  21. You can play the Lottery at age 18 in most states (except Iowa and Louisiana - party poopers).

  22. In California and most states (except Arizona, Iowa, Nevada and Texas), you can bet on horse races (e.g. pari-mutuel betting).

  23. You can play charity bingo at age 18 in California.

What you still cannot do:

  1. Purchase tobacco products, e-cigarettes and vaping products (mentioned above). You must be age 21. In fact, federal law changed in December 2019 to require all states to change the minimum age for tobacco purchases to 21.

  2. Purchase and consume alcoholic beverages. The minimum age for drinking in all states is 21.

    Some states have minor (so to speak) exceptions to the age 21 requirement. In Kansas, under 21 may drink “cereal malt beverages” under parental supervision on their own property. What is a cereal malt beverage? A beverage with no more than 3.2% alcohol by weight produced by fermentation, not by distillation. Coors Light has 4.2% alcohol as a comparison. The states of Alaska, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Ohio and Wisconsin have exceptions that allow individuals under age 21 to drink when parents or guardians are present. If you are 18 and really want to drink, the territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands allow legal drinking, unencumbered by the presence of parents, at age 18.

  3. You cannot sell or serve alcoholic beverages for consumption on-premises until you are age 21. However, it is allowable for someone 18 to 21 to serve alcoholic beverages to consumers in a restaurant along with food for consumption on premises.

For more information about the “When You Turn 18: A Legal Survival Guide” publication and/or to request physical copies of the booklet at calawyersfoundation.org/our-work.

More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Serving Jury Duty in Ventura County

/

Jury duty in Ventura County is not so bad! Ventura County Jury service consists of one jury trial or one day of service in Ventura County. If you are not assigned to a courtroom at the end of your first day of appearance, you will have completed your service. Jury service is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

HallJusticeVentura1.JPG

If you are summoned for duty, the night before your service you will be instructed to check online or to call after 4 p.m. for reporting instructions for the next day. If the "group number" you were assigned is called, you show up the next day.

If your group number has not been called by the end of your summoned week, your service will automatically be completed without having to appear. If this "call in" process is inconvenient, Ventura County Superior Court will allow you to schedule a firm date of appearance.

If you cannot perform jury service during the week you are summoned, you may reschedule for another time up to 90 days in the future. There’s one catch - if you reschedule, you will be required to appear on that rescheduled date. You will no longer be on call.

Hall of Justice Building

Hall of Justice Building

Jury trials in Ventura County average four days in length. The trial judge will advise jurors of the expected duration and may excuse prospective jurors from serving on a particular case if the service would amount to an extreme hardship.

Ventura County is one judicial district so all jurors are summoned to the county seat at the Hall of Justice, 800 South Victoria Avenue, Ventura for jury service. 

Get there early if you can. There is plenty of free parking but sometimes you have to walk a ways to get to the building. When entering the building you will be screened through a security device. Do not bring knives, scissors, handwork needles, metal fingernail files, tools, wallet chains, handcuff keys or any items that may possibly be used as a weapon.

The Jury Assembly Room has plenty of chairs, with some tables, electric plugs, etc. I highly recommend that you bring things to keep yourself busy...phone, laptop, magazines, newspaper, book, iPad, etc. They do have a TV available in one room but you'll want to bring something else to do too. There's also wireless internet access. For lunch and snacks, there is an in-house cafeteria as well as a variety of restaurants nearby.

No fees or mileage are paid for the first day of service. $15 per day and 34¢ per mile, one way from the juror’s home to the courthouse are paid for your second and additional days of service (as of November 2024; which is unchanged from the first time I checked in 2014).

[Jury duty fees are set by the California State Legislature, which consists of the 80 member California State Assembly and the 40 member California State Senate. California Code of Civil Procedure Section 215 sets the fees and mileage rate. Well guess what…it has been the same fee and mileage rate since July 2000. Cumulative inflation from 2000 to 2023 is 76%, which means the $15 would have grown to over $26. The IRS mileage rate for 2024 is 67¢ per mile, nearly double 34¢ per mile.. Might be time to write your local Assemblymember to address the issue.]

When I last served, the judge in my courtroom called us back the next day. We showed up and he subsequently cancelled the trial and we were excused to go home (or back to work). Two weeks later I received a check for $15 in jury fees and $7.82 in mileage from the Conejo Valley. YIPPEE!

Courtyard area in front of Hall of Justice building

Courtyard area in front of Hall of Justice building

Jury service is not voluntary, and there is no permanent excuse to serving. Any request for excuse must be submitted in writing. Any request to be excused from serving on a jury trial due to loss of income and/or business closure must be directed to a trial judge, only after you have appeared and have served one day as summoned. Unless notified in writing that your request for excuse is granted, you may assume it has been denied. If the date of appearance is not satisfactory, you may request a postponement to a future date within 90 days. When listing reasons such as medical, job, or dependent care issues, be prepared to receive a postponement and not an excuse.

For more information about Jury Service in Ventura County, visit www.ventura.courts.ca.gov/JuryService.

Bench Yourself in the Conejo Valley

/

There are over 150 miles of public multi-use trails surrounding the Conejo Valley managed by the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency and hundreds of miles more in the neighboring Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Learn more about these great trails here on Conejo Valley Guide.

All of this hiking, biking and running can make one tired. Not to worry...there are benches in strategic spots all throughout the area, all with great views! Here we highlight some of them. Click the images for more information about the trails that lead to these benches.

Views from Angel Vista Peak bench in Newbury Park.

Views from Angel Vista Peak bench in Newbury Park.

Bench at top of peak just east of Angel Vista Peak.

Bench at top of peak just east of Angel Vista Peak.

Bench at the top of "Space Mountain" on the Los Robles Trail West.

Bench at the top of "Space Mountain" on the Los Robles Trail West.

Bench with perfect sunset view off of the Autumn Ridge Trail in the Lang Ranch Open Space.

Bench with perfect sunset view off of the Autumn Ridge Trail in the Lang Ranch Open Space.

A bench on a hilltop overlooking the Conejo Valley on Los Robles Trail East Scenic Loop.

A bench on a hilltop overlooking the Conejo Valley on Los Robles Trail East Scenic Loop.

Bench on Los Robles Loop East Scenic Loop looking towards the south.

Bench on Los Robles Loop East Scenic Loop looking towards the south.

Benches at the top of Big Sycamore Canyon Road in Point Mugu State Park (adjacent to Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa in Newbury Park).

Benches at the top of Big Sycamore Canyon Road in Point Mugu State Park (adjacent to Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa in Newbury Park).

Another bench that overlooks Sycamore Canyon from the Boney Mountain Trail.

Another bench that overlooks Sycamore Canyon from the Boney Mountain Trail.

Image of the Upper Sycamore Canyon bench after the Rancho Sierra Vista area in Newbury Park was ravaged by the Springs Fire of 2013.

Image of the Upper Sycamore Canyon bench after the Rancho Sierra Vista area in Newbury Park was ravaged by the Springs Fire of 2013.

Upper Sycamore Canyon bench was subsequently replaced. Here it is in April 2014.

Upper Sycamore Canyon bench was subsequently replaced. Here it is in April 2014.

Bench on the west side of Tarantula Hill in Thousand Oaks.

Bench on the west side of Tarantula Hill in Thousand Oaks.

Another view of the Tarantula Hill bench before sundown in June 2022.

This bench is located at the juncture of the Sunrise and Meadow Vista Trails in the Lang Ranch Open Space and the Long Canyon Trail in Simi Valley. Nice view towards Simi Valley.

This bench is located at the juncture of the Sunrise and Meadow Vista Trails in the Lang Ranch Open Space and the Long Canyon Trail in Simi Valley. Nice view towards Simi Valley.

Bench on Indian Creek Trail in Wildwood Park.

Bench on Indian Creek Trail in Wildwood Park.

Bench overlooking Bard Reservoir on the Sunset Hills Loop.

Bench overlooking Bard Reservoir on the Sunset Hills Loop.

Sunset Hills Trail bench in early spring 2023.

One of two benches in the hills above CLU overlooking Thousand Oaks.

One of two benches in the hills above CLU overlooking Thousand Oaks.

Oakbrook Vista Trail bench off of Lang Ranch Parkway in Thousand Oaks

Oakbrook Vista Trail bench off of Lang Ranch Parkway in Thousand Oaks

This bench on a hill connected to the Rancho Potrero trail in Newbury Park faces the west and gets you some nice views of several of the Channel Islands on clear days.

This bench on a hill connected to the Rancho Potrero trail in Newbury Park faces the west and gets you some nice views of several of the Channel Islands on clear days.

<
Bench off the Lizard Rock Loop trail on the west side of Wildwood Park.

Bench off the Lizard Rock Loop trail on the west side of Wildwood Park.

Bench with a view of Boney Peak from the Potrero Ridge Trail in Newbury Park.

Bench with a view of Boney Peak from the Potrero Ridge Trail in Newbury Park.

There are dozens of benches facing all directions in the beautiful hilltop Conejo Valley Botanic Garden in the heart of Thousand Oaks

There are dozens of benches facing all directions in the beautiful hilltop Conejo Valley Botanic Garden in the heart of Thousand Oaks

Another bench on the west side of top of the Conejo Valley Botanic Garden.

Another bench on the west side of top of the Conejo Valley Botanic Garden.

Bench overlooking the Potrero Grade from the Vista Del Mar Trail in Newbury Park.

Bench overlooking the Potrero Grade from the Vista Del Mar Trail in Newbury Park.

This is a new bench on the Vista Del Mar Trail in Newbury Park that made its premiere in 2023.

Bench on the El Encanto Trail in the Dos Vientos section of Newbury Park. Panaromic view towards Boney Mountain while catching the sunset.

Bench on the El Encanto Trail in the Dos Vientos section of Newbury Park. Panaromic view towards Boney Mountain while catching the sunset.

Bench with panoramic views at the top of the Triunfo Canyon Trail (part of the Los Robles trail system) in Westlake Village.

Bench with panoramic views at the top of the Triunfo Canyon Trail (part of the Los Robles trail system) in Westlake Village.

Enjoy views towards Newbury Park, Wildwood Park and so on from this bench on the Lynnmere Trail in Thousand Oaks.

Enjoy views towards Newbury Park, Wildwood Park and so on from this bench on the Lynnmere Trail in Thousand Oaks.

Bench at Box Canyon Overlook in Wildwood Park.

Bench at Box Canyon Overlook in Wildwood Park.

Bench #1 on the Albertson Motorway Fire Road Trail in Thousand Oaks.

Bench #1 on the Albertson Motorway Fire Road Trail in Thousand Oaks.

Bench #2 on the Albertson Motorway Fire Road Trail in Thousand Oaks.

Bench #2 on the Albertson Motorway Fire Road Trail in Thousand Oaks.

Bench off the Western Plateau Trail in the Conejo Canyons Open Space near the Hill Canyon Trail.

Bench off the Western Plateau Trail in the Conejo Canyons Open Space near the Hill Canyon Trail.

Another bench off the Western Plateau Trail. This one is marked by a “Vista Point” sign and is across from the Outlaw Trail juncture in the Conejo Canyons Open Space.

Another bench off the Western Plateau Trail. This one is marked by a “Vista Point” sign and is across from the Outlaw Trail juncture in the Conejo Canyons Open Space.

This bench is near Elliot Peak in the Conejo Canyons Open Space.

This bench is near Elliot Peak in the Conejo Canyons Open Space.

This bench is off the Outlaw Trail in the Conejo Canyons Open Space, not far from Elliot Peak.

This bench is off the Outlaw Trail in the Conejo Canyons Open Space, not far from Elliot Peak.

Another view from the bench atop Tarantula Hill….at sunset.

Another view from the bench atop Tarantula Hill….at sunset.

Bench off of the Santa Rosa Trail in Wildwood Park, overlooking Santa Rosa Valley

Historical and Cultural Landmark Grandma Prisbrey's Bottle Village in Simi Valley

/
BottleVillage1.JPG

Grandma Prisbrey's Bottle Village in Simi Valley is a California Historical Landmark, Ventura County Cultural Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Bottle Village is a .3 acre lot located at 4595 Cochran Street that contains shrines, walkways, sculptures and buildings made from recycled items and discards from local landfills. All of these structures were built by hand over a 25 year old period by Tressa "Grandma" Prisbrey, beginning at age 60 in 1956 until 1972. Thirteen buildings and 22 sculptures in total.

BottleVillage8.JPG

A non-profit organization, Preserve Bottle Village (PBV), was formed in 1979. The 1994 Northridge Earthquake caused extensive damage to the Bottle Village site. PBV has embarked on a campaign to develop a master plan for the restoration of significant site components. Learn how you can help at bottlevillage.weebly.com. There’s also a more recent website, with link to social media and periodic tours, at www.bottlevillage.org.

Grandma Prisbrey sold the property in 1972 to care for an ailing son, but came back several years later to continue building and to give tours.  She died in 1988 at the age of 92.

BottleVillage9.JPG
BottleVillage11.JPG
BottleVillage7.JPG
BottleVillage5.JPG

Daylight Saving Time Ends on the First Sunday of November

/
iStock_fallback.jpg

Daylight Saving Time ends on the first Sunday of November each year in the U.S. (with the exception of Arizona and Hawaii). In 2024, that will be Sunday, November 3rd at 2 a.m.

At 1:59:59 a.m. on that Sunday, your clocks will revert back to 1 a.m. Yes! FALL BACK!! An extra hour of sleep!

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 gave us an extra month of DST by starting DST 3 weeks earlier and ending it one week later.

For my more precise readers, it is officially called Daylight Saving (not Savings) Time. So if you want to annoy your friends, correct them any time they call it Daylight SavingS time.

Also as one website I found mentioned, Daylight Saving Time is technically inaccurate, since we don't really gain daylight. It would more appropriately be called Daylight Shifting Time but I don't see that being a high priority initiative.

Before the adoption of standard time zones in the United States, cities, towns, and communities set their own local times based on the sun’s position. In 1883, railroad companies adopted a system of standard time to synchronize movement and trade across the nation. The U.S. adopted an official system of standard time in 1918.

The Standard Time Act of 1918 incorporated a DST mandate from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. Congress repealed the DST mandate in 1919. President Woodrow Wilson vetoed the repeal. Congress overrode his veto.

Beginning in 1920, DST was a local state/city option. Here’s the history of DST legislation in California:

1930: Prop 7 was but on the ballot to implement DST at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday in April until 2 a.m. on the last Sunday in September. The initiative failed.

1940: Prop 5 was put on the ballot to implement DST. The initiative failed again.

1949: Third time’s a charm. This time it passed.

1962: Prop 6 was passed, which extended DST from the last Sunday in September to the last Sunday in October.

2018: Californians voted in favor of Proposition 7 by a margin of 59.75% to 40.25%. Voting in favor of the proposition allowed the California State Legislature to change the DST period by a 2/3rds vote and to establish permanent, year-round DST in California by a 2/3rds vote if federal law is changed to allow for permanent DST.

Why the holdup?

The holdup is at the federal level, not the state level: Voting yes on Prop 7 was just the first step in the process. California is one of 14 states that introduced legislation in 2019 to shift to permanent daylight saving time. States cannot move forward with permanent daylight saving time without authorization from the federal government.

H.R. 1556 “Sunshine Protection Act of 2019,” was introduced to the House in 2018 and 2019 but failed. It was reintroduced in 2021 as SB 623 and H.R. 69 as the Sunshine Protection Act of 2021. The bill would make DST the new, permanent standard time. States with areas exempt from DST may choose the standard time for those areas. SB 623 was passed by the Senate but the House bill died in committee

The Sunshine Protection Act of 2023 (H.R. 1279, SB 582) was introduced March 1, 2023 but as of October 2024 has gone nowhere.

Wedding Reception Venues In Ventura County and Surrounding Areas

/
iStock_wedding.jpg

Conejo Valley Guide focuses primarily on events, activities and things to do in the Conejo Valley, Ventura County and surrounding areas.

Since we're out and about so much, we thought it might be helpful to have a comprehensive list of over 170 local wedding, wedding reception and meeting venues within an hour radius of the Conejo Valley.

(Contact us for additions/edits to this list.)

Simi Valley Wedding Reception Venues

Moorpark, Somis Wedding Reception Venues

Ventura Wedding Reception Venues

Ojai, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Piru Wedding Reception Venues

Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Goleta

A Guide to Free Fun, Food and Festivities Around Ventura County

/

According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, the adjective "free" comes from the Old English "frēo," which is pretty much useless information to me. The more relevant definition to most of us is "not costing or charging anything." Now we're talking!

There are thousands of FREE things to do, see, eat and experience in the Conejo Valley, Ventura County and surrounding areas. Conejo Valley Guide is dedicated towards unearthing these FREE things year-round, from Kids Eat Free deals around town to annual events.

Here are some links to FREE (and nearly free) activities:

Free activities around Ventura County for all ages