Long Beach Criminal Defense Attorney

We will help you from the time of the arrest, or if you’re worried that you might be arrested soon and/or charged, even before it happens. Long Beach Criminal Lawyer can offer you vital and important advice on staying out of jail or to prepare your case in preparation for an imminent arrest. Any misstep in a case can easily result in arrest or additional years in prison. Therefore, if your freedom is on the line, it is important to immediately seek a qualified and diligent criminal defense attorney to prepare your case.  Under special situations, we can speak to investigating officers or detective in charge of the investigation and present evidence that might stop the filing of charges. In the event that such talks are not possible, we are normally able to avert a humiliating and disruptive arrest by organizing for you to go for booking at the police station at a particular chosen time with a bail bondsman on standby to keep you out of jail.

Ordinarily, the prosecutor, sometimes known as either the district attorney or the “DA” will assume everything in the police report is true and correct and files the charges the facts supports.  In most criminal cases, the prosecutor will file as many charges as possible to pressure the defendant to accept a plea deal.  Afterwards, the prosecutor will make an official “complaint” specifying your charges and each alleged violation of crime is known as a “count.”  As the case progresses, if the evidence is too weak, the DA might decide drop to the charges or settle for a charge that is less serious. At this point, the legal wheels are starting to turn and it’s crucial to have a knowledgeable California defense lawyer to press for reduction or dismissal of charges.

During the arraignment, the defendant is told by the judge of the criminal accusations against them and is presented with the choice of entering a plea. In my experience, defendant enters a plea of “not guilty” 99% of the time unless the prosecution and the defense attorney have arrived at a plea bargain already. The judge will then determine if the defendant will be made to post bail or released on their own recognizance.

If the judge chooses to require bail, the defendant has a right to request for a bail review hearing a few days after the arraignment. The circumstance whether bail is set and the amount often depends on the charges the defendant is facing, if the defendant has a criminal record and whether the defendant is a risk to public safety or whether the defendant will return to court. Bail amounts can range from approximately $20,000 for simple misdemeanors to $1,000,000 for very serious felony crimes.  At Long Beach Criminal Lawyer, we understand the importance of utilizing the time between your arrest and arraignment correct to maximize your freedom and keep you out of jail to participate in your criminal defense.

Once the defendant enters a plea of not guilty, the case moves to the adjudicatory phase.  Here, the defense attorney begins collecting all information and police reports prepared by the arresting and investigating police officers. Information that prosecutors and defense attorneys exchange is called “discovery.” The most common discovery in criminal cases are the police report, witness statements, alcohol reports, 911 audio calls, police patrol video cameras, audio recordings and police body cameras.  In other cases, subpoenas can be issued to non police sources for information.  This includes video cameras from businesses and traffic reports.

An adjudication/Pre-trial period can range between 1 to 4 months depending on the factual investigation issues and the steps required to create a fair plea agreement.

During the adjudicatory stage, a case proceeds to further hearing or resolves in a plea bargain. If the defendant is accused of a felony, it’s their right to have a preliminary hearing take place before a magistrate or judge. If you’re charged with a misdemeanor, the case proceeds to trial without a preliminary hearing, except if the case is determined by a plea bargain. At a preliminary hearing, the prosecution must present adequate of evidence to show the defendant could have committed the purported charges.  The presentation of evidence for a preliminary hearing are heard only by a judge.

If the judge concludes that the legal threshold has been met, the defendant will be required to answer to their charges. At this point, there are only two potential paths the case proceeds to jury trial or resolves in a plea bargain.

At Long Beach Criminal Lawyer, we understand the importance of having extensive preparation BEFORE the preliminary hearing occurs. A preliminary hearing is often the only opportunity to ask a witness questions and to test the strength of witness testimony. In certain cases, we will try to pin a prosecution witness to a particular set of facts, perform further investigation and then further examine that witness at trial. A strong examination of the prosecution’s witnesses at the preliminary hearing is often the only way for a prosecutor to see the weaknesses in their case and to make a reasonable offer before jury trial.

At Long Beach Criminal Lawyer, we have broad knowledge in giving resounding arguments in court, in finding witnesses and evidence in your favor, in hiring expert witnesses to challenge the conclusions of police officers and revealing the flaws in the case brought against you. Many cases never get to jury trial if negotiations are reasonable and realistic.  It is important to note that jury trials are a last resort because the risk of jail or a prison sentence are probable if there is a guilty verdict. Our skills in negotiating a reasonable outcome through early preparation helps our clients avoid unnecessary risk.

Therefore, it’s conceivable to “win” a case even if a sentence cannot be truthfully escaped. This usually includes receiving a lighter fine or getting community service or rehabilitation instead of jail time. In felony cases, a prison sentence on the low term without additional years of enhancements in prison or strike enhancements can also be considered a “win.” By rejecting or undermining the dependability of the prosecution's witness and evidence from initial stages of the process, we construct a base for winning the best probable conclusion to every case.  Careful preparation is often the difference between an acquittal and a conviction or between a lighter or longer prison sentence.

As knowledgeable drug possession lawyers, Long Beach Criminal Lawyer appreciates that unlawful possession of drugs in Long Beach and Torrance can result in jail time and a permanent criminal record. Even though most drug possession cases do not result in any harm, being found in possession of illegal drugs can result in long last damage to a person’s freedom, career and reputation.

In our experience, the most common drugs charged by prosecutors are heroin, methamphetamine, Xanax, MDMA, OxyContin and cocaine. Although prescription drugs may be lawfully prescribed, if you’re found in possession of these drugs without a prescription, it’s wise to get in touch with a skilled drug possession lawyer for assistance. While certain controlled drugs are allowable for individual usage, an excessive ownership can result in a drug possession for sales charge and/or a charge of possession to transport.

Depending on the facts of your case, we will always attempt to dismiss your case, or if that is not possible argue that as a first-time, non-violent offender, you get “drug diversion program” instead of jail time.

In the case of domestic violence, accusations are often made against a parent, dating partner, cohabitant, spouse or other close relative. Domestic violence may also cover rape, abuse, stalking, kidnapping and various violations to somebody with whom you have had a close relationship. Due to the nature of these crimes and their prevalence, arrests are often made once a complaint is made by someone with no investigation of the facts by police officers. 

In many domestic violence cases, these accusations of violence or battery are greatly exaggerated or fabricated.  In other cases, the person claiming to be a victim is actually the perpetrator of violence and has called the police first to cover up their own crime. Unfortunately judges and prosecutors are usually too quick to accept guilt except in a situation where a skilled lawyer is fighting for you by examining a victim’s background, taking statements from helpful witnesses and challenging statements that are improbable and incomplete.

In addition to a criminal record and jail time, a conviction for domestic violence can result in serious consequences to someone’s family life and reputation. Domestic violence is considered a crime of moral turpitude and can result in the loss of child custody visitation rights, the loss of or increased payment of spousal support. Domestic violence crimes also may have serious effects on immigrants since they could lead to removal or deportation from the United States.

Driving under the influence does usually does not result in significant jail time if no one is hurt.  However, the consequences of a DUI are extremely burdensome and challenging in the forms of   huge fines, time intensive DUI classes, increase car insurance premiums, driver’s suspension and in some aggravating cases, time in the county jail.

In case of repeat DUIs, and in situations where a death or injury occurred, the penalties will be even more severe and are usually charged as a felony offense. To enhance your opportunities of getting your DUI charges terminated or at the very least lightening the sentence, it’s important to retain an experienced DUI lawyer who can challenge weaknesses into the prosecution evidences against you and negotiate strongly for the least serious consequences.

Violent crime in California and the United States is widespread.  Due to the escalation of this form of crime, individuals are constantly being dishonestly accused of violent crimes in Long Beach, Orange County, or Torrance. Long Beach Criminal Lawyer defends those accused of violent crimes. Due to the escalation of violent crimes, the penalties for a conviction of these offenses have been increased considerably by our representatives.

When you’re accused of violent crime, you require a criminal defense lawyer with a demonstrated record of trying these cases. A sentence for these crimes will have a grave and significant impact to you or close relations charged with a violent crime. In most cases, the police are under pressure to solve these cases and do not complete full investigations or rely on false testimonies, resulting in the conviction of an innocent person. Long Beach Criminal Lawyers know California criminal laws and procedures to ensure that unlawful evidence is excluded from court.

Conviction of a juvenile crime in Long Beach may have a shattering impact on a family. Formerly, most juvenile crimes were dealt with nonchalantly. Today, a juvenile sentence is a grave matter and might bring about serious consequences in future for you and your family. A conviction can result in the revocation or denial of a driver's license, denial of schools, employment, loss of financial assistance, and being kicked out from public housing. A minor’s offense like being in possession of marijuana is enough to attract this charge.  Juvenile courts have authority to try cases of children between the ages of 10 and 17 years old. Long Beach Criminal Lawyer believes that your child requires an aggressive defense in order to deliver the best possible outcome.

After you're charged with some criminal offenses in Long Beach, Orange County, or Torrance, you might suffer forfeiture of your assets by the police. Crimes that could lead to asset forfeiture are such as organized crime, drug charges and charges related to racketeering. While your assets are not supposed to be forfeited until you are sentenced, certain law enforcement officers will take your property after you are arrested. It’s important to discuss your case with an experienced defense attorney, who can fight your rights to your property. At Long Beach Criminal Lawyer we are well-versed in creating a strong case to defend your immediate charges and chase the return of your seized properties.

From the moment you make your first call to the moment your case is concluded, we employ our most strenuous efforts to winning your case. When we fight for you, we do it using the same aggression we would want to be applied in our case, were our roles reversed. For a free, no-obligation legal consultation, contact Long Beach Criminal Lawyer anytime 24/7/365 at 562-304-5121.