Best Domestic Violence Attorney in Los Angeles

Experience Defending All Types of Domestic Violence Cases

I've been practicing criminal defense and explicitly defending people for domestic violence or spousal abuse cases for almost 30 years.  I've handled thousands of cases in Los Angeles and the various courts within the Valley. So, I have a lot of experience, and if you want the best domestic violence attorney, I think experience is one of the boxes that need to be checked. That experience has to come in the form of:

• (1) handling a lot of domestic violence cases in the San Fernando Valley courthouses; and
• (2) having experience with the prosecutors and judges that are going to be the ones on the other side of the case; and
• (3) sometimes, we have to have experience with the police.

This is because the police investigate these cases, and unfortunately, they do a one-sided investigation many times. They are all slanted towards trying to get a conviction against somebody instead of capturing information for the defense.

There's always information out there.  They could take the statement of the person who's being accused.  They could talk to other witnesses.  They could listen to the 9-1-1 tape to see what's being said and then compare that to whatever is displayed at the arrest. They often don't do these things, so it is crucial to have an attorney who has experience dealing with the police and knows how to attack them and strategize against them and get your defense out there.

Protective Orders in Domestic Violence Cases

Unfortunately, most people don't realize what will happen once you're arrested for a domestic violence case in Los Angeles County. They will be given a court date. As part of the criminal policy across LA County, the judge will order a complete protective order related to your significant other.

You're going to be ordered to stay 100 yards away from that person while the case is pending.  Ultimately, the prosecutors will typically try to get a complete protective order and eventually allow you to see the person if they feel that you are no longer a danger to them; you're safe to them.

After arrested for domestic violence, prosecutors will get a full protective order that prohibits any contact with spouse.

But people get upended because someone gets arrested; they get a court date a month or two months out. The other person, their significant other that they allegedly battered, doesn't try to get a civil restraining order, so those two are allowed to stay together. When the court case comes, the prosecutors have a policy that:

• they're going to attempt to block that couple from getting together;
• they're going to ask the judge for a full protective order, which is very detrimental because sometimes you're living with the other person.

Now that person gets the house or the apartment, you no longer have anywhere to go.  What are you supposed to do?

The Argument for Peaceful Contact with Spouse

To try to counter this, you're going to need an attorney like Ron Hedding and the Hedding Law Firm because what we'll do is:

• we'll come prepared with an argument to try to keep you in the house;
• to try to keep you having peaceful contact with your significant other.

That's the crucial difference between an experienced, prepared attorney and an attorney who doesn't know what they're doing. That attorney, like their clients, a lot of times will end up getting blindsided by the prosecutor and the judge.

Once the judge makes that ruling and sets the conditions of bail and orders you to stay 100 yards away from that person, it is tough to change that ruling except by waiting several months, which many people don't have the luxury to do.

So, I look at each case separately and independently.  I don't just make snap judgments on cases. But, I can tell you that I have had a lot of success under the right circumstances, keeping families together, keeping those who love each other who got themselves in a bad situation together.

Knowing How Prosecutors Handle Criminal Cases

You've come to the right place in that regard.  I have tried many domestic violence cases over a long career.  I know how to handle these cases in the San Fernando Valley. I have a real good idea of how the judges deal with the issues, how the prosecutors deal with the patients and the cases and deal with the cases, and also how a jury might look at the point.  That's one of the things we break down from the beginning.

Even if the case isn't going to go to a jury trial, we still talk about how a jury would look at it because the prosecutors assess many of these cases. If they think there's a chance they'll lose because a jury won't like some of the evidence and won't enjoy their alleged victim.

Then a lot of times, they're going to give that person a better offer than they would on a case where they feel they have a deadlock, and it's easy for them to prove the case because they've got everything on bodycam.

For example, they've got injuries on bodycam.  They've got the defendant admitting everything.  They have their victim admitting everything.  So, now they're not as likely to be flexible in negotiations.

Attorney You Feel Comfortable With

So, when you talk about the best defense attorney, get somebody with experience with all of those entities I talked about.  I think the next thing is, you have to get somebody who you feel good about and who you feel comfortable with:

• I have you come in;
• We sit down and talk about everything;
• The attorney/client privilege protects everything, so nobody can say anything;
• I can't give any information even if you decide not to hire me; it's all confidential.

I think you want someone you feel good about because if you feel good about the person, if you like the person, if you think the person seems sincere and genuine, then the judge and the prosecutor will likely view that person the same way. This is critical if you're going to try to negotiate the case.

Defended Thousands of Domestic Violence Cases

I've handled thousands of domestic violence cases.  That's one of the crimes that's changed the most because many people have issues.  You don't have to be a criminal to get a domestic violence case. You have to have brought physical with a significant other and end up on the wrong side.  Sometimes both parties get physical.

Now the police come out, and they have to figure out who the aggressor was, whatever that means, but that's their playbook.  They get called out.  There have been injuries.

There's been an argument.  It's been physical.  Then they figure out who the aggressor is, then that's the person they arrest.  That's LAPD policy.  I can tell you that right now.

That's Van Nuys police department, San Fernando police departments.  These police departments that arrest people for domestic violence cases in the San Fernando Valley have been given marching orders.

When they come upon a domestic violence scene, and someone's been hurt, and they can determine someone as an aggressor, they arrest the aggressor.  If they can't tell who the aggressor is and somebody's been hurt, they arrest both people.

Track Record of Success

So, you've got to look at it from that perspective.  Get an attorney you feel comfortable with.  Get somebody who has experience.  I've been doing this for over 30 years. I worked for the LA county DA's office, I've worked for a Superior Court Judge in LA county, and I've been the guiding force behind the Hedding Law Firm since 1994.

If you've got a domestic violence case, you want the best because you're only going to get a chance to do this once. You want to make sure it's done right.  You want to make sure all the stops are pulled out for you, and you want to champion on your side that will do everything to get you the best result.

Criminal Defense For Domestic Violence Cases

Call the Hedding Law Firm If charged with domestic violence.

But we have to go in with a plan.  We have to go in with a strategy if we want to have the best chance to avoid that criminal protective order's long reach where they're forcing you to stay away from your significant other.

You've come to the right place if you've got a domestic violence case in the San Fernando Valley.  I've been doing criminal defense in the Valley for the past 27 years:

• I've handled thousands of domestic violence cases;
• I know how to deal with these protective orders;
• I also know how to deal with criminal cases.

You can't just get lost in the protective order.  You've got to realize that there are also going to be potential criminal consequences against you in addition to the protective order.

So, you must hire an attorney right away.  Come in and sit down with me to get the game plan together to protect your rights, freedom, and reputation.

Hedding Law Firm is a criminal defense law firm located in the San Fernando Valley at 16000 Ventura Blvd #1208 Encino, CA 91436. Contact us for a free case evaluation at (213) 542-0940.

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What Determines If You Go to Jail for Domestic Violence?