Blog

Over the past 30 years, I’ve defended many attorneys charged with domestic violence cases in Los Angeles. This is a crucial time in your life because being arrested, having to post a $50,000.00 bail, and having to appear in court is not only embarrassing, it could have many collateral consequences, including the... 

Let’s review what you should know about getting charged with a domestic violence case in the Van Nuys courthouse. I’ve defended people for domestic violence and spousal abuse cases in the Van Nuys court for the past 30 years. Thus, I’m very familiar with how they deal with these cases, how the police...

Let’s review what you should know about domestic violence cases in the San Fernando courthouse. If you or a loved one has a domestic violence case pending in this court, you want to make sure that you hire an attorney local to that courthouse. In other words, they know the courthouse, practice there, and...

I’ve represented many doctors over a 30+ year career in Los Angeles for domestic violence or spousal abuse-related offenses.  One of the first things we need to do is sit down and meet and talk about precisely what happened to determine whether we have a defense in the case. I wrote the book on defending...

Let’s review when someone likely receives prison time if charged with robbery, defined under California Penal Code 211 PC. Robbery is a serious charge, and prosecutors and judges are harsh regarding these offenses. The reason why is that it is considered a violent felony pursuant to the Three Strikes Law...

Let’s review why people who are charged with fentanyl drug charges are being treated so harshly.  Fentanyl is a hot drug, and the feds and states are prosecuting people at record numbers. The answer to that question about why they’re treating people so harshly and prosecuting people for fentanyl cases on...

Right now, remarkable things are happening for those people who are charged with California Penal Code 187 PC murder because the higher-up in the district attorney’s office in Los Angeles County is so weak and has such poor command of his office, prosecutors are doing what they want with the cases, and it...

This is a big question on people’s minds because they’re either charged with a strike in California that they don’t want to have to plead guilty to, or they have a prior strike conviction. They don’t want to get their sentence doubled, or even a sentence of 25 to life, so they or their family are trying to figure out what...

The California three strikes law has put many people in prison since the early 1990s when it was enacted. It’s meant to remove those career offenders who continue to get convicted and commit crimes year after year. When you have a third strike case, you face a minimum of 25 to life if convicted.  These...

The simple answer to the question of what crimes are considered strikes is that serious and violent felonies are considered strikes. To look at the list of those strikes, you have to look at Penal Code 667.5 PC, which talks about violent felonies, and Penal Code Section 1192.7, which talks about serious felonies...

For those people who are charged with California Penal Code 187 PC murder, who actually committed the crime, sometimes they have the option of arguing that Penal Code 192(a) PC voluntary manslaughter, which is a lesser included of murder, applies. Once you go to a jury trial, your attorney can ask the...

When is someone responsible for a California Penal Code 187 PC murder under the new felony murder rule? The felony murder rule has gotten much attention recently. The reason why is that many people have been convicted of murder which is undisputed is not the person that committed the murder...

Many times people who are charged with California Penal Code 187 PC murder make the argument that they did not know right from wrong at the time of the murder, and this can occur for several reasons. Maybe they’re suffering from mental illness, drug use, or both, and when they committed the murder...

Those charged with California Penal Code 261 rape face prison time, a strike on their record, and a lifetime of registration as a sex offender.  You want to get an attorney with much experience defending these cases. That would be my first piece of advice to you.  I’ve been doing this now for 30 years...

People's biggest fear is being taken into custody when arrested for a crime.  When it comes to jail or prison, these are the two potential options regarding your custody status.  Local county jail time, especially in LA County, is served in one of the three county jails. Prison can be served in numerous locations...

When it comes to California Penal Code 187 PC murder cases, if you are the person that killed the other individual, you’re going to have to come up with a defense, or you’re going to have to try to have your attorney work out some resolution with the prosecutor. The problem in many of these murder...

The state of California has laws related to driving with open containers of alcohol in a vehicle and for consuming alcoholic beverages while driving. They are primarily used to prevent drunk driving and keep the roads safe. California’s open container laws are defined under Vehicle Code Sections 23221...

I’ve been doing this for 30 years, and I can give you an idea of what goes into the process of deciding how much a federal criminal defense attorney will charge you to handle your or your loved one’s case. The first thing I would mention is proximity.  How close is the attorney’s central office to the court...  

If you or a loved one is being charged with a federal crime, this question has got to be first and foremost on your mind because you probably never had to select an attorney before, let alone a federal criminal defense attorney. Federal and State are two different beasts.  I do both, but you want an attorney...

I’ve been handling California Penal Code 243.4 PC sexual battery cases in CCB 210 West Temple, the main downtown courthouse, for 30 years. So, if you or a loved one is charged with sexual battery and you’re handling your case down at CCB, also known as the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice...

These violent felonies that people are being charged with are severe because typically, a violent felony will be charged as a strike, and the person will be facing prison time and being served at 85% instead of the normal 50% for most criminal charges. So, if you or a loved one is charged with a violent...

What are the best practices for a California Penal Code 245(a)(1) assault with a deadly weapon case at the Criminal Courts Building (CCB) downtown Los Angeles court located at 210 West Temple, also known as the Clara Foltz Courthouse? I’ve been handling assault with deadly weapon cases at the CCB...

What role does the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office play in criminal cases? This seems like an obvious question, but if you or a loved one is charged with a criminal case in LA county, the district attorney’s office will likely be the agency that prosecutes you. They handle all felonies and some misdemeanors...

This is a good question because if you get charged with California Penal Code 664/187 attempted murder with premeditation and deliberation, you’re looking at 15 to life, so you want to make sure there are any defenses available to you that you utilize them. The first defense I would say, having...

Suppose you’ve been arrested in Los Angeles county Close to the courthouse at 210 West Temple, also known as the Criminal Court Building (CCB), the Clara Foltz Courthouse. In that case, you will appear in Department 30 if you’re being charged with a felony case.  That’s the arraignment court...