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Unfortunately, this question is not easy to answer, and I think the bottom line is that there is no usual punishment in a California Penal Code 187 PC murder case. If you get convicted of first-degree murder, you’re facing a sentence of 25 to life. If you get convicted of second-degree murder, you’re...

Does using a gun in a California Penal Code 187 PC murder case make a difference in the potential sentence you’re facing? Usually, the answer to this is a quick yes; it does.  If you fire a weapon, technically, the law says that you can have an extra enhancement if you hit somebody. California Penal Code...

The Criminal Courts Building (CCB) is the central hub courthouse and has been around for many years.  It’s where most of the prosecutors, judges, and courtrooms in all of the courthouses in LA County are. CCB is the main courthouse.  It’s called the Clara Foltz Courthouse downtown at 210 West Temple...

This is the main downtown courthouse in Los Angeles County.  There may be approximately 30 courthouses throughout the county; however, the one at 210 West Temple in downtown Los Angeles is what I would characterize as the hub courthouse. It’s the biggest one.  It has the most judges.  It’s where all...

I think people are starting to realize more and more that the California legislature, police, prosecutors, and judges are sick and tired of dealing with guns in Los Angeles. This is a hot political issue right now, and in every single aspect of the government, guns are at the top of the list for prosecuting, arresting...

If a victim is shot in a California Penal Code 187 PC murder case, does that make the crime more serious? PC 187 murder is defined as killing another human being "with malice aforethought." However, different circumstances determine whether a defendant will be charged with first-degree or...

Can the police use a Perkins informant to get a statement from a defendant in a criminal case?  California law enforcement detectives often utilize informants to try and build a case against somebody they believe committed a crime. The use of informants in criminal cases is pretty standard. Still...

This is a question that I’m sure is on many people’s minds that are charged with a crime.  Whether you’re charged in Los Angeles or anywhere in the country, you want to find the best possible criminal defense attorney. I understand this because there’s a lot on the line.  You probably lost control in the...

Many people charged with a federal criminal case have a bad record, impacting their criminal history.  Why that’s important is because criminal history plays a big part in what your sentence is going to be in a federal criminal case.  In other words, the higher your criminal history level, the higher your...

The federal sentencing guidelines are rules federal judges have to consider at sentencing a convicted defendant. They are set up to give federal judges fair and consistent sentencing ranges when imposing a sentence. The sentencing guidelines are based on the severity of the crime and the defendants...

The United States Sentencing Guidelines match a total offense level with a criminal history category for a defendant to reach an advisory guideline sentencing range in the form of how many months in the Federal Bureau of Prisons.   This calculation is the starting point for sentencing a defendant in...

How will recent gun violence affect you if you are charged with a gun-related crime in Los Angeles, which is probably one of the most restricted counties in the nation regarding guns and gun control? The bottom line is that if you’re charged with a gun offense, you could either be prosecuted by the...

It’s a quick query but a lit bit longer of an answer.  California Penal Code 187 PC defines the crime of murder as the unlawful killing of someone or a fetus with malice aforethought. First-degree murder covers all premeditated killings and felony murder, which involves a scenario where somebody dies during...

Those individuals charged with felony evading under Vehicle Code Section 2800.2(a) are looking at prison.  Prosecutors and judges are very harsh regarding these types of crimes because of the danger to society. That includes danger to the person driving, the threat to people on the road...

There are many shootings throughout California, and people are looking for attorneys for those individuals who are involved in the shooting, and there are a lot of different things that can happen if the person is involved in a shooting. First, they might not be charged with any crime.  If they were...

We have been asked why prosecutors are permitted to charge someone with California Penal Code 211 PC robbery when no force or fear was used to take the property. PC 211 defines the serious felony crime of robbery as taking personal property from someone without permission when the taking...

Domestic violence is generally described as physical or sexual violence against a current or former spouse, cohabitant, boyfriend, girlfriend, someone who has a child with the victim, or any relationship under the domestic violence statute. Domestic violence includes punching, shoving, grabbing...

Under California law, if you know someone has committed a felony crime and you willfully hide them or aid them in evading capture or brought to justice, you could be charged with accessory after the fact defined in Penal Code 32 PC. This law makes it a crime to assist a known felon by hiding...

In Los Angeles county, there are many residential burglaries, and there’s a presumption in the law that if someone commits a residential burglary, they will go to prison. In California, if you unlawfully enter somebody’s home, such as a house, apartment, rented room, or recreational vehicle, steal...

There are some statistics that have come out in LA county indicating that 30% of road rage incidents involve a gun. If you or a loved one is accused of a road rage incident with gun use, you probably have charges filed against you, like an assault with a deadly weapon, possibly brandishing a gun...

One big concern people have when they search for an attorney if they’re charged with some sex crime or sex offense is how much money it will cost. I’ve been doing this for 30 years and have handled thousands of sex crime cases, and I think I charge a pretty fair price. I will give you some ideas of the factors...

Anyone charged with lewd acts upon a minor violating Penal Code Section 288 faces prison time and lifetime registration.  So, having defended these cases for 30 years, it's not surprising to me that someone would be figuring out if there’s any defense to the crime. California PC 288 PC prohibits any...

It is a crime to commit lewd acts in public, which means lewdness committed in public view or in the presence of other people who might be offended. California Penal Code 647(a) PC describes lewd conduct in public as touching yourself or another person’s genitals, buttocks, or female breast to gratify...

When it comes to DUIs and deaths on the road, the California legislature – and even across the country, but mainly in California, especially in Los Angeles, where there are thousands of DUIs every year, have come up with some of the harshest laws that I’ve seen. I would never drink and drive based...

Why do people decide to cooperate with federal law enforcement agencies and prosecutors in a criminal case? This is a good question because, in my 30 years of experience, I realize that cooperation is one of the most significant ways that the feds can generate their cases. I would say probably better than 80% or higher...