Experience with Los Angeles District Attorney
As many of you may not know, the Hedding Law Firm has been around since the 1970s when my father first started practicing. I later came along, and I've been practicing for the past 27 years. I think the secret sauce is not only experienced but a well-rounded, complete package-type experience.
In other words, I started first with the District Attorney's office in the early 1990s. At that time, I was working in East Los Angeles, and there was a power struggle because it was an election year for the DA's office.
What ended up happening was that Gil Garcetti beat Ira Reiner. He not only came in with a bunch of new policies, but he also fired several top-level prosecutors and brought in his team to reform the District Attorney's office.
Experience with Los Angeles District Attorney
It's very similar to what's happening today, where a new head prosecutor has taken over and is implementing new policies that are going to be used to reform the District Attorney's office. They are also to improve Los Angeles, one of the most significant metropolitan areas for crime. There are over 1,200 District Attorneys and 38 courts. I think, first and foremost:
- having experience with the District Attorney's office, and
- having the experience with the political upheaval that's going on right now in Los Angeles is crucial.
I was right in the middle of the last battle when Ira Reiner was beaten. Heads rolled in the District Attorney's office, and I saw how the DAs handled their cases, policies, and how great defense attorneys in the early 1990s dealt with cases.
So, I have the political picture of what's going on. Still, I've also got the experience working for the DA's office and seeing how they build their cases, see how they work with law enforcement, and see how they prepare their cases because what I consider a criminal defense attorney — especially in a place like Los Angeles — is a warrior. And the warrior's first task is to know their enemy.
Knowing How Your Opponent Handles Criminal Cases
The District Attorney's office can be your enemy because they are so tricky sometimes in working with defendants and crime that your defense attorney must know how to deal with them and knows what it takes to get the result you must have. So, to me, that is pillar number one, which is:
- knowing how your opponent deals with their cases, and
- knowing how to counter that, and
- also knowing the politics behind the District Attorney's office as we move forward. The second crucial aspect is that in 1993, I was a research attorney for a Superior Court Judge in Los Angeles county, so I helped him write his opinions. I helped him decide all of his legal issues.
Knowing Judge's Decision Making Process
So, I've got the inside information about how judges deal with cases and what judges do in the decision-making process.
Because there are a lot of times if you can't work your cases out with the District Attorney and you have to take the case to trial. There are times you:
- have to go to the judge for help;
- you've got to know how the judge thinks;
- you've got to know how the judge will resolve problems.
If you don't have that information, then you're not going to be able to represent your client effectively. So, I have researched judges; I've talked to a judge as his right-hand man and have helped him get the decision-making process done for his cases. I think that's crucial peek behind the curtain of how criminal cases are dealt with.
How any legal case is dealt with, you've got to see the judge's perspective, and I've got that experience way back to 1993. I've got many cases under my belt from a judge's standpoint, assisting the judge. I also worked on the Jenny Commission (the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation) (JNE), which was tasked with investigating sitting judges and people who wanted to be judges.
I was on that commission that worked both in Los Angeles and San Francisco, so I have an excellent perspective on selecting judges and the criteria for being a successful judge.
Thousands of Successful Cases
I think probably the most significant factor in the secret sauce that has led to the success of the Hedding Law Firm. The thousands of clients that we have serviced have to do with being a criminal defense attorney and defending people for the past 27 years.
I often see these former prosecutors coming on the scene and thinking they can be successful in criminal defense. Unfortunately, a lot of them fail. They talk a big game, but they don't realize that being a prosecutor is much easier and less challenging than being a criminal defense attorney. Prosecutors usually have a good case:
- they've got the police;
- they have unlimited money;
- they've got judges who are former prosecutors.
So, to be a prosecutor is not all that difficult. That's why they don't get paid very much money. Just because you can prosecute someone and put somebody behind bars when you typically have the whole deck stacked in our favor, that's not all that impressive to me.
Try defending somebody. Try getting a not guilty verdict. That is where I see the best criminal defense attorneys, like me, who have been doing this for so long:
- thousands of clients,
- seen many administrations in the District Attorney's office,
- fought many different jury trials, negotiated cases,
- seen laws come and go and change — like the three-strikes law, for example.
These are the attorneys you want representing you, especially if you've got a complex case, especially if you've got a lot of things on the line. So, I chose someone like me who has only been a criminal defense attorney for 27 years.
Well Known By Both Judges and Prosecutors
When you talk about the secret sauce, and you get a feel for it as far as the Hedding Law Firm goes, and Ron Hedding, you realize that my father and I have been working together now for a long time.
We both have the same name, except for different middle names. It's a pretty exciting and dynamic firm that not too many other firms can challenge or even be talked about in the same breath. Both judges and prosecutors very well know us.
Integrity, Hard Work, and Preparation
The last thing I would say on this secret sauce topic is integrity, working hard, preparation. Yes, we have talent, and talent is an essential ingredient in being a successful criminal defense attorney and getting great results for your clients. But in addition to talent, because there are a lot of talented lawyers that aren't successful, is:
- you've got to have hard work;
- you've got to have preparation;
- you have to take those extra steps at the right time to get that result in your client must have;
- and you have to know the steps to take, the people to talk to.
This doesn't come automatically. In a vast metropolis like Los Angeles with over 1,200 prosecutors and 38 different courthouses, it's crucial that your attorney has that experience and the know-how and has that work ethic.
Criminal Defense for All California Crimes
If you or a loved one has a criminal case anywhere in Los Angeles, in fact, anywhere in the nation if it's a federal case, you've come to the right place. Ask to talk to Ronald Hedding.
We'll sit down and go over everything, and we will begin to plant the seeds of success. The seeds that will be able to get you out of your current situation give you control of your life back.
Get a powerful advocate on your side right now. I stand at the ready to help you. Hedding Law Firm is a criminal defense law firm located in the San Fernando Valley at 16000 Ventura Blvd #1208 Encino, CA 91436.
We represent clients throughout Los Angeles County, including Burbank, Pasadena, Alhambra, Winnetka, Chatsworth, Canoga Park, Sylmar, Arleta, and Pacoima. Contact our law firm for a free case evaluation at (213) 374-3952 or fill out our contact form.
