Misdemeanor Attorney Los Angeles
In case you have been charged with a crime, you will have to get quite familiar with the legal system in a short amount of time. You will be charged with a misdemeanor or a felony, a distinction which indicates the degree of the crime and related punishments.
The Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorneys at Our Firm comprehend both sides of the legal system. Together with an understanding in both prosecution and a powerful role in criminal defense, our attorneys are uniquely qualified to stand up in your defense. We all represent Los Angeles residents, visitors, and juveniles, as well as tourists charged with misdemeanors and also felonies such as:
* Theft, Fraud and Shoplifting
* Drug Offenses
* Prostitution and Solicitation
* Sealing and Expungement
* Traffic Violations
* Domestic Violence
* Juvenile Crime
* Tourist Defense
* Probation Violation
* Criminal Consequences
* Misdemeanors and Felonies
* First Time Offenders
* Criminal Traffic Violations
* Racing and Reckless Driving
* DUI
* Driving While License Suspended
In addition to the possibility of jail time, those people convicted of misdemeanor or felony violations could be subject to heavy fines, probation, mandatory education and counseling, drug testing.
What exactly is a misdemeanor?
Misdemeanors are crimes of a less severe character than felonies. They have possible punishments of up to a one thousand dollar fine and/or up to one year in the county jail for first-degree misdemeanors and up to five hundred dollar fine and/or up to two months of jail for second-degree misdemeanors. Los Angeles misdemeanors involve:
* Marijuana possession (under twenty grams)
* Domestic violence/spousal abuse
* Assault and battery
* Shoplifting (under $300.00)
* Petit (petty) theft
* Solicitation for prostitution
* Indecent exposure
* Driving offenses
* DUI/Drunk driving
* Possession of drug paraphernalia
* First and second time driving with license suspended or with knowledge of charges
* Reckless driving
* Drug paraphernalia
* Racing
* Indecent Exposure
* Lewdness
What’s a felony?
Felonies are generally crimes of a more serious character than misdemeanors. A felony conviction has with it the potential for jail or prison time and is defined as any sort of crime with a potential sentence more than one year of incarceration.
Los Angeles felonies include things like:
* Shoplifting (over $300)
* Drug trafficking
* Forgery
* Grand theft
* Possession of a controlled substance
* Passing bad checks (over $150)
* Employee theft (over $300)
* Aggravated battery
* Possession of Cocaine
* Possession of Marijuana (over 20 grams)
* Robbery
* Burglary
* Fraud
* Murder
* Manslaughter
* Felony DUI, 3rd conviction
* Obtain or attempt to obtain controlled substance by fraud, forgery, misrepresentation, etc
* Dealing in stolen property by use of the Internet; property stolen $300 or more
* Carrying a concealed firearm
* Felons in possession of firearms, ammunition, or electronic weapons or devices
A misdemeanor or felony conviction could follow you around for years.
Our Los Angeles Criminal Defense Law Firm is dedicated to each and every aspect of your case. Starting from arrest through a likely trial, we are working to minimize possible penalties. We will likewise look ahead to try and secure your future. Important members of the community require a legal team that is qualified to work with discretion and savvy.
Whether you’ve been accused of a felony or misdemeanor, rely on your defense to the seasoned and powerful criminal defense team at Our Firm.
Los Angeles MISDEMEANOR Lawyer
Depending on the severity of the crime you commit, you will either face felony charges or misdemeanor charges. Generally speaking, less serious criminal offenses are viewed as misdemeanors, while severe and violent criminal offenses are generally called felonies.
Misdemeanors are usually victimless crimes like disorderly conduct, trespassing, prostitution or public intoxication, and they often come with a year or less of jail time. If this is your first offense, a quality criminal defense attorney may be able to work out less severe punishments such as mandatory education, probation and even community service.
In most states, misdemeanor crimes are separated into three classes according to the seriousness of the crime as well as the punishment involved.
Class One Misdemeanors: Class one misdemeanors are the most serious with 18 months imprisonment and/or $5000 fine. In certain situations, a judge could even choose to increase the penalty to longer than eighteen months if the crime is established to be an “extraordinary risk crime”.
Class Two Misdemeanors: Class two misdemeanors are less serious by nature and can come with a maximum twelve months jail time and/or a thousand dollar fine.
Class Three Misdemeanors: Class three misdemeanors have a maximum of 6 months imprisonment and/or a $750 fine.
Together with probable jail time and large fines, misdemeanor charges generally come with mandatory community service requirements and probationary periods.
Although misdemeanor crimes are less severe than felonies, they may have damaging and far-reaching effects. Misdemeanor convictions could considerably limit someone’s ability to have a career. Most companies won’t hire someone with a criminal record, no matter how small, and a few professional licenses may even be revoked based upon a misdemeanor conviction. What’s more, if you’re sentenced to jail time, your incarceration can put a huge amount of pressure and burden on members of the family left behind.
Without the right legal representation, you might find yourself paying too high of a price for that crime you committed.
You should never have to face criminal charges alone, no matter how small. If you’re faced with a misdemeanor anywhere in the surrounding area, phone our Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyers immediately. A qualified criminal defense lawyer Los Angeles is going to be on your side so that you can avoid exorbitant fees and unnecessary jail time.
A Los Angeles misdemeanor attorney is a kind of criminal defense lawyer who represents people accused of misdemeanor crimes. Even though misdemeanor offenses tend to be less severe than felony crimes, these infractions do show up on a convicted individual’s criminal background check, and can risk future career and educational opportunities. Because of this, lots of people facing misdemeanor charges choose to seek the services of a misdemeanor attorney to represent them in the court.
The precise laws regarding misdemeanor penalties differ from country to country, but these offenses commonly carry less severe punishments than felonies, and lead to no loss of personal liberties including the right to vote or get a passport.
In most cases, the penalty for a misdemeanor conviction is a small fine or perhaps less than 30 days imprisonment. Regardless of these comparatively light punishments, even so, a misdemeanor charge can result in serious problems if, for example, the convicted person has an earlier criminal history, or perhaps if any victims were injured because of the misdemeanor act.
The duty of a misdemeanor lawyer, therefore, is certainly to help the accused to prevent a trial by fighting for a plea bargain, or decreased sentence, in exchange for a guilty plea.
If a plea bargain is not reached, the misdemeanor attorney will prepare a persuasive defense strategy, give expert legal advice during all stages of the trial process, as well as argue on the client’s behalf in the courtroom trial, to make sure that his/her constitutional rights are upheld.
Even though most misdemeanor offenses don’t involve a trial by jury, in situations where a jury is required, the misdemeanor lawyer is in charge of selecting jury members who’re most likely to look at his or her client favorably.
Additionally, because of their advanced knowledge of criminal law, misdemeanor lawyers will also be in charge of telling their clients of potential effects of the misdemeanor charges, and letting them really know what to expect if they are found guilty of the offense. A misdemeanor lawyer will even help choose the best choice for each client based on the unique details of the charges and the client’s needs.
There are two kinds of defense attorneys, public defenders and private attorneys. Public defenders are hired by the government to represent indigent clients who cannot afford to employ a lawyer of their own, while private attorneys are chosen and privately paid by the client.
Regardless of whether the lawyer is a public defender or a private criminal defense attorney, individuals facing misdemeanor charges should think about obtaining help from a knowledgeable criminal attorney due to the complex nature of criminal law.
Certainly, legal representation can often make the distinction between a conviction and a dismissal of misdemeanor charges.
