San Fernando Valley Criminal & DUI Defense Lawyers

Se Habla Español 818.783.5700

Van Nuys Residental Burglary Felony Charges Dismissed!

I just had another huge victory in Van Nuys Court.  My client was charged with residential burglary.  That is a felony.  That is a strike.  That is a presumed prison sentence.  I just got all charges dismissed in Superior Court in Van Nuys. The case went down like this:   A young woman called 911 after she heard a prowler outside her window at 3 a.m.  The police came out and didn’t find any suspects but did find the window screen removed from her exterior window.  Police called out their forensic team and they took photographs and lifted fingerprints.  My client’s …

Read More

Why are Jury Trials so Expensive?

Why Are Jury Trials So Expensive? I’ve been a criminal defense lawyer for north of 25 years now.  I’ve done my share of jury trials, bench trials, traffic trials and even some civil trials.  Trials don’t actually come around that often for people like me.  Most cases settle.  Trials are risky. Clients often have to miss work for days to get through a trial.  And, yes, trials are expensive. When I get hired on most of my cases I quote a fee for entire case, without trial.  It’s normally a flat fee that covers whatever I need to do, including …

Read More

Probation and Travel Restrictions in California

Probation Travel Restrictions Lot’s of old clients have been calling since about Thanksgiving time asking for permission to travel for the holidays.  When clients are on felony probation, they cannot leave their home county for more than 72 hours without permission from the court or the probation officer.  They cannot leave the state at all without permission. When clients try calling probation, they usually get a voicemail.  They rarely get a call back.  When clients walk in to see probation, they normally get the same response: Go ask the judge. I wouldn’t think it would be so hard to get …

Read More

Increased Punishments for California Hate Crimes

Increased Penalties for Hate Crimes in California California’s Assembly Bill 2282 increases penalties for the display of hate symbols that are placed “for the purpose of terrorizing a person”. The bill criminalizes the Nazi swastika (with explicit protection of the Buddhist, Hindu, and Jainist swastikas with history as a peace symbol), the display of a noose, the burning and/or destruction of a cross or other religious symbol, and “a sign, mark, symbol, emblem, or other physical impression including but not limited to a Nazi swastika” on another’s private property. Under this law, the one who displays the hate symbol can …

Read More

Wet Reckless in Ventura County…It’s a Thing Now

Wet Reckless in Ventura County…It’s a Thing Now A recent policy with prosecutors in Ventura County is allowing the plea bargain of DUI’s.  In the 27 years I have been practicing law in California, there was only one Alcohol Related Reckless Driving offense given out in Ventura County.  Most people don’t even know about it.  That’s because the district attorney then, Michael Bradbury, didn’t authorize it.  Actually, he strongly opposed it.  The problem was that his office wasn’t prosecuting the case.  It was the State Attorney General handling the case because the defendant was a Ventura County employee and the …

Read More

Injured in an Accident in California?

Why I Handle Personal Injury Cases in California? I have been practicing law for over 25 years.  I still get people who tell me they didn’t know I handled personal injury cases.  I have a small practice that deals mostly with criminal cases in California.  Occasionally, I go to Federal Court.  Occasionally, I travel to other states when my client’s ask me to.  Mostly, I hang around Southern California from Santa Barbara to Orange County and anywhere in between.  I don’t advertise, but I do get friends and family and other referrals who call me about handling their injury cases.  …

Read More

Don’t Believe Everything You Read on the Internet

For years I’ve been telling people not to believe everything they read on the internet and not to believe everything a lawyer tells you before you pay him.  I get emails almost every day from people claiming they can improve my damaged reputation.  I may be damaged, but my reputation is pretty darn good.  About every ten years I get a review from some former client saying that I am evil or wasn’t nice to them or some such thing. The last negative review I got was from a client on a criminal threat case.  Unfortunately, I had to declare a …

Read More

Diversion in California Criminal Cases

Diversion in California Criminal Cases Diversion a word that we have been hearing in California criminal cases for decades.  Before 1997 we had informal diversion in low level drug cases.  The benefit was that clients would not have to plead guilty to a felony in order to take advantage of the program.  If they finished the program successfully, the case got dismissed without any conviction or sentence.  After 1997, the law changed.  Diversion became “deferred entry of judgment”.  This meant that you would have to plead guilty and get “convicted” of the charge.  The conviction would not become permanent if …

Read More

Prosecutor MUST Consider Immigration Consequences in Plea Negotiations

Prosecutor MUST Consider Immigration Consequences in Plea Negotiations Under California Penal Code Section 1016.3, There are certain mandatory obligation of both the defense and the prosecution.  “The defense lawyer must provide accurate and affirmative advice about the immigration consequences of a proposed disposition….” It seems kind of funny that they have to make a law telling the defense lawyer he needs to do his job.  But, what used to happen is a defense lawyer would try to compartmentalize the job and tell the client to go consult with an immigration lawyer.  Not so fast, said the legislature.  Defense lawyers now …

Read More

What Happens After the Preliminary Hearing?

What Happens After the Preliminary Hearing? Clients are quick to hire lawyers who quote them low up-front fees for what are often very serious felony cases.  The lawyer gets on the case, he is unable to settle the case in a manner that makes the client happy and then the case gets set for a preliminary hearing.  With little communication, lawyer comes back to court, conducts the preliminary hearing, defendant is held to answer and lawyer is never to be seen again.  “What do we do now”? You ask the lawyer as he is walking away. “We don’t have any …

Read More