If you are facing criminal defense charges in Eastvale, California, then you want to feel confident that you are working with an attorney who has the relevant knowledge and experience to represent your case. You need an attorney who can employ the optimal defense strategies to fight for positive outcomes. An Eastvale criminal defense attorney from My SoCal Lawyers can listen to your concerns. Once we understand the details of your case, we can craft a robust defense strategy for you.
At My SoCal Lawyers , our legal team is committed to providing our clients with excellent legal representation. We strive to empower them with knowledge about their case and their rights. As our team works to handle the bureaucratic and legal details of your case, you can free up time and resources to focus on yourself and your family during this challenging time.
While misdemeanor charges in California are considered to be less serious than felony charges, they can still result in serious penalties and have a long-term impact on many aspects of your life, such as your education and career. Penalties for Eastvale misdemeanors include up to thousands of dollars in fines and up to one year in jail.
If you are facing a first-time misdemeanor offense, you may be feeling particularly overwhelmed due to a lack of experience with the criminal justice system.
By hiring a passionate criminal defense lawyer, you can work toward getting a minimum sentence or advocate for alternative sentencing, such as probation in lieu of jail time.
If your misdemeanor case is particularly serious, or you have a certain criminal history, then the prosecutor on your case may try to increase the severity of your charges to a felony. Therefore, even in the event of a misdemeanor charge, it is critical to work with Eastvale criminal defense lawyers who can actively and strategically mount a defense against your charges.
Felony charges are more serious than misdemeanor charges, and they can lead to more serious penalties if convicted. In California, sentencing rules for felony crimes are complex, and prosecutors can exercise broad discretion when deciding on penalties and prison sentencing terms. Some common California felony charges include:
Further felony crimes include counterfeiting and forgery, along with weapons crimes, such as manufacturing or trafficking. Each felony has different penalties and consequences associated with it. If you are facing charges for a felony crime, it is important to be aware of the potential penalties that you could be facing, based on your criminal history and the details of the crime. An Eastvale criminal defense lawyer can assist you with understanding your charges and their implications.
Most of the felony offenses in the state are associated with three certain options for sentencing, which are laid out in the statute addressing the crime. If the sentences are not defined, the prison sentence period can either be 3 years, 2 years, or 16 months. If a defendant is convicted of a crime after a trial, there is a sentencing hearing held, in which the judge decides on one of the three prison sentences as the base term.
During the sentencing hearing, the judge may also decide to issue alternative sentencing measures, such as a fine or probation, if it is permitted under California law for that crime. When deciding on a base-term sentence, a judge will usually take into account the case details, such as aggravating factors and whether there is an existing criminal record. They can add time to the base-term sentence as well. The majority of felony prison sentences are for a fixed amount of time, except for indeterminate sentences.
A wobbler crime is a type of crime that can be classified as either a misdemeanor or felony in the state of California. Wobbler crimes are automatically classified as felony crimes, and it is up to the prosecutor to reduce the charges to a misdemeanor level based on the details of the crime committed. Examples of wobbler crimes include:
Further wobbler crimes in California include:
An experienced criminal defense lawyer can present evidence and help negotiate with the prosecution to get your wobbler crime dropped down to a misdemeanor.
Having your charges reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor can have impactful implications on the associated penalties and long-term outcome of your case. In misdemeanor cases, you can only face up to one year of jail time, while prison sentences can last years for felonies. Furthermore, not having a felony on your criminal record allows you to keep certain fundamental rights and freedoms, such as voting and working certain government jobs.
If you were convicted for a crime long ago, and are still feeling the negative outcomes of the charges, then having your record expunged may be an option for you. Even in the case of a misdemeanor with maximum sentencing, you may still be eligible to have your California record expunged. The following criteria to have your record expunged include:
If you are unsure about whether you qualify for record expungement in Eastvale, CA , then it is important to work with an experienced criminal defense lawyer. They can analyze the details of your case and inform you about what your options are.
In California, certain legal strategies can be taken to avoid serving time in prison or jail, depending on the specific details of your case, including your criminal record. A dedicated criminal defense attorney can analyze the facts in your case and inform you about what your options may be.
Based on certain criteria in California, your criminal defense lawyer can negotiate with the prosecutor to work toward getting probation or other alternative sentencing options, such as counseling, education programs, and community service. A plea bargain is also an option, which involves admitting guilt to a lesser crime that does not involve jail sentencing.
A California criminal defense lawyer can also put forward concrete mitigating circumstances, such as showing cooperation with authorities, the absence of an existing criminal record, or clear evidence of improved conduct. If you are successful in receiving alternative sentencing, it is crucial to adhere to the rules and regulations attached to the sentencing to avoid having your probation agreement canceled.
The Three Strikes Law in California imposes additional penalties on those who have been repeatedly convicted of certain felonies. The law requires people who have been convicted of a violent or serious felony crime three or more times to serve double their assigned prison sentence. The prior felony must be classified as a so-called “violent” crime.
If you are facing charges for a violent or serious felony, and you already have been convicted for such a crime twice or more times prior, then you will be facing a “25-years-to-life” sentence. Therefore, it is critical to have a criminal defense lawyer who can work closely with you. They can help you come up with a strategic defense method and fight tirelessly for you in court.
In the criminal justice system in California, the roles of prosecutors and defense attorneys are very different.
Attorneys who represent the accused are known as criminal defense attorneys. The goal of defense attorneys is to ensure that the rights of their clients are protected and to advocate for positive case outcomes in court, whether this involves negotiation or representation. A criminal defense lawyer challenges the evidence brought forward by the prosecution, employing tactics such as witness cross-examination and presenting legal arguments.
A prosecutor, on the other hand, is a lawyer who represents the government in a criminal case. Otherwise known as state’s attorneys or district attorneys, they are mostly responsible for pursuing criminal charges against people who have been accused of committing crimes by the state. A prosecutor has the burden of presenting evidence that the accused is guilty of the charged crime beyond a reasonable doubt.
A prosecutor has discretion on whether to press legal charges, work out a plea deal, or go forward with a trial based on the law and the details provided and collected for a case. A prosecutor typically pushes for the accused to receive imposed penalties. A criminal defense lawyer fights against the charges and advocates for decreased penalties. While both prosecutors and criminal defense lawyers have different legal roles, they both contribute to a balanced legal process.
Beyond legal penalties that can be imposed on individuals within the court system, there are long-lasting negative consequences that can impact a convicted felon’s life. Being a convicted felon can restrict people from accessing certain opportunities and damage their reputation.
Collateral consequences, in particular, are civil, regulatory, or legally imposed restrictions that bar people from accessing opportunities, rights, and benefits related to:
Some common collateral consequences include:
Because the consequences of a felony are far-reaching into nearly every aspect of an individual’s life, having an impact even years after the crime has been committed, it is critical to work with an experienced criminal defense lawyer who can fight against your criminal charges. By designing an optimal criminal defense strategy, they can help protect your freedoms and rights.
For an individual to be convicted of a felony, the prosecutor has to present evidence proving that the defendant committed the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. This means that the district attorney or state attorney has a high burden to prove that the defendant is guilty because, under United States law, an individual is assumed to be innocent until they are proven guilty.
A criminal defense lawyer can point out inconsistencies or errors in the evidence that the prosecutor has brought forward, as well as flaws in their legal argument. For the majority of criminal charges, the prosecutor has to prove that the defendant had criminal intent, which can also be difficult to prove. Therefore, a criminal defense attorney can fight such charges by presenting evidence that there was no criminal intent or that the crime was committed by accident.
For certain violent felony crimes, a common defense strategy is to argue that the alleged crime was either committed because the defendant had fear of imminent danger or was using self-defense. Another common defense is to claim that the defendant had their life threatened and was, therefore, forced to commit the crime.
Other defenses include showing that a crime was committed without knowing it or due to misunderstanding. This is a common strategy used against certain white-collar charges, such as insider trading and money laundering. To optimally understand which defense strategies can work for your case, it is important to get in touch with a dedicated criminal defense lawyer.
Whether you are facing minor misdemeanor charges or more serious felony charges, it’s important to have an experienced legal team taking charge of your case by leveraging all their relevant knowledge and resources. At My SoCal Lawyers, our defense attorneys use careful and detailed consideration, while focusing on your desired case outcome, to build up a defense strategy that can meet your needs. Get in touch with one of our team members today to start working on your case.