Our Beverly Hills Office is located at:
Law Offices of David S. Chesley, Inc.
Beverly Hills Criminal Defense Attorneys and DUI Lawyers
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 882-6277
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Beverly Hills Criminal Defense Attorneys and DUI Lawyers
If you live in or around Beverly Hills, you know it’s a city of haves and have not.
On the one hand, this area is flush with money. Housing is a staggering 683% higher than the national average. Gas is through the roof; a trip to the beauty salon is outrageous; you can’t even go bowling for less than $25.
On the other hand, there are plenty of people out there who don’t have enough. Maybe you’re one of them. Maybe you sometimes feel like trying to even the score. You’re not alone. Though Beverly Hills is safer than most places when it comes to violent crimes, it’s virtually the nation’s capital when it comes to property crime. It seems everyone wants a piece of the action. So, if you’ve been caught burgling a house on Arden Drive, or breaking into a car over on Oakhurst, you’re not the first, and you won’t be the last.
Unfortunately, the criminal justice system doesn’t consider frustration as a mitigating factor in handing out sentences. If you’ve been arrested for theft or any other crime in Beverly Hills, you probably already know: the authorities here take a dim view of lawbreakers.
What you need is strong legal representation. You need someone to look out for your interests, to make sure you’re given a fair deal. At the Law Offices of David S. Chesley, we’ve established a reputation for protecting our clients’ rights. Find out all you can about the charges against you. Know exactly what you’re up against. Then contact an attorney who can help you defend yourself.
Helpful City Resources:
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department – West Hollywood Station
STATION INFO
780 N. San Vicente Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 855-8850
Friends Community Center
6910 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 463-1601
West Hollywood Addiction Treatment Center
9024 Harratt St.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(855) 622-6723
Car Theft:
With all the flashy cars cruising up and down Santa Monica, it’s not surprising so many are stolen each week. In fact, it’s surprising that the numbers aren’t higher. Maybe you decided a little boosting might make for some easy money.
If you’ve been arrested for stealing a car, or, as the California prosecutors like to call it, “Grand Theft Auto,” you’ll likely be charged with a felony. The potential jail sentence is between sixteen months and three years. If you can convince a judge that you merely “borrowed” the car for a joyride, you might be able to get the charges reduced to “unlawful taking of a car.” That’s only a misdemeanor, but even so, you’re looking at up to a $5,000 fine and up to a year in jail.
Even if you aren’t after the car itself, if you break into a vehicle to steal something from inside it, you’re facing the same basic penalties you would if you’d stolen the car. “Auto burglary” is what’s known as a “wobbler offense” in California law, meaning the prosecutor can charge you with a misdemeanor or a felony. A misdemeanor carries up to a one-year jail term. A felony conviction can mean between sixteen months and a year in jail.
Oddly enough, breaking into a car isn’t illegal in California. To convict you, the prosecution must prove you intended to commit some other crime when you broke in, such as theft.
Burglary:
Maybe your ambitions were higher than making a quick smash and grab from a car parked in a dark alley. Plenty of people get arrested each year in Beverly Hills for burglary. If you’re one of them, here’s what you should know about how California treats this crime.
As with car theft, the real difference-maker when it comes to burglary is intent. On the one hand, you can’t be convicted of burglary just because you’ve been found in someone else’s home. On the other hand, you can be charged even if you’re not inside that home. The issue is whether a prosecutor can establish your intentions. If, for instance, you are caught with tools such as a crowbar, a hammer, or a lock pick, you’ll have a harder time convincing a judge you’re innocent.
Another important distinction with burglary has to do with the type of property you’re breaking into. Breaking into a commercial property, for example, is treated as second-degree burglary. It can be either a misdemeanor or a felony. Misdemeanors carry a maximum sentence of one year in county jail. Felony convictions receive between sixteen months and three years in state prison.
Breaking into a residential property, however, is treated far more seriously. It’s designated as first-degree burglary and carries a potential sentence of up to six years in state prison and $10,000 in fines. In addition, first-degree burglary counts as a strike on your California record. That means if you’ve committed other crimes in the past, residential burglary could garner you a twenty-five year sentence.
Superior Court of California – Beverly Hills Courthouse
9355 Burton Way
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 281-2400
David S. Chesley is on Your Side
You committed a crime. You stole a car; you robbed a liquor store; you got involved in a bar fight. You shouldn’t have, but you did.
Or maybe you didn’t do it at all. Maybe you were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Whatever your situation, David S. Chesley can help. David S. Chesley doesn’t judge you for what you might have done. He recognizes that what you did is in the past and that what’s most important to you now is putting your life back together. He can help you do that by getting you the best possible judgment or plea deal. David S. Chesley knows California law, and he knows Beverly Hills. He’s worked on hundreds of cases here, representing clients just like you. Most importantly, no one will fight for you as David S. Chesley will.
If you’ve been arrested in Beverly Hills and charged with theft or any other criminal offense, contact the Law Offices of David S. Chesley today at (310) 882-6277 or 1-800-755-5174.
