Violent Crimes Lawyer Glendale, CA. We know how overwhelming it can be to be facing violent crime accusations. They risk torpedoing your reputation, devastating your career, and perhaps worst of all, a long time in jail or prison. But all hope is not lost. And when you hire the Law Offices of David S. Chesley, Inc., you're getting expert legal representation to protect you from these legal and personal consequences. We will fight to protect you from violent crime accusations in each of the below categories (and more):
- Assault, Threats, and Interpersonal Harm
- Firearm Mishandling
- Family and Animal Abuse
- Sentencing Enhancements
- Procedural and Governance Charges
Our skillful Glendale, CA, violent crimes defense lawyers will examine your case, give you upfront, straightforward answers, and develop defense strategies that will be effective for your situation. You deserve a defense tailored to you, and we can provide that. If you're ready to build your defense, phone us at (800) 755-5174 or tell us about your case online now for a free, confidential consultation.
How the Law Offices of David S. Chesley's Lawyers Defend You Against Violent Crimes Allegations
Our team of Glendale, CA, criminal defense lawyers know that every violent crime case is unique, and we build a defense that's suited to your specific case. It all starts with the following steps:
- Learn Your Story – We believe that you should be at the center of your defense. We want to hear your side of the story.
- Research the Statutes and Your Case – We'll research the charges and Glendale, CA, violent crime law specifics, to ensure that we're well prepared to build a strong defensive strategy.
- Craft a Defense Strategy – Our team will recommend a defensive strategy such as defense, lack of intent, or procedural error.
- Plea Bargain With the State – When speaking with the prosecutors, we will stand strong and demand the justice you deserve.
- Fight At Trial – If your case reaches trial, we'll make sure that the judge and/or jury see your side of the story, and you're properly represented against the accusations.
Understanding Violent Crimes in California: Felony vs. Misdemeanor Charges
Violent crimes in California encompass a wide range of offenses, from simple assault to more severe acts like armed robbery or kidnapping. When you've been accused of a violent crime in Glendale, CA, the state needs to prove elements like intent and harm beyond a reasonable doubt. Many cases begin with a preliminary hearing, where we can challenge evidence early. Felony charges carry harsher penalties, including state prison time, while misdemeanors might result in county jail, probation, or fines. Victim testimony plays a key role, but cross-examination can reveal inconsistencies or false accusations.
As an example of the variety of case types, the difference between assault and battery in California is critical: Assault (Penal Code 240) occurs when one person threatens or attempts to hurt another, while battery (Penal Code 242) goes a step further, with one person successfully, intentionally harming another. Both can be charged as misdemeanors or felonies; it's up to the prosecution to decide what to charge. If you're asking, "Will I go to jail for a first-time violent offense?"—it depends. First-time offenders facing misdemeanor charges are more likely to avoid prison, but particularly aggressive circumstances could wind up with felony charges. At the Law Offices of David S. Chesley, we will fight for your freedom and protect your rights, mounting a tenacious defense against all charges.
Major Glendale, CA, Violent Crime Allegations We Defend
Assault, Threats, and Interpersonal Harm Defense Lawyers
When you ask someone to name an example of a violent crime, there's a good chance they'll mention assault. While you might be picturing cuts and bruises, California law actually describes assault as an attempt to inflict "a violent injury on somebody." Many people don't know that to be guilty of assault, one only has to attempt to cause harm, even if you don't actually cause harm.
Simple assault charges are usually a misdemeanor, however there are several more serious variations of them. Aggravated assault charge types in particular are very similar to assault: they normally requires that the alleged offender was trying to cause 'serious' harm rather than general harm. Another similar one is assault with a deadly weapon: Assault using a weapon other than a gun. These variations don't actually have statutes of their own, and instead are nicknames used to describe specific assault cases
Now that we've covered assault, let's discuss battery. Battery is similar to assault because both involve attempted harm. However, in battery's case, the harm was successful, instead of only being attempted. After a fight, Glendale, CA prosecutors are often prone to issue both assault and battery charges to defendants. Meanwhile, criminal threats charges can result even from a nonviolent altercation. All you have to do is intimidate someone. You can be found guilty even if you didn't have the ability to carry out the threats.
We also commonly defend reckless endangerment charges in Glendale, CA. This can include reckless driving, child endangerment, and other charges along those lines. As a result of the variation in specific laws, it's paramount to hire a violent crimes lawyer who knows not only how to defend against individual charges, but also the combinations of them.
If you're facing other violent crimes charges, we can help: Here are some other interpersonal harm charges we defend in Glendale, CA,:
- False Imprisonment: False imprisonment occcurs when one person wrongfully restrains or confines another, for example, locking another person in a room.
- Kidnapping: Kidnapping is different from false imprisonment because it involves forcibly moving a person from one location to another.
- Human Trafficking: As opposed to the above allegations, human trafficking is done for specific, extra bad purposes such as forced labor or sex.
- Stalking: California stalking law requires more than just following another person who doesn't like it – it also requires that the accused make a credible threat.
- Terrorist Threats: Terrorist threats are another form of criminal threats – watch out for linked hate crime accusations in these cases.
- Torture: Torture is used for particularly grisly allegations of harm, wherein the action was performed for a sadistic purpose.
- Mayhem: If a fight resulted in the permanent scarring of another person, the aggressor can be charged with mayhem.
- Arson: Whether or not you burned something on purpose is the key difference between arson charges and reckless burning.
- Rioting: Rioting charges can be split into inciting the riot or participating in it, but both are usually charged as misdemeanors.
Firearm Mishandling Defense Lawyers
The right to bear arms comes with many restrictions and responsibilities in Glendale, CA. California firearm offenses cover a large swath of statutes, and you can get in trouble for something as simple as unlawful possession.
Commonly, these charges are related to a felon in possession of a firearm, but you could also face them for possessing a concealed firearm without a permit or a felon possessing ammunition.
While any Glendale, CA, gun charges are major, a major differentiator is whether you allegedly used the weapon or not. Brandishing a weapon normally does not include use of the weapon beyond showing it with the intent to scare another person. Most of the time this is charged as a misdemeanor.
On the contrary, discharging a firearm will frequently get you harsher sentences. Particularly for incidents such as a drive-by shooting or shooting at an inhabited dwelling, you can be looking at years in prison and/or thousands of dollars in fines.
An excellent Glendale, CA, violent crimes defense attorney will fight no just to keep you out of prison, but also to prevent further restrictions on your Second Amendment rights.
Family and Animal Abuse Defense Lawyers
No matter what kind of violent crime charge you're facing, it's tough to see a way out. Domestic accusations, though, are especially hard to fight. Domestic violence goes beyond battery on your spouse; it includes any actual harm caused, threats of harm, and even just placing someone in fear of harm. The other qualifying factor for 'domestic' violence is who the alleged victim is: for it to qualify, they must be someone with a close relationship to the alleged offender, such as a child, spouse, or cohabitant.
Crimes against children also have their own specific legal categories. Child abuse charges are saved for when someone alleged hurt a child on purpose, meanwhile child endangerment consists of putting a child at risk of harm, either intentionally or unintentionally. These charges can be filed together, heightening their seriousness.
Our experienced violent crimes defense lawyers aren't limited to just conflicts between family members who live together. We can also help you fight animal cruelty charges, elder abuse charges, and, should your child be the accused, juvenile crime charges.
Sentencing Enhancement Defense Lawyers
If you're facing violent crime charges in Glendale, CA, there's a good chance that they're one of the ones above. But you could also need to fight elevated charges and/or sentencing enhancement if your case meets certain criteria.
One of the most common examples is gang enhancements. If a crime was committed in the furtherance of gang activities, the sentence you face can be increased by several years. Conspiracy charges are another group-related charge. You can be found guilty of conspiracy if you collaborate with somebody else to break the law, and either one of you does something that furthers the commission of the crime.
Another common sentence enhancement is when an alleged action is charged as a hate crime. Sometimes, a hate crime accusation is its own charge. However, they are often used as enhancements to other charges. The district attorney in Glendale, CA is likely to apply a hate crime label if they think that the alleged offender committed the crime as an attack against a specific protected group.
Lastly, our Glendale, CA, violent crimes attorneys can help protect you against California's three strikes law. This law allows the government to keep track of your criminal history and assign "strikes" to certain felony convictions. With one prior strike, if you are convicted of a new felony, the sentence will be doubled, and you will have a harder time securing early release. With two prior strikes, the sentence could be increased to 25-years-to-life in prison, with further limitations on parole.
Procedural and Governance Charges Defense Lawyers
Glendale, CA, violent crime charges can be particularly damaging if they were allegedly committed against law enforcement. Assault on a police officer can result in more prison time than if the assault was against a non-officer, while resisting arrest carries similarly harsher sentences for a wide array of alleged misconduct. Obstructing a police officer is a similar set of charges, though this aren't contingent on you being arrested, and apply more broadly to anything you do to prevent a police officer from doing they job.
For the majority of violent crime charges, you'll be up against the local Glendale, CA prosecution. But for more serious cases, a federal prosecutor may fight against you. You don't want to go to federal court alone. You don't want to face the full force of the United States government without help. The Law Offices of David S. Chesley, Inc., is equipped to be your defense attorney for federal crimes in addition to state charges.
Additional Miscellaneous Violent Crime Defense Services We Offer
- Aggravated Battery
- Assault With Force Likely to Produce Great Bodily Injury
- Battery On a Spouse or Cohabitant or Dating Partner
- Contempt for Violating a Domestic Violence Court Order
- Corporal Injury on a Spouse or Cohabitant
- Dissuading a Witness or Victim/Witness Intimidation
- Expungement/Record Clearance After Violent Crime Conviction
Violent Robberies and Related Offenses: Armed Robbery, Carjacking, and Burglary
A robbery defense attorney is essential for charges like carjacking (PC 215). Carjacking goes beyond grand theft: While grand theft auto involves the taking of a vehicle without its owner's permission, it doesn't necessarily include any interaction with the owners themselves. Carjacking, on the other hand, does involve a forceful interaction with the owner. Because of this, it carries a harsher penalty because of its violent nature, up to 9 years in prison.
Without a leading violent robbery defense lawyer, you could be facing serious felony charges without a path out. At the Law Offices of David S. Chesley, we will fight to get your charges reduced and case dismissed. If you're on parole or have prior convictions, you could face harsher penalties. Restraining orders may follow if violence is alleged, impacting your life long-term.
Top 3 Violent Crimes Defense Lawyer Qualities
Violent crimes charges need high-quality defense lawyers. When you're deciding on an attorney to fight your case in Glendale, CA, 'good enough' isn't good enough. You want someone with the below 3 qualities:
- Prior Success: You want a lawyer who knows how to fight your specific charge. Our team has a history of successful violent crime defense results.
- Diverse Legal Experience: The Law Offices of David S. Chesley, Inc., has over 50 years of combined courtroom experience, including time as prosecutors, judges, and police officers. We have inside knowledge of how the state tries to get violent crimes convictions, and how to fight for a positive outcome.
- Local Relationships: Our team of attorneys cover cases across the state, including in Glendale, CA. We have relationships with local prosecutors and judges, and will lean on them to secure a favorable outcome.
To maximize your chances of beating violent crimes charges, you need lawyers with all of the above attributes. And with the Law Offices of David S. Chesley, Inc., you'll get those qualities.
California Three Strikes Law Defense: A Significant Focus for Local Clients
California's Three Strikes Law (Penal Code 667) is a massive search trigger for Glendale, CA, clients, as it dramatically enhances sentences for repeat offenders. Enacted in 1994, it mandates 25 years to life for a third "strike" felony if priors include serious or violent crimes. Because of this, it's even more critical for you to work with an expert violent crimes defense lawyer if you have any prior convictions on your record.
As a violent crime defense attorney, I dedicate extensive resources to Three Strikes cases. Key strike eligible offenses include armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, and kidnapping. On your second strike, sentences are doubled, and on your third, you can be facing a life sentence.
Defense Strategies Under Three Strikes:
- File Romero Motions: We file Romero motions to strike priors if they're old, minor, or unjust. Judges take into account the circumstances of the older cases, as well as the character of the alleged offender.
- Motion for Resentencing: After Proposition 36 was passed in 2012, thousands of people have been resentenced. If your third strike was non-violent, we petition for a reduction, potentially cutting life sentences to time served.
- Avoiding New Strikes: If your case is ongoing, we will argue for charges to be reduced down to misdemeanors when possible, avoiding a strike. Showing lack of intent is key in thse cases.
- Constitutional Challenges: Depending on the context of your case, we can argue that the sentence is unconstitutional, and constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. We can also look into prior cases to see if there were any procedural errors that should have resulted in an acquittal.
- Impact on Parole and Your Future: Stirkes not only add onto your sentence: they also delay parole eligibility. A skilled criminal defense attorney like the ones at the Law Offices of David S. Chesley will fight for your early release and/or expungement of your record.
If you're facing Three Strikes charges in Glendale, CA, you need to act fast to protect your freedom. The third strike can carry a life sentence. You need a lawyer with the resources to protect your future. And the Law Offices of David S. Chesley has those resources. We have a team of leading California attorneys ready to stand by you, from day one until the case is done.
There is much debate in Glendale, CA over whether California's Three Strikes law is just or not. Whatever the future holds, in the present, you need a leading three strikes defense attorney. If searching "California Three Strikes Law defense," know it's winnable—contact me to review your priors.
Tenatious Defenses Against Violent Crime Charges – Call Our Legal Team Now
Violent crimes charges are tough to fight on your own. The statutes are complicated. The Glendale, CA, prosecutor is formidable. And the consequences are heavy. If you're lacking an expert violent crimes lawyer at your side, your freedom and constitutional rights are at risk.
At the Law Offices of David S. Chesley, Inc., we don't wait and watch the prosecution make its case against you. We don't settle for a bad plea deal, just because it was faster. We confront the charges. We make a defense with you at the center, and defend your freedom from day one until the case is concluded.
Reach out to us now to start putting together your defense. Call us at (800) 755-5174 or fill out our online contact form to speak with a lawyer about how to fight these charges.
We also offer the following legal services in Glendale, CA:
Payment Plans
