This is probably the biggest question on most people's minds if they have a case pending in one of the Los Angeles criminal courthouses. It is a challenging question to answer. To even begin to answer it, the attorney would have to know what your definition of winning is.

This may seem like a simple question, but when the person in trouble realistically evaluates what is going on, they will conclude that the definition of winning a criminal case comes down to what evidence the police and prosecutors have against you and what your attorney can do for you to get this situation resolved most effectively.

An experienced and professional Los Angeles criminal defense attorney can help save time and money by representing your case more effectively. Having practiced in Los Angeles for 25 years, worked for the District Attorney's office, and worked for a Superior Court judge, I think I have a pretty good idea about the inner workings of the local criminal defense community and, obviously, the Los Angeles criminal court system. So, when you call my office, you'll get somebody who knows what they're talking about, who knows the system, who knows about the charges, and who knows about the prosecutors and judges.

That's your first thing. You're on the internet, trying to find a criminal defense attorney, and a lot of the information is inaccurate. Many are not giving you solid, practical information about your criminal charges. When you call my office, I need to know what the police and prosecutors will say because I need to know the other side of the equation before I can start solving the problem.

So, that's one of the biggest things I talk about it in my book, The Art of the Perfect Defense. Give me the information first from the prosecutor and police point of view. I want to hear what they're going to try to say against you, then we can turn around and start to dissect it and attack it and look at some defenses in the case, look for some mitigating information and look to do damage control on the case.

Fighting Your Criminal Charges With Aggressive Approach

So, if you want to know about criminal defense in Los Angeles and how to get the best outcome on your case, you have to talk to a seasoned, battle-tested, and the best criminal defense attorney. You want to talk to somebody who has been inside the courtroom and tried cases. I've tried over 250 jury trials. You want somebody who knows how to deal with the prosecutors and judges and what it takes to get a result.

If you want to get accurate information about how to fight your misdemeanor or felony criminal charges in Los Angeles, you'll need to come in and sit down with me. Give me the paperwork that you have on the case. Let's sit down and talk about it, going through it step by step. You want to talk about winning your criminal case, but the question becomes what truly is a win.

In other words, can your criminal defense attorney take the case to trial? Can your attorney beat the prosecutors and show the jury you're innocent? If your lawyer can't do that, then obviously, trying to get that sort of a win is unrealistic in your case, and it doesn't make any sense. If they've got evidence against you that you committed the crime, you will need to figure out a way to do damage control.

You'll need to hire a Los Angeles criminal lawyer to bring forth the mitigating information about you and show that your scenario is an aberration and won't happen again. Your criminal lawyer needs to be able to show all the mitigating facts because when the police set up a criminal case, they usually set up everything geared toward showing every bad thing about a criminal defendant. When your defense sets the case up, they're gearing it up towards showing all the good stuff about you by showing the other side of the story.

Pre-Filing Intervention and Plea Bargaining in Los Angeles Courts

Unfortunately, the criminal defense lawyer in Los Angeles doesn't get to talk to the police before they present all the information to the prosecutors. So, you have a scenario where the prosecutors are only getting the wrong information about you, and that's where we have to start to turn the tide. That's when we will discuss important topics, like pre-filing intervention to avoid the formal filing of criminal charges. We're going to talk about plea bargaining. We will talk about how to relate and deal with the judge and prosecutor in a criminal case. We're going to talk about a jury trial.

What if you have to take your case to jury trial? What if you're innocent of the charges that have been filed against you? What are you going to do then? Does that mean just because you're innocent, you will win everything? No, it doesn't because the prosecutors have some information against you, or you wouldn't be charged with a crime.

Maybe you're being investigated for a crime, or the police have some information from somewhere. So, why do they have that information? Who gave it to them, and what will we do to defend your criminal case? That becomes the question in this important endeavor in your life. One of the most critical endeavors because of everything on the line. Your freedom is on the line. Your reputation is on the line. Your liberty, justice, way of life, and control of your life are on the line.

Criminal Defense For All Crimes in Los Angeles, California

So, if you're looking for a seasoned Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who knows the local criminal justice system and how it works, you've come to the right place. You've taken the first step but don't know it.

Please read one of my books on your criminal issue to get your foundation. If you're looking for somebody who knows how to cross-examine a witness because there's a crucial witness in your case that must be discredited, get my tape series on cross-examination.

Misdemeanors usually are less serious crimes, such as petty theft, public intoxication, and disorderly conduct. Under California law, a misdemeanor carries a sentence of up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.

Felony crimes are the most serious charges and often result in serving time in a California state prison. Some common felonies include first-degree burglary, robbery, drug sales, corporal injury to a spouse, manslaughter, attempted murder, murder, and many others.

The prosecutor can file wobbler crimes as a felony or a misdemeanor offense. They will typically base their decision on the circumstances of the case, the defendant's criminal history, and any aggravating factors. Some common California “wobbler” crimes include domestic violence, criminal threats, child endangerment, assault with a deadly weapon, child pornography, embezzlement, receiving stolen property, and others.

Our criminal defense attorneys in Los Angeles have a record of success in all types of criminal charges, including theft crimes such as robbery, burglary, receiving stolen property, grand theft, embezzlement, extortion, and operating a chop shop. We also handle all types of drug crimes, such as drug possession, possession with intent to sell, drug trafficking, prescription drug fraud, and transportation of controlled substances.

We also handle any California domestic violence-related charges, such as domestic battery, corporal injury to a spouse, criminal threats, child abuse, elder abuse, stalking, and restraining order violations. We defend clients against violent crime charges such as murder, attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, assault and battery, armed robbery, involuntary manslaughter, and weapons charges.

We also handle driving under the influence charges while impaired by alcohol or drugs or operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or higher. We have successfully defended clients against all types of DUI cases, such as first-time DUI, hit and run, DUI causing injury, vehicular manslaughter, underage DUI, unlawful police stops, and California DMV hearings.

Our Los Angeles criminal lawyers also handle federal offenses, such as wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud, healthcare fraud, federal drug offenses, and insurance fraud. We handle juvenile cases, vandalism, three-strike cases, bench warrants, expungements, and probation violations—California white-collar crimes such as identity theft, credit card fraud, and internet crimes.

Criminal Case Process in Los Angeles Courthouses

The criminal case process starts with an arrest. After someone is arrested, they are detained at a local police station or county jail until their arraignment, where formal charges are filed. They usually appear before a judge within a few days, and a bail amount is set based on a bail schedule for the specific crime. However, there are certain crimes when a judge will not set bail, such as serious violent felony crimes or a probation violation.

At the arraignment, a defendant appears before the judge, who reads the criminal charges they have been accused of committing. At this point, a defendant enters their plea of not guilty, guilty, or no content. When a defendant enters a not-guilty plea, the judge sets a date for a preliminary hearing, commonly known as a probable cause hearing. The case will proceed to a pretrial conference or preliminary hearing depending on the criminal charges.

A pretrial conference is a meeting between the Los Angeles criminal defense attorney and the prosecutor to resolve a misdemeanor case, such as reduced charges or a plea bargain.  A plea bargain typically involves a defendant agreeing to plead guilty in exchange for reduced penalties or sentencing.

Preliminary hearings are for more serious felony crimes. A judge reviews the evidence, witness testimony, and legal arguments from both sides and then decides whether there is sufficient evidence to send the case to a trial court. However, it should be noted that the standard of proof at a preliminary hearing needs to be revised. At this stage, the judge doesn't decide guilt beyond a reasonable doubt; instead, only if there is enough reasonable suspicion the defendant was more likely than not to have committed the alleged crime.

At the preliminary hearing stage of the criminal case process, it's crucial for a defendant to have representation from an experienced Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer who can cross-examine witnesses. Cross-examination can expose weaknesses in the prosecutor's case and give the defense lawyer a road map on how the case could be presented at trial. It's also an opportunity for the defense attorney to persuade the judge to reduce felony charges to a misdemeanor.

If the judge decides there is sufficient evidence for a criminal case to proceed to a trial court or the case has not been resolved through plea bargaining, then the case will move to the trial stage.  At trial, the criminal defense attorney and prosecutor will argue and present evidence before a judge or jury.

Once the trial has concluded, the judge or jury will decide whether the defendant is not guilty or guilty based on the evidence. If the defendant is found guilty, the judge will schedule a sentencing hearing, where they will punish the crimes they were found guilty of committing.

Contact a Los Angeles Criminal Lawyer for Free Consultation

With decades of combined legal experience defending criminal cases, the top-ranked Los Angeles criminal defense lawyers at the Hedding Law Firm represent individuals in all criminal courts in Los Angeles on any criminal matter. We have the knowledge and skills to provide a superior legal defense.

With our experience working for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, we know how the DA will attempt to build a criminal case against you. We also understand how police detectives conduct criminal investigations and use this knowledge to provide our clients with the best defense.

Our Los Angeles criminal defense lawyers defend clients in California state and federal courts and have a track record of success. Our professional attorneys are dedicated to obtaining the best possible outcome for your criminal case.

If you are under a criminal investigation or have been charged with a crime, our criminal defense experts will meet with you to discuss the details of your case and legal options. Our criminal defense law firm has two office locations in Los Angeles County. Our primary office is just a few miles from the Van Nuys Courthouse.

We have successfully handled countless criminal cases in the San Fernando Court, Downtown Los Angeles Criminal Courts Building, Metro Court, LAX Airport Court, Burbank, Hollywood, Pasadena, Torrance, Alhambra, Santa Clarita, Valencia, Compton, Downey, Pacoima, Inglewood, Norwalk, Malibu, Chatsworth, Studio City, Palmdale, and Lancaster. Our criminal defense specialists are available 24/7 to take your call and offer a free case evaluation.

You can see that I've been doing this for a long time and have a substantial legal background. Here's to getting your case resolved in the most powerful manner based on the circumstances of your alleged crime, moving on with your life, and getting out of the criminal justice system as fast as possible. Are you under a criminal investigation in Los Angeles County? Call a lawyer at our office to learn how we can help you.