Crimes Involving Inmates Who Come Into Los Angeles County Courts
Believe it or not, a lot of inmates in county jails and even state prisons across California are being brought into various courthouses for inmate-related offenses. In other words, where one inmate stabs another inmate, drugs inside the jail — there are all sorts of inmate-related crimes. Maybe they attack one of the deputies.
So, if you or a loved one has an inmate-related offense, you should contact a seasoned criminal defense attorney who is used to dealing with that system. There's a whole system set up for that. It is very similar to the Public Defender's office, where all they do is deal with inmate-related offenses and defend them. Of course, private attorneys can do that as well. They need to know how to work the system and defend
somebody. Often, these criminal cases come into the regular criminal courts, not just through the jail or the prison itself; it's coming directly from the court where the jurisdiction is had.
So, if somebody commits an offense in the Lancaster State Prison, for example, they will bring him into Lancaster court and prosecute him. If it's unclear whether the offense should be charged in a specific jurisdiction, they'll get them into downtown Los Angeles, 210 West Temple, and prosecute the case there.
Offenses While in Custody
I've been doing this for twenty-five years. I've represented inmates alleged to have committed all sorts of offenses while in custody and have seen these cases litigated in the criminal courts. So, these inmate-related offenses are always in the Los Angeles County courts. The same defenses apply to a regular case.
Usually, the same types of crimes are going to be charged. So, you have a dual system for these inmate-related offenses. One has to do with the jail or the prison disciplining. They can add time, take away the person's good-time work done, and put them in a one-person cell. They can do all sorts of things to the prisoner if it's a crime.
If they want to take it outside of the jail and prison system, they'll make it clear, send you right into court, prosecute you for whatever charge they deem appropriate, and bring it to the prosecutors. Sometimes, special prosecutors prosecute these jail-related offenses.
So, if you've got one of these cases, call me. We can discuss it and determine exactly what we can do to get you the best result.
