Defense of Extortion Cases
The most serious extortion cases under California Penal Code 518 in Los Angeles will be prosecuted at 210 West Temple. This is the main downtown courthouse, the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.
It's the hub court where the prosecution's main office is. They handle most of the severe cases. An extortion case, if it's filed as a felony and involves trying to extort money or goods, is sophisticated and high-profile, and the downtown LA court will deal with it.
When we evaluate an extortion case—I've been handling them for 26 years in the downtown LA court—the first question is whether the prosecutors have the evidence against you.
Review of Prosecutor's Evidence in Extortion Cases
Do they have the goods to prove the case, or are you innocent? Is there something else? Is there something the police failed to investigate, and shouldn't you be charged with extortion?
That's what the question becomes. I like to talk about that with my clients right from the beginning.
If you're charged with extortion, I think the best thing to do is that you are accused of extorting somebody for some money, some goods, some sort of favor.
Then, you threaten either them or their family to reveal some information, and the prosecutors and police take these cases very seriously. The judges will sentence very harshly in these cases where people are extorting at the criminal level.
So, once we know how we want to handle the case, that will dictate our moves going forward.
I often like to get all the evidence related to the case, whether it be audio, videos, surveillance, witness statements, your statement, or the statement of the alleged victim, and we evaluate that.
You're going to look at it. I'm going to look at it, and then we're going to sit down, and we're going to talk about it. Your input is crucial in shaping our defense strategy.
Develop a Defense Strategy to Fight Extortion Charges
If the case is serious enough, you will be in custody. Hopefully, we'll be able to get you bailed out so you can fight the case from the street.
We're going to talk about all the angles related to the Penal Code 518 extortion case, such as:
- what the prosecutors have to prove,
- what evidence the police have gathered for the prosecutors, and
- What can we gather as a defense team in our investigation?
Then, we will decide the best move for you in the future. You want to avoid fighting an extortion case in downtown Los Angeles court with the best prosecutors and a significant sentence if you lose.
You only fight the case; you only take it to a jury trial if you have a chance to win. You might not be able to win the whole case, but you could do some damage to the case.
If you or a loved one is facing extortion charges in downtown Los Angeles, it is crucial to seek professional legal assistance. Could you contact the Hedding Law Firm to review the details of your case and start building a strong defense?
We'll often do the preliminary hearing to show the prosecutors the lack of credibility with some of their witnesses, poor police investigation if that's the case, and our side of the story if that will make a big difference.
So, if you or a loved one is charged with extortion in downtown Los Angeles, pick up the phone. Ask to speak to Ron Hedding. We'll go over everything in the privacy of my office.
If your loved one is in custody, I'll visit them with all the evidence. We'll discuss everything and develop a sensible game plan.
Rest assured, you'll have a game plan from an attorney who's been doing this since the early 1990s, worked for a Superior Court Judge, worked for the DA, and has defended my clients for the last 26 years. We would appreciate your case.
