Defense of Murder Cases
With over 26 years of experience, I have handled numerous murder cases, as defined under California Penal Code 187. Most of these cases have been in the downtown Los Angeles courthouse, the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.
That's where most of the murder cases are filed. That's where the prosecutors who handle murder cases and detectives do a lot of cases out of downtown Los Angeles.
If you or a loved one is charged with murder and the case is in the downtown Los Angeles courthouse, you'll start in Department 30, the arraignment court. You'll appear there, and I'll guide you through the process.
If it's a murder case, it will probably take longer than a typical criminal case, so they won't move it out of Department 30 until it's ready for a preliminary hearing.
Defense Lawyer with Experience Handling PC 187 Murder Cases
Successfully defending a murder case hinges on the expertise of an experienced attorney. Given the high stakes, it's crucial to have a legal professional who has successfully fought numerous cases of this nature.
So, many attorneys who have done criminal defense, even for a long time, are afraid to take on murder cases. They won't take them. I've even had some of them do the preliminary hearing, and then the people retain me after the initial hearing.
Then I asked them why they didn't stick with the other attorney, and they said it was because the other attorney said he doesn't do murder cases, which is, of course, ridiculous.
He shouldn't have touched the case in the first place and done the preliminary hearing because the initial hearing in a murder case is crucial. That's where you can lock witnesses into testimony and damage people's credibility. You get a good peek at the strength of the prosecutor's case.
After preliminary hearings, I conduct extensive investigations once I understand the prosecutor's claims and the strength or weakness of their evidence. Sometimes, I discover that other witnesses can be interviewed or additional evidence can be gathered.
Other evidence can be gathered to properly defend a murder case in the downtown LA courthouse, 210 West Temple. I've been handling them for 26 years as a defense attorney.
I've worked for the prosecutor. I've worked for a Superior Court judge. I know how to defend a murder case. I know how to negotiate a murder case.
Review of the Prosecutor's Evidence in PC 187 Murder Cases
I think the first thing we must do is sit down and look at all the evidence — the evidence on your side and the evidence that the prosecutors and police are trying to use against you — and then decide whether you can win the murder case.
Sometimes, you look at it, and you decide, based on all the circumstances, that the best thing to do is to have your attorney negotiate for you and try to work out some resolution because if you lose in the murder case, you won't come out of prison again.
Other times, the choice is made for you. Sometimes, the prosecutors won't even make you an offer or make you such a high offer over 20 years or more that taking the deal doesn't make any sense.
You might as well go to trial. There are all sorts of things that can happen in murder cases, and you can't use what I would characterize as a cookie-cutter defense, meaning you do the same thing every single time.
No, you have to look at what is happening in a particular case, including the strength of the prosecutor and your evidence.
Can you defend it? What are the motives of the people involved in the murder case? We consider a whole host of things when we consider a defense.
Seeking a Lesser Charge in PC 187 Murder Cases
A defense doesn't necessarily mean you're taking a case to jury trial and trying to get the not guilty verdict. Sometimes, a defense means we're trying to get a lesser charge.
Sometimes, a defense means we're trying to avoid a life sentence, especially when you're talking about a murder case. Prosecutors are the most sophisticated prosecutors who are tenured and have experience.
They're the ones who are going to try these murder cases, and the homicide detectives who investigate and help the prosecutors deal with these murder cases are the best that the LAPD or the sheriffs who are dealing with the case have.
So, you have to get an attorney who knows what they're doing. I've handled many cases. I've had a lot of success. I know what it takes to make the right moves. If you or a loved one is charged with murder in the downtown Los Angeles courthouse, pick up the phone.
Could you ask for a meeting with Ron Hedding? We'll sit down and go over everything. Even if you don't hire me, everything will be kept confidential. But I guarantee one thing: You will get an education when you come in and meet with me.
You can expect to receive a comprehensive defense strategy when you meet with me. You will receive the truth and be guided by someone who knows how to fight and strategize a defense in a murder case effectively.
