Learn the Best Way to Defend Hit and Run Charges under California Vehicle Code Section 20001 in the Downtown Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center
Hit and run cases are very prevalent in Los Angeles. Being such a big metropolis, a lot of people become involved in accidents. Sometimes they may be drinking alcohol and driving so they leave the scene, especially late at night.
They may hit some parked cars or hit a car with somebody in it, leave their car, run away.
I've handled a lot of these felony hit and run and misdemeanor hit and run cases in the downtown Los Angeles court. The difference between a felony and a misdemeanor as it relates to a hit and run case is, if somebody gets injured.
Misdemeanor vs. Felony Hit and Run Charges
Then they will charge the case as a felony hit and run under California Vehicle Code 20001 if:
- you leave the scene without exchanging information,
- giving your insurance,
- your name and phone number.
It's a misdemeanor hit and run if you just cause property damage and leave the scene. Most of the cases are property damage hit and run where somebody gets in an accident and drives away.
Or I've seen a lot of times a person's vehicle becomes disabled because they get in such a bad accident, total their car, leave the car and run away.
There are various reasons people will leave the scene of an accident. It could be that they're under the influence of alcohol or drugs or both. It could be they don't have a driver's license.
It could be that they just don't want to deal with the consequences of becoming involved in an accident. Maybe they don't have insurance. There's a whole host of reasons.
Experienced Hit and Run Lawyer in Los Angeles
The bottom line is this — if you or a loved one is involved in a hit and run accident and it happened in the downtown Los Angeles area and you have court at 210 West Temple in downtown LA, or at the Metro Court at 1945 Hill Street, you've come to the right place.
Pick up the phone. As for a meeting with Ron Hedding. I've been doing this a long time — 26 years — I've worked for the District Attorney's office. I've worked for a Superior Court Judge and I've also been a criminal defense attorney since 1994.
So, I have a lot of experience with hundreds of hit and run cases over my career. They're not all the same. They're not all treated the same.
Not every person who is involved in a hit and run accident in downtown Los Angeles courthouse is going to be treated the same. It depends on:
- what your criminal record looks like,
- what your driving record looks like,
- whether or not somebody got hurt,
- whether you had a license,
- valid insurance.
There's a whole host of factors, but the best person or champion to help you is your attorney, and I sit very well structured for that because I know the judges. I know the prosecutors. I know their tendencies.
Fighting vs Negotiating Hit and Run Charges
I know what it takes to be successful in a case. Sometimes you have a defense and you don't want to plead guilty. You don't want to be arrested and go to jail or prison.
You want to fight the case. So, you've got to have somebody who has the ability to be able to put a case together and defend it, because the prosecutors have the burden of proof. They have to prove everything.
They've got to prove that you were driving, you got in an accident and they also have to prove that you left the scene and there wasn't some sort of an emergency situation why you had to leave the scene. So, you may have a defense to the case.
If you don't have a defense and they've got the evidence against you, then obviously, you're going to want somebody who can negotiate, someone who knows the DA's office, who knows the judges.
An attorney who knows what it takes to get the best result to protect your freedom, your rights, your job, your future, your reputation. There's a whole bunch of things on the line if you're charged with either a misdemeanor or a felony hit and run.
That's a crime. So, it doesn't just impact your DMV record, it also impacts your criminal record — your ability to get a job, your ability to get promotions in the future. All sorts of things are on the line.
So, I encourage you, if you're looking for yourself or you're looking for a family member for an attorney who can handle a hit and run case in the downtown courthouse, you've come to the right place. Pick up the phone. Ask for a face to face meeting with Ron Hedding. We'll sit down and we'll do everything we can to help you.
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