Over the past twenty-five years, I've handled many cases that originated out of the LAX Airport. Whether people are bringing drugs on the plane, whether they are bringing weapons such as guns, Tasers, knives, or other illegal weapons, it all comes down to what type of risk and what kind of danger you pose to the LAX Airport and the passengers and the crew.
The most sinister things that the authorities at the LAX Airport are looking out for are terrorist acts or other people trying to commit other violent felonies on airplanes throughout the country, not just at LAX Airport.
Real Case Example at LAX Airport
So, that's what you're going to be compared against as far as the policy goes for what they're going to do to somebody who violates one of these laws at the LAX Airport. I had a client recently who fell asleep while he was waiting for his flight, and when he woke up, the gates were closed, and the flight was about to take off.
In a panic, he woke up and started running towards the gate. He was ultimately tackled and charged with a crime related to trying to get on the airplane when the gate was closed and not cooperating with the Airport Authority.
At LAX Airport, they have a lot of power because of all of the security concerns. We got what's called a City Attorney hearing for that case, and after the hearing, the officer heard all the evidence, his version of events, and why he did what he did. We submitted some things beforehand; we got them not to file that case, which is excellent.
That's even better than a dismissal. They didn't file it. And they won't file it unless he were to do something else criminal during a year that they keep an eye on him.
So, that was a great result. But it was because he wasn't trying to do anything sinister. He was trying to catch the flight. Because he had just woken up, he made some bad decisions regarding his activities.
Evaluating Your Case For Best Outcome
So, call me if you or a loved one has a case at the LAX Airport Court. Let me see what happens a lot, and sometimes I understand it, and sometimes I don't, is people bringing guns on the plane. Sometimes, people simply forget that they have their weapons with them.
Again, that will be evaluated against a common-sense standard and just what makes sense. So, your story and what you have to say about it has got to be gotten across to the prosecution and the judge. Otherwise, they're going to think you were taking the gun on the plane to do something illegal on the aircraft, and that's some of the most important things that the prosecutors and judges have to look out for, which is protecting the public and making sure that when people travel on an airplane, they're safe. So, that's another area that I see occurring all the time.
Defense Lawyer for Federal Drug Charges, Warrants, or Extradition
Also, drugs are moving through the airport. Suppose somebody tries to bring a lot of drugs on a plane. In that case, you'll probably be prosecuted federally for that just because it's either international or state-to-state travel. A lot of times, the feds will get involved with that.
They'll be called into the airport to talk to you and try to get you to make an incriminating statement, and then you'll be prosecuted in federal court. Again, depending on how much weight of drugs you have and what type of sophistication level they perceive.
Another big area that I see people going into court for is that they're trying to go in and out of the airport, and they've got a warrant out for their arrest in another state. Then, the authorities at the LAX Airport will arrest them. They'll bring them to the downtown court, 210 West Temple, into Department 30 and start extradition proceedings to get them moved to the state where they've got a warrant.
There will be an identity hearing to ensure they've got the right person, and then, obviously, that state will have to want to take them for whatever warrant they have.
I get involved in this in some instances and try to assist in dealing with the case from our end here in Los Angeles, and a lot of times, if it's a federal case, I can do it. Otherwise, we'll help get an attorney in the state where the warrant is pending and coordinate things so we can end up with the best result for the client.
So, call me if you have a case in the LAX Airport. Let me know what happened, and we'll see what we can do to help you resolve the matter as soon as possible.
