This whole concept of local when it comes to domestic violence cases involves an attorney who knows the courthouse where your case is pending. In my opinion, this is so important because most courthouses handle a lot of domestic violence cases.

When it comes to crimes that are charged in Los Angeles County, and probably across California, next to DUIs, domestic violence would probably be the number two charged crime.  In other words, all sorts of people are committing these crimes.  You don't have to be a criminal to get into an argument with your significant other and for violence to erupt and to get arrested.

So, there are so many of these cases that go through the courthouses.  Lawyers who are local to a particular courthouse are going to have a pretty good feel for what you're facing when you have a domestic violence charge in a particular courthouse with a particular judge being dealt with by particular prosecutors.  So, in my opinion, that's why it's so important to get a local lawyer.

Knowing Tendencies of the Prosecutor and Judge

You're also going to be able to avoid what I characterize as landmines when it comes to the defense of spousal abuse or domestic violence cases in the various courts throughout Los Angeles County.

What I mean by this is some prosecutors are extremely harsh when it comes to a domestic violence case. Obviously, you want to avoid those prosecutors because you're going to get hit with a much harsher punishment than somebody who's in front of another prosecutor.

That's my job as a domestic violence attorney to steer a case clear of those prosecutors who are going to be too harsh and unreasonable to my particular client.  I've also seen in some courthouses that some of the judges are not reasonable when it comes to these domestic violence cases.

Obviously, you don't want to violate your probation in front of a particular judge who has the opportunity to hammer you with a very harsh sentence. So, having a local attorney, having somebody who knows the courthouse, is important.

So, when people come and sit down and meet with me, obviously, they're very worried and concerned about their domestic violence case and what's going to happen to them.  The good thing is I've been practicing in Los Angeles County for so long and so many years.

I've worked with the DAs Office, I've worked with a Superior Court Judge and I've been a criminal defense attorney for over twenty-five years now.  I have a pretty good feel for the judges, the prosecutors and just the whole system that you're going to be up against.

So, when you come in, I'll be able to talk about that.  You're able to ask me questions — where's my case going to go?  What do you think about the prosecutors there?  What am I looking at?  I can give you a pretty good idea. This clarity can bring a sense of calm, knowing what to expect and how to navigate your case.

When you've handled hundreds of cases in a particular courthouse and dealt with the judge all the time, you start to see tendencies in the officials who will be handling your case, and that's important. So, definitely hire a local lawyer.

If you've got a case in Los Angeles County, there are probably twenty-five courts now.  They've consolidated a lot of the courts.  Where there used to be forty, there are now about twenty-five.  Having practiced so many years, I've appeared in all of them, and I have a pretty good feel for the right way to deal with a domestic violence case, what you're looking at, what things can be done to help you get out of the system as fast as possible.