How Are Gun Issues Impacting Prosecutors And Judges In Los Angeles County?
Because of all the political pressure that has been put on the legislature, judges, prosecutors, and the police, it relates to people using weapons when they commit crimes. This is probably one of the most difficult things that a criminal defense attorney can face because now, anytime there's a gun involved with a case, the prosecutors and judges are hyper-technical and hyper-sensitive about making sure that whoever the defendant is that's associated with a gun is properly punished and does not come back to haunt them.
In other words, they don't want a scenario where they give somebody a break who used a gun in a crime. Now that person comes back and does something horrible with a weapon, and the news media and their superiors look at them and say, hey, why would you do that when this person had a gun?
Couldn't you see how dangerous they were at the time? Now that you've done nothing look at what's happened.
Strict Gun Laws in Los Angeles
So, the gun laws in Los Angeles County are not only tough, but they're also being enforced in a very vicious manner and sometimes in a ridiculous manner.
I've seen cases where people have failed to indicate that at some point they had a gun, and the prosecutors are trying to make a criminal case about that when all it is is a form that's being filled out under Proposition 63 and anything having to do with guns.
Suppose they detect any deception or feel the person might be a danger. In that case, they're going to try to take that person's gun rights away forever, try to carry a concealed firearm around now in Los Angeles County. If there's anything sinister about what you're doing related to that concealed firearm in LA, the prosecutors are going to try to convict you.
They're going to try to put you in jail, and then they're going to try to make it a term and condition of your probation that you can no longer own, use, or possess a gun, bullets, ammunition, or anything. The consequences of illegal gun possession in California can be severe.
Review Case with an Experienced Lawyer
So, if you've got a gun case in LA, you better find an attorney who's been down this road before who has handled gun cases, knows the current political climate, and knows what the ins and outs are so that you can differentiate yourself from those people who are taking horrible convictions, doing jail time, prison time.
If you're charged with actually using a weapon in a crime that's loaded, the prosecutors have all kinds of weapons at their disposal for punishment. 10-year gun enhancements are available to them.
If it's any gang violence, they literally can put you away for so many years that you can never get out again. So, the bottom line is this – if you have any gun case in Los Angeles County, you've got to have a criminal defense attorney who can fight for you.
If you have a defense to the case, you're going to put the defense on. If you don't have a defense of the case because they have the evidence to prove the case, then obviously, you're going to want to get an attorney who can negotiate with the prosecutors, who knows how to plea bargain, who knows how to get a mitigation package together and show the powers that be that you are no longer going to be a danger to society.
This is an aberration. It's a mistake. It won't happen again, and you're not one of the people they must worry about.
I'm seeing even in domestic violence cases now, if you get a domestic violence case and you're convicted, you're going to get hit with a 10-year ban on weapons. There are all sorts of other crimes that, if you're charged and convicted of them, they're going to take your right away to possess a weapon.
Any felony in Los Angeles County – you are then going to be banned from using a weapon ever again. So, if you get caught with a weapon after you've been convicted of a felony in Los Angeles County, you're going to be charged with a felony, and you're going to be looking at prison time.
Any gang affiliation – if you've got a weapon even for first offenses – I see the prosecutors seeking prison time. So, the bottom line is in today's day and age, with people being shot all over the country, police officers being shot with weapons, and people using weapons in domestic violence cases.
The prosecutors and the judges are doing everything correctly, and if you've got one of these cases, you better get to a good attorney as fast as possible who knows the local courthouse and knows what it takes to get the best result.