If you have a crime in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County and you need the best, it's crucial that you pick up the phone and set up a meeting with Ron Hedding.

I've been handling cases there for nearly 30 years.  Judges and prosecutors know me well, and you need the best because you're only really going to have one chance to defend yourself in a criminal case.  You're only going to have one chance to get the best result.

So, the question becomes, why would you settle for anything less than the best when:

• your future is at stake;
• when your liberty is at stake;
• when your record is at stake;
• when your potential job pool in the future is at stake because you've got a criminal case, and you may get a mark on your record that you cannot get off.

You must get the best criminal defense attorney. Part of finding the best is finding somebody who knows the local courts, knows how to deal with the prosecutors, has dealt with the judges before, and knows how to get the result you must have.

Getting the Best Possible Case Result

That, to me, is the most critical thing if you're charged with a crime in the San Fernando Valley — getting a result that you must have.  Some people are simply innocent, so the impact they must have is a not-guilty verdict at a trial.

Having done this a long time, that is a tiny percentage of cases when it relates to criminal cases in the Valley because most of the time, police and prosecutors are not going to arrest somebody for a crime unless that person has committed the crime, number one; and number two, they've got the evidence to prove that they've committed the crime.

So, the key for you is to find an attorney that can win a trial if necessary. I've done nearly 250 trials as a criminal defense attorney.  That's a lot of experience.

Many criminal defense attorneys are afraid to go to trial because that's where people have to show who they are when they have to speak in front of a jury and argue a case; not all defense attorneys can do that.  You would think they could do that, but unfortunately, that's not the case.

Effective Negotiations with the Prosecutor

The other more realistic thing when you're looking for the best criminal defense attorney in the San Fernando Valley is that you want somebody to be able to help you:

• negotiate the case;
• sit down with the prosecutors,
• figure out who the supervisor is;
• figure out what type of facts and circumstances can be brought to their attention that help tells your story.

Not just your story of the criminal case — which can undoubtedly somehow be necessary — but your story as far as who you are as a person, so you don't end up being viewed as a criminal who deserves the worst possible result and the worst possible punishment.

Experience in the Local Courts

The San Fernando Valley has a large population.  It's a massive metropolis with thousands of people, and many crimes continue.  Police are arresting people left and right and sending them into one of the SFV courts.

The best attorney has got to have a skill set that gives them a lot of experience, having done criminal cases for many years and having much local experience in the Valley courts.

I've practiced in the Valley for almost 30 years in all courthouses.  I've done trials in just about every courtroom and courthouse in the San Fernando Valley.

Having done something for a long time and mastering the craft, you start to see who the best judges are, who the best prosecutors are, and you begin to get an idea of how to handle a criminal case – deciding which cases should go to trial and which cases should be resolved by way of negotiation.

That's probably one of the most significant factors of one of the best attorneys in the Valley, and that is to identify whether a case should go to trial or should be resolved by way of a plea bargain.

Close Examination of All the Circumstances

That's going to be done in conjunction with your client.  You will look at the facts and circumstances surrounding the case, do any necessary investigation, and then use your experience to decide the best course of action.  I think that's what the best attorneys do.

There are many attorneys out there who only resolve cases.  They can't go to a jury trial.  That's a huge weakness, and one of the best attorneys in the San Fernando Valley will not have that weakness because you've got to be able to fight the prosecutors.  That does two things:

• they're not going to push your client around because they know you're going to fight them and beat them in the proper case; and
• the type of attorney that knows how to win a case will be able to properly negotiate the case because they'll be able to point out any issues with a particular case to the prosecutors.

That's one of the big things that the prosecutors have to consider when resolving a case, which could lose the case.  What are the circumstances under which they can lose a case?

Are there any weaknesses in the case?  Is there anything they should do to resolve the case in favor of the defense?

So, if you want the best, you've come to the right place.  I've been doing this for almost 30 years.  I worked for the District Attorney's office in the early 1990s, so I've checked that box and seen how they prosecute cases.

I also worked for a Superior Court Judge in 1993 as his research attorney; then, in 1994, I put out my shingle as a criminal defense attorney. I have tried to do everything I can to make myself the best criminal defense attorney in the San Fernando Valley.

If you've got a criminal case and need help, pick up the phone now.  Ask for a meeting with Ron Hedding.  I stand at the ready to help you. You can contact the Hedding Law Firm for a free case evaluation by phone or fill out the contact form.