The criminal courts building (CCB) is the main courthouse.  It's also known as the Clara Foltz Courthouse downtown at 210 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012, phone: (213) 628-7900.

There may be about 30 courthouses throughout LA County. However, the one at 210 West Temple in downtown Los Angeles is the central hub courthouse.

It's the most significant court and has the most judges.  It's where all the prosecutors are assigned. Thus, they usually file high-profile prominent criminal cases in that courthouse. The severe cases will probably receive some publicity. All the head supervisors of the District Attorney's office are stationed there.

It's where they file most of the felony cases and save that courthouse for cases having jurisdiction around it and for significant severe cases involving celebrities or hotly debated political issues.

Recall that in 1994, O.J. Simpson was tried for Penal Code 187 PC murder in this courthouse of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.

You want to get a good attorney if you have a case because that's the central hub court.

The best attorney would be somebody who knows the local criminal justice system and has defended many cases.  Let's review this topic further below.

Penal Code 187 PC – First-Degree Murder

California Penal Code 187 PC describes murder as the unlawful killing of someone or a fetus with malice aforethought.

Prosecutors will typically file first-degree murder charges for all premeditated killings and felony murder in a scenario where someone dies during a rape, carjacking, robbery, or other severe offense.

A first-degree murder conviction can lead to a prison sentence of 25 years to life. Further, if the killing involved torture, lying in wait, or a “special circumstance,” a defendant could be sentenced to life without parole or capital punishment.

In other words, prosecutors will file PC 187 first-degree murder charges if the killing was a willful, deliberate, premeditated, planned, and intentional act.

Capital murder is called first-degree murder with special circumstances that involve the killing of a:

• police officers or firefighters;
• prosecutors, judges, or elected officials;
• witness to stop them from testifying in court;
• someone due to race, religion, or country of origin;
• for the benefit of a street gang or a drive-by shooting;
• for financial gain;
• more than one person.

Penal Code 664/187 – Attempted Murder

California Penal Code 664/187 PC describes the severe crime of attempted murder in either the first or second degree.

A critical element of the crime in a PC 664/187 attempted murder case is the intent to kill, but you could be convicted of second-degree murder without the intent to kill.

While somebody can be found guilty under other statutes for attempting to carry out a dangerous act, they can't be guilty of attempted murder unless the prosecutor can prove, beyond any reasonable doubt, that they intended to kill someone.

Another defining element of attempted murder cases is the requirement that the perpetrator takes a “direct step” toward accomplishing a murder. A common legal defense for attempted murder is a self-defense argument, as you are allowed to protect yourself.

Why You Need an Experienced Criminal Lawyer?

Since it's in downtown Los Angeles, the CCB is where most seasoned prosecutors are and where they try most of the severe cases, so you want someone with experience.

I put myself in that category because I worked for the District Attorney's office in 1992 in east Los Angeles and met many prosecutors whom I still know today.

Many prosecutors have also become judges, some on the bench at CCB.  So, you want somebody who's been in the community for a long time.

I've been practicing criminal defense since the early 1990s.  I worked for a superior court judge in Burbank at one point, and in 1994, I became a criminal defense attorney.

So, having done it for 30 years, I've been in front of most of the judges in LA County.  I know a vast majority of the prosecutors.  A lot of these prosecutors stay in office for quite some time.

Sometimes they get younger prosecutors coming in and out of there as well, but I think the bottom line is that the shot callers – the prosecutors who make the decisions – the higher-ups, the supervisors – are the ones who have been with the office for a long time.

A lawyer like me who's been doing it for 30 years will know who the senior prosecutor is in your case and be able to relate to them, talk to them, and, if necessary, negotiate with them on our behalf. So, the best criminal defense attorneys are the ones:

• that have been in the system for a long time,
• know the prosecutors and judges, and
• also those who are local to the courthouse.

In other words, they appear there a lot.  That's probably where most of my appearances are because most cases prosecuted in Los Angeles county go through that courthouse.

They have the most judges, the most prosecutors, and the most courtrooms to handle a massive load of cases versus some of these branch courthouses that cannot deal with the capacity and don't deal with the number of criminal cases that go through their doors every day.

Contact the Hedding Law Firm for Help

You also want to consider an attorney who understands what you're charged with and has handled a lot of cases similar to yours, who has experience in that area, because the more experience you have, the better result you're going to get.

You should also assess whether you should take the case to trial.  Sometimes you're innocent; other times, you're going to take the case to trial because you have no choice because of the severe nature of the case and how many years in prison you or your loved one is facing.

So, you want to get somebody who has much experience, who's handled many cases, and knows how to fight a big case.

You've definitely come to the right place if you need the best.  I've handled thousands of cases at CCB over the years I've practiced.  I know what it takes to be successful there. Pick up the phone now.  Set up a meeting with Ron Hedding.