Charges of violent crimes can fall into several distinct categories each with their own penalties, but violent crimes are treated very seriously by Los Angeles and California courts. If you are charged with a violent crime in Los Angeles, contacting one of our experienced criminal defense attorneys at Simmrin Law Group is your best option.
With the help of a skilled violent crimes attorney in LA, you can present several different defenses to the court, including:
- Consensual violence (such as an injury that resulted from a full-contact sport)
- Mistaken identity
- Accidental violence (useful for charges that require intent to harm)
- Self-defense
Types of Assault
One of the typical violent crimes charges in Los Angeles is the charge of assault. Assault can come in several forms but the basic requirements that must be proven in any assault charge include:
- Willful force
- Knowledge that the action could bring harm
- Intent of causing bodily harm to another person
In other words, assault is defined as the intention of using willful force to cause bodily harm, and it has to be shown that the charged person understood that their actions would cause such harm. Of course, there are several different kinds of assault.
Assault with a Firearm
Assault with a firearm charges involve the use of a gun. In addition to shooting someone or attempting to shoot them, an assault with a firearm also can be charged if you hit someone with the butt of your gun (otherwise known as “pistol whipping”). Though California has very strict gun laws, assault with a firearm is one of the many gun crimes that our violent crimes lawyers at Simmrin Law Group have experience defending successfully.
Assault with a Deadly Weapon
Assault with a deadly weapon charges are more expansive than assault with a firearm. This type of violent crime is defined as an attempt to harm someone with any object that reasonably could inflict damage. State law has a long list of deadly weapons, but some examples can include the use of a car as a weapon, a broken glass bottle, swords, knives, and brass knuckles. Our violent crimes lawyers are also adept at helping clients with most weapons charges.
It is important to remember that an actual injury is not necessary for someone to be charged with assault. All that matters is that the charged person was seeking to harm the other person. If actual harm occurred, an additional charge of battery may be added.
Battery
A charge of battery is different from assault in that it entails that contact or force actually occurred. Therefore, battery charges often come with harsher penalties than assault charges. For example, a “simple battery” charge is one in which no serious injury resulted from the actions, but it can still net a convicted person such penalties as:
- Half a year in jail
- $2,000 in fines
- Mandatory anger management classes
- A 10-year ban on owning firearms
These are the penalties for simple battery, which is the lowest battery charge possible. Since the punishments only increase from there, anyone facing such charges should seek out the help of our knowledgeable violent crimes lawyers in Los Angeles.
Domestic Violence
Rather than a single infraction or criminal offense, domestic violence is a term used to denote several different kinds of violence that occur between people in a family or romantic relationship. When facing domestic violence charges, you may face one or all of the following penalties:
- Loss of child custody
- Unfavorable divorce settlements
- Mandatory domestic violence classes
- Jail time
- Fines
Though the violence involved in domestic violence cases in LA can come in many different forms, there are a few charges that are used in these situations.
- Domestic Battery. This charge is similar to a charge of simple battery, except that it involves members of the same family or household. Domestic battery involves the actual use of force against a family member, and it is distinct from the second kind of domestic violence charge (corporal injury) in that an injury does not need to result from the action in order to be charged with domestic battery.
- Corporal Injury of a Partner. The difference between this charge and domestic battery is that an injury must result from the action in order to be charged with corporal injury of a partner.
- Corporal Punishment. This charge is reserved for domestic violence that is directed at children. Corporal punishment can result in even more serious penalties because of the fact that children are involved.
Murder
In many ways the most serious of the violent crimes, a charge of murder (otherwise known as homicide) involves three key elements:
- You caused the death of a person or fetus.
- You intended to do so or should have known your actions would result in that outcome.
- You had no legal justification (like self-defense) for doing so.
In California, you can be charged with two degrees of murder: first degree and second degree. The only difference is that a first degree murder charge denotes that you planned the killing ahead of time. As such, a first degree murder charge has more serious penalties and can even result in the death penalty.
All murder charges, including second degree murder charges, carry a minimum of 15 years in a state prison. There are some defenses that can be used to lessen or beat the charges, but it is necessary to have an experienced Los Angeles violent crimes lawyer on your case. Our criminal defense attorneys at Simmrin Law Group are ready and willing to help.
Talk to a Los Angeles Violent Crimes Lawyer for FREE
At Simmrin Law Group, our violent crimes lawyers are available for a FREE initial consultation on your case. Simply fill out the form to the right of this page or call (310) 997-4688 to chat with us and begin preparing a successful defense.