Violent crimes are treated very seriously by Los Angeles and California courts. If you’ve been accused of a violent crime, you could be facing extensive fines, marks on your criminal record, and years in jail. However, you might be able to avoid a harsh sentence.
A violent crimes attorney in Los Angeles can help you with your case. If you are charged with a violent crime in L.A., contacting one of our experienced criminal defense attorneys at Simmrin Law Group is your best option. We’re ready to review your case for free.
What Is Considered a Violent Crime in California?
The scope of what is defined as a violent crime in California is very broad. A violent crime is any crime in which you inflict bodily harm or intend to inflict bodily harm on another person. That can be anything from kidnapping to arson to assault.
Violent crimes are often treated much more harshly than other crimes. Someone accused of a violent crime is more likely to be charged with a felony and face steeper penalties. If you’re facing a violent crime charge, you should have someone by your side who knows how to negotiate with the prosecution and get you a reduced sentence.
For a free legal consultation with a Criminal Defense lawyer serving Los Angeles, call (310) 928-9347
California’s Three-Strike System
The state of California is hard on defendants with prior felonies. If you’ve been charged before, you need to look out for the three-strike system. According to the Court of California, when you’re charged with a second felony, your jail time will be twice what it normally would be if it were your first felony. On your third, you will be sentenced to a term of 25 years to life.
You do not want the severe jail time that comes with a subsequent felony conviction. A violent crime defense lawyer in Los Angeles could be able to get your charge reduced to a misdemeanor. That could help you avoid a first, second, or third felony charge and escape California’s three-strike law.
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Can a Los Angeles Violent Crimes Attorney Get My Charge Dropped?
Yes, with enough experience and skill, a violent crimes lawyer in L.A. could be able to drop your charges. To protect you from severe sentencing, your attorney will:
- Gather evidence that supports your innocence
- Look for telltale signs of something that went wrong with your arrest
- Negotiate with the prosecutor and the judge
- Tell you what you need to do to show that you don’t deserve your charges, such as community service or safety classes
Our lawyers have experience with violent crime law and know what to do to help your case. 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
When you get a free initial consultation with one of our L.A. violent crime defense lawyers, they will assess your case and tell you what you might expect, including whether or not they think they can get your case dismissed.
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What Defines Assault in L.A.?
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.
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Assault With a Firearm
Aggravated 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 federal gun crimes that our Los Angeles violent crimes lawyers at Simmrin Law Group have experience in defending successfully.
An assault with a firearm charge can carry serious repercussions, including a possible prohibition of your gun rights. Our criminal defense attorneys could be able to get your charges reduced or even dropped.
Assault with a Deadly Weapon
Assault with a deadly weapon charges are more far-reaching than assault with a firearm charges. This type of violent crime is defined as an attempt to harm someone with any object that reasonably could inflict damage.
The California Penal Code 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 Charges
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 Charges
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
A criminal defense attorney will know what to do to reduce your penalties by any means possible. Our attorneys will work with you to provide evidence that you deserve a reduced sentence.
What Are the Different Types of Domestic Violence Charge?
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.
If you’re not sure what kind of charge you’re facing or what the next steps for your case should be, a criminal defense lawyer in L.A. can help. At your free consultation, your attorney will assess your case and tell you what your case has in store for you.
Murder Charges
In many ways, the most serious of the violent crimes, a charge of murder (or 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
If you’ve been accused of murder, a violent crimes attorney in Los Angeles can use those elements to argue that you are guilty of a lesser offense. By doing that, they can reduce the penalties of your crime or even get your charge dropped altogether.
What Is the Difference Between First- and Second-Degree Murder?
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 state prison. There are some defenses that can be used to lessen or beat the charges, but it is necessary to have an experienced criminal defense 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
If you’re worried about the severe repercussions that your charge could bring, we can help rest your fears. The Los Angeles violent crimes lawyers at Simmrin Law Group have been serving people in California for years and know how to navigate your case.
Our violent crime attorneys in L.A. are available for a FREE initial consultation on your case. Simply fill out the form to the right of this page or call to chat with us and begin preparing a successful defense.
Call or text (310) 928-9347 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form