Violent crimes are offenses that occur with force or the threat of force. These crimes carry extremely stiff penalties and can affect your life in many ways if you are convicted. Contacting a violent crimes lawyer in Lynwood is essential if you are charged with a violent crime.
They can navigate the legal process and minimize any damage that a charge like this might have on your life.
Violent Crime Defined
The threat or use of force elevates a crime to a violent one. According to the FBI, four major offenses are considered violent crimes. They are as follows:
- Murder and non-negligent manslaughter
- Forcible rape
- Robbery
- Aggravated assault
A wide range of criminal acts falls under the umbrella of violent crime. These include everything from carjacking to domestic violence cases. The crime may cause physical harm but does not have to be considered a violent crime. Verbal threats can push a crime into the violent crime category as well.
Contacting a violent crimes attorney in Lynwood is your best chance to avoid conviction. They identify missteps that the prosecution or law enforcement has made and use them to benefit you. While a public defender is available to help you, they are often overworked and need more resources that you may be able to access by hiring a Lynwood violent crime lawyer.
California Penal Code §667.5
California Penal Code §667.5 gives us a list of crimes considered violent in Lynwood. These crimes are listed below:
- Domestic Violence Is an assault or an attempt to harm a wife, past or present, a cohabitant, a romantic partner, a parent of their child, a fiancé, grandparents, children, adolescents, or cousins.
- Robbery is considered a violent crime when someone’s property is taken from them by force or threat.
- Homicide may be considered two of the following:
- Murder is the “unlawful killing of a human being, or fetus, with malice aforethought,” according to California Penal Code §187.
- Manslaughter means someone died, but the killer did not act with malice. There are three forms of manslaughter.
- Voluntary, which means the death occurred in the heat of passion.
- Involuntary refers to a homicide that happened during a non-felony crime.
- Vehicular manslaughter means that the crime was committed while driving a vehicle while committing a non-felony offense.
- Child endangerment means that a child was purposefully put in danger. This means that minor child was subjected to unjustifiable physical and mental suffering, their health was compromised or they were injured, or their health and safety was endangered.
- Arson charges accuse the defendant of setting fire to any property that is not their own.
- Elder abuse is the infliction of harm, physical or mental, upon the elderly.
Penalties for Violent Crimes
Penalties for committing a violent crime are decided according to the details of the specific case. The severity of the charge, any prior convictions, whether there was a weapon involved, and personal details about the victim are all considered when sentencing the convicted person after a violent crime. Some penalties include the following:
- Prison
- Monetary fines
- Community service
- Anger management classes
If there are aggravating factors, this can make the sentence much more severe. There is so much at risk if convicted of a violent crime that if you or someone you love has been charged, you should seek counsel.
Your attorney will likely attempt to have the charges dismissed so that you do not have to face a trial. But, if the case goes to trial, being in the protective hands of a Lynwood violent crimes attorney is in your best interest.
California’s Three Strikes Sentencing Law
In 2012, Proposition 36 was approved by California voters. This amended California’s Three Strikes law in a substantial way. The two major conditions include:
- A third-strike offender can be sentenced to 25 years to life if the new felony is violent or considered serious and the offender already has two or more strikes.
- An allowance made for defendants who are serving a third strike sentence currently may ask the court to reduce their sentence to the second strike sentence if their penalty would have been a second strike sentence under Proposition 36.
Initially, in 1994, the three-strike law required defendants who had a prior conviction to face a sentence twice the term the law mandated for their crime. Further felonies for someone with two or more strikes required a sentence of 25 years to life in state prison. The new law alters this a bit.
Your experienced violent crimes attorney in Lynwood will understand the three-strike law and will navigate it for you.
Your Life Can Be Altered if Convicted of a Violent Crime
When considering your next steps after an arrest for a violent crime, you are bound to be thinking about your future. If convicted, every aspect of your life can be impacted. Here are some of the most important things that are at risk.
Gainful Employment
Your ability to get a job greatly shifts if you have committed a violent crime and are considered a convicted felon. Many employers will simply not feel comfortable hiring you. But, even more than that, there are jobs that you cannot do, even if you are perfectly qualified. These jobs include things like healthcare and working with vulnerable populations.
Professional licensing is jeopardized by a violent crime conviction. Your license can be revoked from many professions, and you can be prohibited from obtaining a license in many cases. Even if you have put the time and the money into education, being able to use your certifications, licenses or degrees can be stripped away after a violent crime conviction.
Relationships
Your relationships can suffer if you are convicted of a violent crime. It is difficult to maintain successful, happy relationships when you are imprisoned. Simple pleasures like taking a walk with your significant other, celebrating holidays with family, and reading your children a bedtime story can be out of reach if you are serving a prison sentence.
To avoid missing out on the most important parts of your life, you should contact a Lynwood violent crimes attorney.
Avoiding Conviction Is Paramount
If you are charged with breaking a violent crime law, the most important thing you can do is seek counsel. While public defenders will do their best with what they have, a violent crimes lawyer in Lynwood is ready to use all of the resources they have to do the hard work to resolve your case in a way that benefits you most. For the strongest defense, contact a violent crimes attorney in Lynwood today.