Where We Excel
Our Practice Areas
26 Years of experience as a criminal defense attorney
*All Felonies and Misdemeanors
*Post conviction relief
Highly qualified and experienced in Complex Criminal litigation including:
*Capital murder and death penalty litigation
*Sex crimes litigation
*Gang crimes
*All serious and violent felonies
*White collar crimes
Theft Crimes
Theft is one of the most common criminal offenses in California and it comes in many forms.
Penal Code 484 PC, is the statute that makes it a crime to take someone else’s property, a crime generally called “theft.”
Petty theft, or the theft of property worth $950 or less, or grand theft for property exceeding $950. However, not all theft offenses fall under these classifications. Theft may be charged under many criminal statutes Under California Penal Code 488 PC, petty theft is unlawfully taking property worth $950 or less
Penal Code 487 PC classifies grand theft as unlawfully taking someone else’s property that is valued at more than $950. Grand theft is a “wobbler” that may be charged as a misdemeanor or felony.
Grand theft can be a confusing offense in California, especially since the passage of Proposition 47. Previously, certain types of theft such as grand theft auto and firearm theft were automatically “grand theft” felonies regardless of the value of the property. Under Prop 47, you can only be charged with a misdemeanor if the value of the property is under $950
Burglary is a serious offense under California Penal Code 459 PC. Burglary is defined as entering a commercial or residential building with the intent to commit a theft or felony. Simply entering the building with intent is enough to commit burglary even if the theft or felony is not completed.
Homicide/Murder Charges
Penal Code 187 PC- (MURDER) is defined as “the unlawful killing of a human being, or a fetus with malice aforethought.” This means that the defendant had the criminal intent to kill or usually has no regard for human life.
Penal Code 192 PC -Manslaughter is the unlawful killing of a human being without malice.
Penal Code 192(b) PC -(INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER) in the commission of an unlawful act, not amounting to a felony; or in the commission of a lawful act which might produce death, in an unlawful manner, or without due caution and circumspection. This subdivision shall not apply to acts committed in the driving of a vehicle.
Penal Code 664/187 PC - Every person who attempts to commit any crime, but fails, or is prevented or intercepted in its perpetration, shall be punished where no provision is made by law for the punishment of those attempts, as follows:
Domestic Violence Charges
Domestic violence refers to a type of offense perpetrated against someone with whom you share a close relationship. Therefore, domestic violence is an area of criminal law that actually includes many different offenses. It is the relationship between the parties that elevates the offense to “domestic violence.”
Relevance of the Relationship Between Defendant and Accuser
Domestic violence can refer to a single act of physical, emotional, sexual or even financial violence against the victim. In most cases, the victim will point to a cycle of violence between the parties.
You might be charged with either misdemeanor or felony domestic violence under Section 273.5 of the California Penal Code if the alleged victim was:
A spouse or former spouse
A romantic partner
A former dating partner
A cohabitant or former cohabitant (roommate)
The parent of your child
DUI Charges
Under 23152(a) it is illegal to drive a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance. This is a traditional DUI offense in California.
Under 23152(b), you may be charged with a DUI if you have a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or more. This is called a DUI per se (Latin for “by itself,” which means a BAC of 0.08 is by itself enough to be guilty of a DUI).
Not that you can be convicted of a DUI if the prosecution proves either. This means you do not have to be at the BAC legal limit of 0.08% to be convicted of DUI.
If convicted, these offenses are combined and you may be sentenced under either provision of this statute but not both
Violent Crimes
Mayhem PC 203
Every person who unlawfully and maliciously deprives a human being of a member of his body, or disables, disfigures, or renders it useless, or cuts or disables the tongue, or puts out an eye, or slits the nose, ear, or lip, is guilty of mayhem.
Torture PC 206
Every person who, with the intent to cause cruel or extreme pain and suffering for the purpose of revenge, extortion, persuasion, or for any sadistic purpose, inflicts great bodily injury as defined in Section 12022.7 upon the person of another, is guilty of torture. The crime of torture does not require any proof that the victim suffered pain.
Assault and Battery PC 240 - PC 248
An assault is an unlawful attempt, coupled with a present ability, to commit a violent injury on the person of another.
241.(a) An assault is punishable by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars "$1,000", or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, or by both the fine and imprisonment.
(b) When an assault is committed against the person of a parking control officer engaged in the performance of his or her duties, and the person committing the offense knows or reasonably should know that the victim is a parking control officer, the assault is punishable by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars "$2,000", or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, or by both the fine and imprisonment.
PC 242 - A battery is any willful and unlawful use of force or violence upon the person of another.
PC 243 (a) - A battery is punishable by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars "$2,000", or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding six months, or by both a fine and imprisonment.
254 (a) (1) - Any person who commits an assault upon the person of another with a deadly weapon or instrument other than a firearm shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for 2, 3, or 4 years, or serve it in a county jail for not exceeding one year, or by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars "$10,000", or by both a fine and imprisonment.
(2) - Any person who commits an assault upon the person of another with a firearm shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for 2, 3, or 4 years, or in a county jail for not less than 6 months and not exceeding 1 year, or by both a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars "$10,000" and imprisonment.
(4) - Any person who commits an assault upon the person of another by any means of force likely to produce great bodily injury shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years, or in a county jail for not exceeding one year, or by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars "$10,000", or by both a fine and imprisonment.
(b) - Any person who commits an assault upon the person of another with a semiautomatic firearm shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for three, six, or nine years. Any person who commits an assault with a deadly weapon or instrument, other than a firearm, or by any means likely to produce great bodily injury upon the person of a peace officer or firefighter, and who knows or reasonably should know that the victim is a peace officer or firefighter engaged in the performance of his or her duties, when the peace officer or firefighter is engaged in the performance of his or her duties, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for 3, 4, or 5 years.
(d) (1) - Any person who commits an assault with a firearm upon the person of a peace officer or firefighter, and who knows or reasonably should know that the victim is a peace officer or firefighter engaged in the performance of his or her duties, when the peace officer or firefighter is engaged in the performance of his or her duties, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for four, six, or eight years.
(2) - Any person who commits an assault upon the person of a peace officer or firefighter with a semiautomatic firearm and who knows or reasonably should know that the victim is a peace officer or firefighter engaged in the performance of his or her duties, when the peace officer or firefighter is engaged in the performance of his or her duties, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for five, seven, or nine years.
(e) - When a person is convicted of a violation of this section in a case involving use of a deadly weapon or instrument or firearm, and the weapon or instrument or firearm is owned by that person, the court shall order that the weapon or instrument or firearm be deemed a nuisance, and it shall be confiscated and disposed of in the manner provided by Sections 18000 and 18005.