Los Angeles Misdemeanor Defense Attorney
- Were you arrested or cited for a crime in California?
- Do you know if you face misdemeanor or felony charges?
- Is the charge from the City of Los Angeles, the State of California, or the federal government?
If your freedom is on the line due to a criminal charge, criminal investigation, or a court-issued arrest warrant in Los Angeles, exercise caution. Even if you face a misdemeanor, convictions can bring jail time, deportation, loss of your job, and your future. You may feel nervous, frightened, or even angry. You might want to run.
Don’t do anything brash to jeopardize your case. Remain calm and contact the Los Angeles misdemeanor defense lawyers at Chudnovsky Law for help and advice. Give us a call or send us a message. We can give you a free consultation and offer a plan for your defense after reviewing your case.
Why Choose Chudnovsky Law
Our team at Chudnovsky Law has litigated over 8,000 criminal cases in Los Angeles as both former prosecutors (one of our attorneys was a district attorney) and defense lawyers. We know how criminal cases proceed from both sides, how to negotiate the best plea deal, and how to win trials.
Our Los Angeles misdemeanor defense attorneys have the experience to help your case in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County. We know how these courts work so we can make your case run as smoothly as possible.
At Chudnovsky Law, our misdemeanor defense attorneys use their 65+ years of experience to skillfully defend you in criminal courts. We will fight to get you the best possible outcome. If you face any assault, battery, drug charge, domestic violence, theft, weapons charges, DUI, sex crime, or a bench warrant, we can immediately help you.
First, we find ways to poke holes in the DA’s case to get your criminal case dismissed. If we cannot do that, we will rigorously negotiate with the DA to get you the best plea bargain. We resolve over 95 percent of our criminal cases without ever going to trial, which is expensive and stressful for our clients.
If we do go to a jury trial, our attorneys use their vast experience and honed trial skills to try to establish reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s theory and win you an acquittal. Our attorneys work very hard to get our clients good results.
Take Los Angeles Misdemeanor Criminal Charges Seriously
With a misdemeanor, you can face jail time, fines, probation costs, appointments with probation officers and counselors, and educational classes that require your time and money to complete successfully.
A misdemeanor may not result in incarceration in a California state prison—only county jail. Misdemeanors, however, carry maximum punishments of one year in county prison and fines of $1,000. An aggravated misdemeanor can carry the maximum punishment.
A misdemeanor conviction may also mean three to five years of probation. If you don’t complete the requirements in the court order, you can face even more penalties, such as county jail time instead of probation.
The California Penal Code defines the state’s different misdemeanors.
Common misdemeanors in California include:
- Assault (Penal Code 240)
- Battery (Penal Code 242)
- Domestic Battery (Penal Code 243(e)(1))
- Indecent Exposure (Penal Code 314)
- Petty Theft (Penal Code 484(a))
- Shoplifting (Penal Code 459.5)
- Violation of Restraining Order (Penal Code 273.6)
- Disturbing the Peace (Penal Code 415)
- Trespassing (Penal Code 602)
- Disorderly Conduct (Penal Code 647)
- Prostitution (Penal Code 647(b))
- Public Intoxication (Penal Code 647(f))
- Receiving Stolen Property (Penal Code 496)
- Driving Under the Influence, or DUI (Vehicle Code 23152)
- Reckless Driving (Vehicle Code 23103)
- Driving on Suspended License (Vehicle Code 14601)
- Drug Possession (Health and Safety Code 11350)
- Corporal Injury to Spouse or Cohabitant (Penal Code 273.5(a))
- Stalking and Cyber Stalking (Penal Code 646.9)
- Violating a Court Domestic Relations Protective Order | 273.6(a) pc
- Criminal Threats (Penal Code 422)
- Dissuading a witness from reporting a crime (Penal Code 136.1)
At Chudnovsky Law, we handle all stages of criminal matters, including law enforcement investigation, arraignment, DA negotiation, permanent and temporary restraining orders, clearing bench warrants, protective orders, bail hearings, plea deal negotiations, parole violations, and post-conviction expungement of criminal records.
Remember, you are not alone. Contact a Los Angeles misdemeanor defense lawyer at Chudnovsky Law for a free consultation to explore your options.
Factors That Could Worsen Your Los Angeles Misdemeanor Sentence
Penalties for some misdemeanors may drastically increase if you had a firearm or multiple prior convictions.
If you were convicted of or pled guilty to previous crimes, you may face harsher penalties.
“Wobblers” are misdemeanors in California that enable the District Attorney’s office with the prosecutorial discretion to enhance the charge from a misdemeanor to a felony.
For example, a prosecutor has the discretion to charge some misdemeanors as felonies when the criminal defendant:
- Has a previous criminal history
- Acts caused the victim’s injury and the severity of that injury
If your case is a wobbler, you may face more severe criminal charges, longer jail time, and larger monetary fines.
Here are some examples of criminal offenses and misdemeanors that can be wobblers:
- Assault with a deadly weapon (Penal Code 245(a)(1))
- Child abuse (Penal Code 273d)
- Child endangerment (Penal Code 273A)
- Deadly threats (Penal Code 422)
- Domestic violence (Penal Code 273.5)
- DUI with an injury (CA Vehicle Code 23153)
- Embezzlement (Penal Code 503)
- Grand theft (Penal Code 487)
- Second-degree burglary (Penal Code 459)
- Elder abuse (Penal Code 368)
- Brandishing a weapon (Penal Code 417)
- Sexual battery (Penal Code 243.4)
Additionally, California’s criminal defendants are subject to the three-strikes sentencing law, which can add more jail time to your prison sentence if your record contains multiple convictions. It may require an enhanced prison sentence of 25 years to life.
Prosecutors will ask the judge for the harshest sentence possible, so ask an experienced criminal defense attorney from Chudnovsky Law to prevent that from happening.
We Can Help You After an Arrest
At Chudnovsky Law, our Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys can help you by fighting for your constitutional rights as a criminal defendant. You are innocent unless proven guilty. And we know your constitutional rights inside and out.
Your constitutional rights under the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments include the right to counsel, right to an impartial jury, right to a speedy trial, right to confront and cross-examine witnesses, right to not self-incriminate, right to review prosecutorial evidence, right to reasonable and consistent bail, right to protection from unreasonable search and seizures, and more.
Our criminal defense attorneys can provide a huge help for your criminal case. They can negotiate with the DA for lower bail amounts and a plea bargain for reduced jail time or lesser charges. They may interview witnesses, review evidence, research the facts, investigate the case against you, review search and seizure procedures and arrest warrants, and write motions and argue legal positions to exclude evidence or dismiss your case.
Our criminal defense attorneys can advise you throughout your criminal case about any immigration implications or consequences of a plea, going to trial, conviction, and any prior criminal cases. We are not afraid to give our clients a reality check about possible case outcomes. Also, we can help you cope with the realities, frustrations, and fears of the criminal justice system.
The Many Defenses Our
A criminal defense is a legal theory that a defendant and their attorney can build their case around. Certain defense theories may apply to a specific charge whereas others apply more generally.
Our criminal defense lawyers can raise several defense theories on your behalf, including:
- Lack of evidence
- Actual innocence
- Authorization or consent
- Constitutional violations
- Insanity
- Duress
- Self-defense or defense of others
- Mistake
- Statute of Limitations
- Speedy trial
We will also have strategies to deal with your criminal charge:
- Plea bargain
- Motion to Dismiss
- Motion in Limine
We can use most of them before trial so you may never need to go to court.
Defending a criminal case requires a careful analysis of the evidence, the DA’s case, and all available criminal defense strategies. Our experienced defense attorneys will use these defenses to get the best outcome for your case.
Chudnovsky Law’s Los Angeles misdemeanor defense attorneys can vigorously defend you no matter what charges you face.
FAQ Section:
What is criminal court?
The Superior Court of Los Angeles has jurisdiction over cases alleging crimes against the state of California. The District Attorney files cases on behalf of the state of California, whereas the City Attorney prosecutes infractions and misdemeanors within the city’s limits.
How does a criminal case proceed?
A misdemeanor or a felony criminal case usually begins with an arrest, booking, arraignment, bail, pre-trial, preliminary hearing (in felony cases only), trial, verdict, sentencing, and appeals.
If you meet certain requirements, you can apply for an expungement to clear your criminal record by reopening your case and entering a not guilty plea; the court may then dismiss your case (Penal Code 1203.4).
What happens if I take a plea deal in Los Angeles?
Plea bargains or plea deals are legal agreements between the prosecuting attorney. The defendant pleads no contest or guilty to a criminal charge or charges. In exchange, the prosecution will recommend a specific sentence or penalty to the judge that the defense accepts.
Usually, plea bargains involve lesser criminal charges with less-severe penalties. They may involve probation instead of incarceration, or charge bargaining—for example, dropping or reducing criminal charges from a felony to a misdemeanor.
No matter your criminal charge, you are entitled to constitutional rights, including the right to an attorney, the right to not self-incriminate, and the right to an impartial jury.
Call Chudnovsky Law’s Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyers Today
At Chudnovsky Law, we have the legal chops to get the best outcome for your criminal case, whether that’s getting your case dismissed, taking a plea deal, or going to trial. We know criminal law and it shows. That’s why so many choose us to represent them after an arrest. Reach out to a Criminal Defense lawyer today.
If you or a loved one faces misdemeanor charges or an investigation, protect yourself and consult our experienced misdemeanor defense lawyers as early as possible. What may seem like a minor misdemeanor offense can trigger consequences that affect you and your family for life, including jail time, fines, and/or probation. It may cost you a professional license, hurt your credit rating, decrease your job and educational opportunities, and much more.
Don’t let the full weight of the prosecution fall on you. Call us at (213) 212-5002 or send us a message through our online portal for your free, confidential consultation and find out how our LA criminal defense law firm can protect you.
