Violent Crimes Lawyer Burbank, CA. Any criminal accusations are serious, but few are as serious as violent crimes. They risk damaging your reputation, setting back your career, and possibly worst of all, a lengthy prison sentence. But all hope is not lost. And when you hire the Law Offices of David S. Chesley, Inc., you have someone protecting you from these legal and personal consequences. We defend all of the following violent crime categories (and more):
- Assault, Threats, and Interpersonal Harm
- Firearm Mishandling
- Family and Animal Abuse
- Sentencing Enhancements
- Procedural and Governance Charges
Our expert Burbank, CA, violent crimes defense lawyers will investigate your case, give you honest advice, and find defense strategies that will be effective for your situation. We know that every case is unique and treat every client with respect. If you need to craft your defense, contact us at (800) 755-5174 or contact us online today for a no-obligation, private consultation to discuss your case.
How the Law Offices of David S. Chesley's Lawyers Defend You Against Violent Crimes Allegations
Our team of Burbank, CA, criminal defense lawyers know how different each violent crimes accusation can be, and we design our defensive strategy around the specifics of your situation. This is how we do it:
- Learn About Your Story – Every case starts with our client. We want to hear from you what really happened and why.
- Research the Law and Your Case – We'll look into the charges and Burbank, CA, violent crime law specifics, to see if there are any special circumstances which apply to you.
- Put Together a Defense Strategy – We'll recommend a defensive strategy such as self-defense, mistaken identity, or procedural error.
- Plea Bargain With the State – For many cases, the easiest way to a positive outcome is through a plea deal. When we negotiate plea deals with the state, we don't give up and fight to get something favorable.
- Fight At Trial – If your case reaches trial, we'll stick with you from start to finish, fighting for a positive outcome.
Major Burbank, CA, Violent Crime Categories We Defend
Assault, Threats, and Interpersonal Harm Defense Lawyers
If you hear the phrase 'violent crimes,' assault is probably one of the first to come to mind. In fact, the literal definition describes it as attempting "a violent injury on the person of another." Many people aren't aware that to be charged with assault, there only has to be an attempt at causing harm, regardless of whether or not you actually cause harm.
Simple assault charges can already get you months in prison and a $1,000 fine, but there are several more serious variations of them. Aggravated assault charge types in particular are very similar to assault: they normally requires that the alleged offender was trying to cause 'serious' harm rather than general harm. Another similar one is assault with a deadly weapon: Assault using a non-firearm weapon. These variations don't actually have statutes of their own, and instead are nicknames used to describe specific assault cases
You might be asking yourself now, "What's the difference between assault and battery?" Battery occurs when harm is actually done, instead of just being attempted. In Burbank, CA, it's common to be charged with both at the same time after an altercation. On the flip side, criminal threats charges can result even from a nonviolent altercation. All you have to do is intimidate someone. Regardless of whether you wanted to (or even could) follow through on the threats, you can be found guilty.
Another important set of charges we commonly defend against in this category is reckless endangerment charges. This can include reckless driving, child endangerment, and other charges along those lines. Because of the difference in individual laws, it's important to have a violent crimes lawyer who knows not only how to defend against individual charges, but also the combinations of them.
Here are some other related violent crimes charges our attorneys defend in Burbank, CA,:
- False Imprisonment: This is defined as an incident when one person wrongfully restrains or confines another, and could be as simple as you allegedly blocking a doorway.
- Kidnapping: Whereas false imprisonment confines a person to one location, kidnapping involves moving that person to a new location.
- Human Trafficking: Human Trafficking is similar to kidnapping or false imprisonment, but is done for specific, extra bad reasons like forced labor or sex.
- Stalking: To be guilty of stalking in California, you have to both follow a person without their consent, and make a believable threat.
- Terrorist Threats: Terrorist threats aren't their own statute, but are an unofficial term for certain criminal threats charges – you're also likely to see hate crime charges in these cases.
- Torture: Torture is a specific, grevious category of attack done for reasons such as revenge or extortion.
- Mayhem: Mayhem is like a more advanced version of battery, though in this case, a permanent disfigurement or disability must have been caused.
- Arson: Arson charges allege that you intentionally lit something on fire that you weren't allowed to.
- Rioting: Rioting charges can be split into inciting the riot or participating in it, but both are usually charged as misdemeanors.
Firearm Mishandling Defense Lawyers
Due to state law, you're not able to just do whatever you please with a gun in Burbank, CA. California firearm offenses cover a large swath of statutes, and you don't even have to fire the gun to get in trouble. You can be arrested simply for unlawful possession.
Frequently, these charges are related to a felon in possession of a firearm, but it could also be related to possessing a concealed firearm without a permit or a felon possessing ammunition.
While all Burbank, CA, gun charges are important to take seriously, a major differentiator is whether you allegedly used the weapon or not. Brandishing a weapon is when one person shows another a gun (or other weapon) to intimidate them, not necessarily firing it. Most of the time this is charged as a misdemeanor.
Meanwhile, discharging a firearm will almost always be a more serious charge. Particularly for incidents such as a drive-by shooting or shooting at an inhabited dwelling, the penalties are very harsh.
A high-quality Burbank, CA, violent crimes defense attorney will fight no just to keep you out of prison, but also to prevent further restrictions on your Second Amendment rights.
Family and Animal Abuse Defense Lawyers
Violent crime charges are bad enough on their own. Domestic accusations, though, are especially hard to fight. Domestic violence has a wider definition than battery on your spouse; it includes any actual harm caused, threats of abuse, and even just causing a situation where someone is afraid they'll be hurt. Domestic violence charges are about more than just the alleged harm or danger, though — they're about who it supposedly was committed against. To qualify, the alleged victim must have held some kind of close relationship with the alleged offender, for example, romantic partners or parents who share a child.
Domestic violence charges aren't the only ones that are defined by the alleged victim. Child abuse involves the direct, intentional cause of harm to a child, meanwhile child endangerment could be any action that endangers a child, regardless of whether you meant to or not. These charges are often filed together, heightening their gravity.
Our household violent crimes defense lawyers aren't limited to just conflicts between family members who live together. We can also help you fight animal cruelty charges, elder abuse charges, and, if an adolescent or child is the alleged offender, juvenile crime charges.
Sentencing Enhancement Defense Lawyers
If you're facing violent crime charges in Burbank, CA, there's a good chance that they're one of the ones above. However, you might also be up against elevated charges and/or sentencing enhancement if your case meets certain criteria.
One of the most common examples is gang enhancements. When an alleged offender has a past history of supposed gang activity, and this new charge was in some way related to a gang, anywhere from 4 years to life can be added onto the sentence, depending on the alleged crime. Conspiracy charges are dangerous because you can face penalties without having personally done something actively wrong. You could be found guilty of conspiracy if you collaborate with someone else to commit a crime, and either one of you does something overt to advance the plan.
Another way you can see your sentence raised is if you're accused of a hate crime. Sometimes, a hate crime accusation is its own charge. However, you can also see them used as enhancements to other crimes. The district attorney in Burbank, CA may charge another crime as a hate crime if they believe that the alleged offender's motivation was related to race, religion, sexuality, or another protected characteristic.
Additionally, our Burbank, CA, violent crimes attorneys can help protect you from California's three strikes law. For alleged repeat offenders, this law can become a tremendous hurdle. Previous felony convictions may count as "strikes" against you. With one prior strike, sentences for felony convictions are doubled, and you will have to wait significantly longer before earning eligibility for parole. When convicted and given a third strike, the sentence could be increased to 25-years-to-life in prison, with further contstraints on parole.
Procedural and Governance Charges Defense Lawyers
Burbank, CA, violent crime charges can be particularly damaging if they were allegedly committed against law enforcement. Assault on a police officer is more heavily penalized than assault against other civilians, while resisting arrest covers actions ranging from stealing a police officers gun to just acting disobediently. Obstructing a police officer is a closely related category of charges, though this can penalize you for any way you prevent an officer from doing their job, regardless of if they were trying to arrest you.
For the majority of violent crime charges, you'll be up against the local Burbank, CA prosecution. On some occasions, when the accusations are especially severe, a federal prosecutor will take charge. When you're up against the federal government, you need a powerful legal team on your side. The Law Offices of David S. Chesley, Inc., is equipped to defend you against federal crimes in addition to state charges.
Top 3 Violent Crimes Defense Lawyer Qualities
You don't want to go into a violent crimes case without the right lawyer. When you're picking an attorney to protect you in Burbank, CA, you want a firm with the below 3 qualities:
- Prior Success: You want a lawyer who knows how to fight your specific charge. Our team is know for our successful violent crime case results.
- Diverse Legal Experience: We have over 50 years of combined law experience, including time as prosecutors, judges, and police officers. We have experience in the ways the state prosecutes these cases, and how to fight against them.
- Relationships in Your Area's Court: We handle court cases all over California, including in Burbank, CA. We know local prosecutors and judges, and will leverage our relationships in your negotiations.
When fighting your violent crimes case, you don't want to gamble on an attorney who's unprepared or doesn't meet these criteria. And with the Law Offices of David S. Chesley, Inc., you'll get someone with all those characteristics.
Staunch Defenses Against Violent Crime Charges – Call Us Today
Violent crimes charges are tough to fight on your own. The laws are complex. The Burbank, CA, prosecutor is powerful. And the sentences are tough. If you don't have an expert violent crimes lawyer to defend you, your freedom and constitutional rights are at risk.
At the Law Offices of David S. Chesley, Inc., we don't stand idly by and let the state build its case. We don't settle for a bad plea deal, just because it was faster. We fight. We listen to your story, craft a resolute defense, and defend your rights from when we first speak until the case is concluded.
Contact us now to start putting together your defense. Call us at (800) 755-5174 or tell us about your case via our online contact form to speak with a member of our team about how to fight these charges.
We also offer the following legal services in Burbank, CA:
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