Santa Monica Criminal Defense Lawyer Offers Advice You Can Trust
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California. The city is named after the Christian saint, Monica. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is bordered on three sides by the city of Los Angeles – Malibu to the north, Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the east, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and Venice on the southeast. Santa Monica is home to many Hollywood celebrities and executives and is a mixture of affluent single-family neighborhoods, renters, surfers, professionals, and students.
Helping clients navigate the California criminal justice system
If you or a loved one is arrested, you know you need a lawyer. But you may not realize that you should retain a Santa Monica criminal lawyer whose practice is focused on criminal law. At the Law Offices of Arash Hashemi, defending people who have been arrested is not a sideline. It’s all we do.
Felonies
In Santa Monica and throughout California, crimes are classified as felonies and misdemeanors. Felonies are serious offenses that can be punished by more than a year in prison. Most violent crimes are felonies. Many felony crimes in California are what are known as “straight felonies” — meaning offenses that can be charged and sentenced only as felonies. Examples of straight felonies are murder, rape and sale of a controlled substance.
Other crimes are known as “wobblers,” which are offenses that may be charged as either misdemeanors or felonies depending on the circumstances. Common wobblers are possession of certain narcotics, statutory rape and spousal battery. Other wobblers include:
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Depending on the circumstances of your case, you may be charged with a first- or, second-degree offense. Second-degree offenses carry the least severe penalties, and first-degree crimes are the most serious. For example if you are charged with robbery in the first degree, you face a three-, six-, or nine-year prison sentence, but if you are charged with robbery in the second degree, you are looking at two, three or five years in prison. An experienced Santa Monica criminal defense attorney will work to get your charges reduced to a lower degree.
Misdemeanors
Misdemeanors are punishable by no more than one year in jail. If you are charged with a misdemeanor, contact an experienced defense lawyer in Santa Monica as quickly as possible. Examples of misdemeanor offenses include public intoxication, petty theft, DUI and possession of more than 28.5 grams of marijuana. Other common misdemeanors include:
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Three strikes law
Under California’s three strikes law, individuals convicted of a third felony face 25 years to life in prison if the third conviction involves a “strike crime.” Offenses that qualify as strike crimes include:
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Skilled criminal law attorney defends clients in Los Angeles
The Law Offices of Arash Hashemi is dedicated to fighting aggressively for the rights of Santa Monica residents who have been arrested. To schedule a consultation with a lawyer at our firm, contact us by phone at (310) 448-1529 or contact us online. We promptly return phone calls and emails. Our office is conveniently located in the Westside Towers, near Santa Monica and steps away from the Expo/Bundy Metro Station. We have flexible office hours, and we will visit you in jail to discuss your case.