I’ve been practicing law for a long time. I’ve learned that not all clients take the same level of responsibility in dealing with their criminal cases.  I understand this.  In my personal life, I have been known to try to ignore things and hope that they go away.  They don’t.  Things don’t just go away.  Especially not criminal or DUI charges in California. Clients frequently tell me that they feel better after they hire me.  I’m glad to hear this.  My job is to make things easier on my clients.  But this doesn’t absolve the client of any responsibility at …

The Difference Between a First and a Second DUI If you think you’ve been down this road before, you are likely mistaken.  There are huge differences between a first and a second DUI.  A first DUI seems like a bit of a walk in the park.  Yes, you had to jump through some hoops and yes, you had to take out a loan to pay for your new auto insurance policy, but there wasn’t any jail, and the alcohol school was only three months long.  No big deal, right?  Wrong! Do you remember the warning the judge gave you…The one …

Why Don’t Criminal Defense Lawyers Charge by the Hour? Most potential clients ask about my fees before they hire me.  In almost every case, I am required to provide the client with a retainer or fee agreement showing the client exactly what they are getting and exactly what they are paying.  The agreement lays out the terms, whether hourly or flat fee.  It lays out the location and type of case.  It even details the extent of the work, especially if the agreement is limited in scope. Most criminal and DUI defense lawyers in California charge flat fees.  I’m not …

Expungements are an Inexpensive Way to Bury Your Criminal Record If you’ve been convicted of a crime, almost any background check will reveal your criminal history to your potential employer.  If you want to travel, some countries – like our neighbors to the north will deny you entry for things as simple as a DUI.  That’s right, Canada sends people back to the U.S. if they have a DUI on their record. Are you looking to get promoted at work?  Do you want to get a state license to be a contractor, realtor, nurse, teacher, or other career position?  One …

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Lawyer for my DUI in Los Angeles? Public defenders are paid by the county where they work.  Private defense lawyers set their own fees and are paid by their individual clients.  Most criminal defense lawyers in California charge a flat fee for their services.  This normally means, you pay one fee and the case settled.  An actual jury trial might cost more money, but most cases don’t go to trial. How come the costs from one lawyer to the next differ so much? How much a lawyer charges defends on many factors …

Practicing Law in the Time of Covid;  Criminal Defense in Southern California Practicing law during Covid has been both good and bad for me.  On the plus side, I haven’t been driving as much with advent of electronic appearances.  This saves time, money and dry cleaning.  But, kidding aside there have been some very good deals on the table under the guise of “Covid” offers and settlements.  Additionally, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has found itself dramatically understaffed for some time now. What does this mean for my clients? Clients can often take advantage of a lack of …

Expungements, Reductions and other Post-Conviction Relief Now is a great time to clean up your criminal record.  The court system is quieter than it’s been in a long time.  The laws in this area are more favorable than they have been in a long time.  Please consider taking this time to expunge your old criminal cases.  Do you have a reduceable felony?  It is often a simple process to get it reduced to a misdemeanor and expunged. The court charges a small fee for filing the appropriate documents.  Doing the paperwork is easy for an experience lawyer and the costs …

Cooperation with Law Enforcement in California Criminal Defense Cooperation with law enforcement.  Working off your case.  These are topics that are rarely discussed in public forums.  These are uncomfortable topics.  But jail and prison are uncomfortable places to spend time and sometimes, we have to look out for number one, while trying to avoid stepping in number two. How does it work and is it right for you? In federal court, cooperation with law enforcement is the norm.  But that norm is very different in practice then it is in state court.  In federal cases it is quite common for …

Hit and Run Defense in California:  Felony, Misdemeanor and more Hit and run is a very common criminal offense in California.  The most common type of hit and run is a misdemeanor involving only property damage.  This type of case involves three things: We have to have been in a collision, We must know (or reasonably should have known) that we were in a collision, We fail to identify ourselves or notify law enforcement. Items 1 and 2 tend to overlap in that if there is any kind of significant accident, we usually know about it.  But what about very …

Judicial Diversion in Criminal Cases in California:  When, Where and How can you get it? There has been a lot of talk about Judicial Diversion lately.  There have been a lot of requests for Judicial Diversion lately.  A lot of my clients have been getting Judicial Diversion lately…And it’s awesome! Today alone I got diversion for two different clients.  One case was a drug case which also involved resisting arrest.  The other case was a Penal Code Section 148 where the police claimed my client was lying to them, delaying their investigation and hiding his son from the police when …