Our Los Angeles criminal defense lawyers in Beverly Hills have a successful track record of reducing or dismissing felonies, misdemeanors, and infractions throughout Los Angeles County. Our local law office is located at:
468 N Camden Dr., ste. 330
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 385-7895
Surrounding areas we serve include West Hollywood, Long Beach, Santa Clarita, Lancaster, Glendale, Palmdale, Pomona, Torrance, Pasadena, El Monte, Downey, West Covina, Norwalk, Burbank, and more.
Expert Beverly Hills DUI and criminal defense
Our Beverly Hills criminal lawyers know firsthand how police and district attorneys put together criminal cases. We used to be them. Now we fight them. We protect our clients against all types of California and Beverly Hills criminal charges. Common cases we take include:
- Bail hearings
- Criminal record expungements
- Domestic violence
- Drug crimes, such as drug possession (HS 11350)
- Driving under the influence
- Fraud, such as credit card fraud
- Probation-violation hearings
- Sex crimes
- Theft crimes
- Traffic tickets
- Violent crimes
- White-collar crimes
Note that our DUI attorneys contest our clients’ license suspensions at DMV hearings in addition to handing their criminal DUI cases.
Beverly Hills jail and court
The Beverly Hills police book arrestees at the Beverly Hills Jail, located at:
464 North Rexford Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 285-2187
Search for inmate information here.
Cases are heard at the Beverly Hills Courthouse, located at:
9355 Burton Way
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 281-2400
Search for case information here.
Criminal justice process
Criminal cases typically start with someone getting arrested. After being booked, the majority of arrestees may be released by posting bail. In some cases, defendants get released on their own recognizance without having to pay bail. Only rarely are people held in custody without bail, such as flight-risks or murder suspects.
The arraignment is the first court date. This is where the defendant gets formally charged. Defendants must be present, though judges typically waive their appearance if they have a private attorney appearing for them.
When a defendant misses a required court hearing, the court will order that a bench warrant be issued. The bench warrant will remain active until the defendant (or his/her lawyer) submits a motion with the court to quash the warrant; then the court will schedule a hearing where the defendant (or his/her attorney) will try to convince the judge to recall the warrant. The judge usually grants “motions to quash” as long as the defendant is not a serial no-shower.
Defendants are advised to hire private counsel. But if they lack the funds, the court will appoint a public defender.
It is rare for a criminal case to reach trial. Typically, the prosecutor and defense attorney negotiate a resolution that may involve reducing or dismissing the charges. This negotiation period sometimes takes a few minutes. In other cases, it can stretch on for months. It is not unusual for both sides to agree to a plea deal right before a trial is scheduled to move forward.
Some plea bargains require the defendant pleading guilty or no contest to a criminal charge. After the plea, the judge will sentence the defendant. In nearly all cases, the judge will agree to whatever sentence the D.A. and defense attorney agreed to. However, the judge has the discretion to reject the terms of the plea.
Each California crime usually carries a range of possible fines and jail time as its penalty. But in many cases, defendants are eligible to be placed on probation. And then the defendant may be able to get out of doing any time as long as he/she abides by the terms of probation. If the defendant finishes probation successfully, then the criminal case will end.
Call our criminal defense law firm for legal advice. The law office of Shouse Law Group offers free consultations.
Our top rated criminal defense lawyers create attorney-client relationships throughout northern, central, and southern California, including Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Encino, San Fernando Valley, Orange County, Van Nuys, and more. As former prosecutors, we know how to beat the District Attorney at its game through our advocacy. Our practice areas include personal injury in addition to criminal law and DUI defense. Get in touch with our criminal defense and DUI lawyers by phone or through our contact form.
Disclaimer: Past results and client reviews do not guarantee future results.