Common Penalties For Committing A Fraud

Watching how we all live in an age of progressive technologies as well as various innovative solutions, it is absolutely no wonder that the criminal activities are becoming more and more advanced as well as genuinely sophisticated every year.

Sure enough, seeing how quickly the technology is advancing forward, it is only natural that new and more refined ways of committing fraud appear. One way or the other, you may easily be charged with committing numerous cases of fraud and all of those will be different. In addition, fraud may range from a minor misdemeanor and all the way up to a genuine felony in the State of California.

To make things a bit more understandable, we are going to provide you with a pretty simplified and yet quite accurate list of different categories of charges. The list will contain the charges, possible penalties as well as possible fraud actions that may fall under the category. Hence, in case that you or perhaps your loved ones were charged with fraud, this is what you may be facing in the future. Of course, those penalties are all strictly suggestive. After all, the judge is going to take plenty of factors in consideration when sentencing the defendant. First of all, we are talking about the value of the property that was obtained due to the fraudulent actions, the age of the victims as well as any previous criminal convictions.

Class 1 Misdemeanor:

Potential penalties: up to 18 months in prison; up to $5,000 in fines

Associated Crimes:

• Criminal possession of a single financial device
• Criminal possession of a document of identification
• Presenting false info on an application or renewal
• Second degree of forgery
• Embezzlement of goods or property, which may be valued between $500 and $1,000
• Credit card fraud – not more than $1,000

Class 6 Felony

Potential penalties: up to 18 months in prison; up to $100,000 in fines

Associated Crimes: 

• Criminal impersonation 
• Criminal possession of two or several more financial devices 
• Criminal possession of two or several more documents of identification 

Class 5 Felony

Potential: up to 3 years in prison; up to $100,000 in fines

Associated Crimes:

• Insurance fraud 
• Criminal possession of four or several more financial devices 
• Possession of identity theft tools with intent to commit criminal actions 
• Gathering ID info via deception 
• First degree forgery 
• Embezzlement of public money 
• Credit card fraud – up to $20,000 

Class 4 Felony

Potential penalties: up to 6 years in prison; up to $500,000 in fines

Associated Crimes:

• Identity theft
• Embezzlement of goods or property valued up to $20,000

Class 3 Felony

Potential penalties: up to 12 years in prison; up to $750,000 in fines

Associated Crimes:

• Embezzlement of goods or property that may be valued over $20,000 
• Social Securities fraud 
• Money laundering
• Credit card fraud – over $20,000  

Charges may be different in other states, but the above-mentioned list is depicting how things work in the state of California. Also, charges may have a very negative impact on your day to day living, And we are not even talking about the fines and times in jail. After all, you risk losing your job, your career, your reputation. In addition, the best prosecutors may be working against you, since they were hired by a huge corporation or insurance company. The very best you can do in a situation like this would be getting in touch with a qualified as well as genuinely experience Los Angeles criminal defense attorney at the earliest opportunity. After all, only a good attorney will know how to help you in such a challenging situation indeed.

The Los Angeles Criminal Defense Specialists

Remaining In Jail Due To Inability To Post Bail

Being in LA county jail is very stressful as well as frustrating. However, it is even more frustrating if you stay in jail due to one main reason – because of the simple fact that you were unable to post bail. Well, you will be genuinely surprised, but too many people remain behind bars namely because of thit reason.

The official statistical data clearly demonstrates that nearly a third of all people who are spending time in Los Angeles County Jail before being officially convicted, are there because they were unable to post bail. Of course, it is a pretty disturbing situation, so the lawmakers are currently working on coming up with a proper and effective solution to this issue.

So what is bail exactly? Well, it is a sort of an agreement that is being made between the court and the defendant. The court agrees to release the defendant in case he or she will be able to post a certain amount of money as bail. The defendant, on the other hand, will agree to return to the court on the named date. Once the defendant appears in court on that date, he or she is going to get that money back.

This is How Bail Works

For instance, the defendant may need to pay $10 000 as bail. Should he or she pay $10 000, they will be released from Los Angeles County Jail. The defendant will be obliged to return to court on a certain date and once he or she does, he or she is going to get those $10 000 back. This is going to happen even in case he or she is convicted during the trial. Nevertheless, should the defendant miss the court date, he or she is going to automatically lose the $10 000 and a warrant for his or her arrest will be issued. In case the defendant does not have that kind of money and therefore is unable to post bail, he or she will remain in jail.

Not being able to post bail is a major issue for most people indeed. After all, it may take weeks or even months for the trial to begin and you will be forced to remain behind bars during this entire time. Hence, people are often using bail bonds in order to make sure that they are not going to remain in jail for that long.

Nevertheless, the main issue is the fact that those bail bond services may demand up to 30% of bail as their fees. This sum will not be returned to you even if you are going to be exonerated completely. It is still a pretty large sum and the vast majority of people simply will not be able to afford. This is why the lawmakers are trying to come up with new and more efficient alternatives.

When Do You Need Bail

In case a person is arrested, the law enforcement officers are going to book him or her in jail right away. During that time, the individual’s personal information, his or her photos as well as fingerprints are going to be sent to the police computer database. In addition, all of their personal items will be impounded, the arrested person will need to submit himself to a sobriety test. Furthermore, it can be a second sobriety test in case the arrested individual was arrested due to the fact that he or she failed the last one. Finally, the arrested person will be provided with an opportunity to make a single phone call and will then be sent in jail cell. He or she will need to wait for the court hearing, during which the judge will set bail. The hearing generally takes place within 48 hours after the arrest.

In most cases, different jurisdictions are setting certain amounts of bail for certain committed crimes. This means that one jurisdiction may post a $20 000 bail for a felony. Such crimes usually imply 3 years sentence. However, all cases are different, so it does not necessarily imply that you will need to pay that much money. The judge often takes into consideration various additional circumstances and the amount of bail may be lowered indeed.

Yet, in case the defendant already has an extensive criminal history, the judge may consider that he or she is posing a flight risk. Hence, the amount of bail may be increased or the judge may even deem it necessary to revoke the very notion of bail in this case and for that particular defendant. In some cases, the amount of bail will be set immediately after the person was booked and processed. However, this mostly happens in case the crime was not too severe. Hence, the arresting officer will let the defendant know if he or she will be able to post bail and whether he or she will be able to pay with their credit cards.

Bail Bonds

Bail bonds are very much similar to bank loans – you are looking for a lender that will provide you with the necessary amount of money. You are going to invest a small percentage of your own funds first and then the lender will provide you with the rest. For instance, in case the amount of bail will be $20 000, the defendant’s family members will need to invest $3000 in deposit and the lender will then provide them with those $20 000. Furthermore, in the vast majority of cases, you will be required to provide the lender with collateral. Collateral could consist of a car, a house, some valuable jewelry and so on. Collateral is used in order to make sure that even if the defendant will not appear in court, the lender is not going to lose the money and will get valuable possessions instead.

If you do not have an ability to get the money for your bail, it is very important to find a qualified attorney who is an expert in Los Angeles criminal defense. He will be able to come up with a good defense strategy to reduce or dismiss your criminal charges.

The Los Angeles Criminal Defense Experts

Animal cruelty And Legal Consequences

Animal cruelty is one of the worst things that humans are capable of committing. Too many individuals are uneducated and downright stupid, so they view animals as things, objects that cannot fight back and will not be able to defend themselves. However, harming an animal is like harming a child and even worse than that at times. Animals can feel pain just as badly as people, animals are capable of emotions, animals are much more loyal than people are and animals will not kill just to kill. With people, however, it is completely possible and some individuals do enjoy to watch the suffering of small and defenseless animals.

With that said, some cases of animal cruelty may seem to be controversial at first, but once you begin digging the facts, you will realize that there was no need for such harsh measures to be taken. For instance, a relatively case of Katie Pallante – a young 26 years old woman, who shot two dogs that were fighting in her backyard, is demonstrating that things are not always as they seem.

Now, Katie claims that she was at her house, watching over 22 of her own dogs, three cats as well as her children. During that time, she heard two dogs that were fighting each other in her backyard. She allegedly was trying to stop them with some water, tried to pull them away from each other, but nothing worked. She then ran back home in order to tell her children not to leave the building. She then grabbed her .40 caliber handgun and rushed back outside. She shot one of the dogs in the stomach. The second dog, however, did not want to stop and kept attacking the injured one. Katie then shot the female dog as well and it died on the spot. After it was done, Katie went for a drive to the nearest gas station in order to get some alcohol and some cigarettes. A law enforcement officer then called her and told her to head back home.

First of all, there was clearly no need to shoot the dogs. One of the dogs, the female one, belonged to Katie’s neighbors. The other one was injured severely and it is not clear whether it will live. In a situation like this one, when you have a possibility to remain inside the house, it is best to do just that and to close the doors. Furthermore, there are plenty of services that are specializing in dealing with situations like this. Finally, seeing how Katie simply went to get a drink afterwards, the situation was not as stressful and she was not that much concerned about the children and the pets inside the house. Now, the court is going to sentence Katie to jail and while some people may find it to be a harsh punishment, it is important to understand that taking animal lives is no better than killing people. 

Sadly, without those laws protecting the animals, too many people would go on killing animals – humans are cruel and their cruelty is completely unjustified when it comes to harming the poor animals indeed. Unfortunately, too many people enjoy cockfighting. It is a very sad fact, but, alas, a lot of people enjoy watching two roosters killing each other. These attractions are incredibly cruel – the roosters are at times given blades or boxing gloves. It is pretty blood and horrifying.

Law enforcement authorities are doing their very best to apprehend offenders, who are arranging those fights. Recently, James Effel – a 50 years old guy from Los Angeles was arrested for organizing cockfights. He is now facing jail time. If you were arrested and charged with animal cruelty crime, do not hesitate to contact our law offices at (855) 858-2755 or use online contact form. Our offices are ready to take your call 24/7.

Law Offices of Criminal Defense Experts

Juvenile Defense: The Importance of Proper Legal Representation

There is absolutely nothing more important for any parent than the safety and the well being of his or her child. After all, children are our future – they are our legacy, they are the ones whom we live for. Hence, in case your son or daughter were charged with a crime, you will most certainly and quite naturally concerned about their future and how to help them.

With that said, the only viable option in situations like this is getting in touch with a professional, qualified as well as genuinely experienced Los Angeles juvenile criminal defense attorney at the earliest opportunity. That is right – only an expert will have what it takes to make sure that you as well as your child get the most comprehensive as well as genuinely effective legal representation out there. He will know how to approach the judge, the prosecutor and the jury in order to make sure that the legal damage is minimized or annihilated whatsoever.

There is also the matter of differences between the cases of Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile dependency. On one hand, Juvenile Delinquency involves cases, where minors (who are under 18 years of age) commit a crime, whereas cases of Juvenile Dependency involve adults, who are charged with abuse, domestic violence or any other similar charges related to minors, who are under 18 years of age. In addition, minors, who were charged with alcohol or drug possession are being processed in informal juvenile courts.

Of course, you will want to keep your child’s criminal records clean, since those can have a negative, genuinely detrimental impact on their future lives. It is completely understandable as you will not want your child to be expelled from school, to lose the possibility to enlist into college and so on. This is also one of the most important reasons why it is crucial to find a great lawyer, who is not going to let you down.

It does not matter whether the court is viewing a case of family violence, probation, delinquency charges – the minor is going to have the following rights:

• The right to be represented by a lawyer 
• The right to summon witnesses on behalf of the minor 
• The right to cross-examine or confront the witnesses 
• The right for having a public hearing 
• The right to have the evidence presented in court 
• The right to appeal in case the minor does not agree with the verdict 

No doubt, the Miranda rights are just as important and every person, be it an adult or a minor, has them:

• The right to remain silent 
• Anything you are going to say or do may and will be used against you in the court of law 
• You have the right to be represented by an attorney 
• In case you are unable to afford the attorney, a public lawyer will be appointed to you 
• Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you? 

In most cases, the records in Los Angeles Juvenile courts are sealed and therefore general public does not have access to them. Nevertheless, in certain cases, the child will need to request the court to seal those records.

When it comes to adults, the main objective of the correctional system is without a doubt punishing the offender. Nevertheless, in case of juvenile crimes, the main goal is different – the system is trying to help the child using various treatment methods and rehabilitation programs. The system is basically meant to reintegrate the minor into the society. Some of the solutions may include expensive fines, detention, community service or community supervision or even incarceration. It all depends on how serious the crime that the minor committed really was.

In case the offense was genuinely serious, the system will also put probation (formal or informal), incarceration or detention on the list. It is also important to understand that the court does not work alone The schools, social services as well as other institutions are playing a huge role in helping to reintegrate the minor into the society.

It is also important to mention that the police along with Los Angeles District Attorneys as well as probation officials have the right to decide whether or not the minor should be put into the system or released to his parents when arrested. In some cases, if the crime was genuinely serious, such as murder, the judge has the right to decide if the minor could be trialed as an adult. There were cases when 11 year old children where prosecuted in adult courts. Moreover, if the crime was serious enough, the prosecution will have the right to charge the child as an adult right there and then.

Every minor has the same rights as the adults even in the adult court. This basically implies that his Miranda rights need to be read to him or her. Furthermore, the minor has the right to have his or her parents present before the police will get to questioning. Yet, the law enforcement representatives are not obligated to tell that fact to the minor and therefore it is important to hire an experienced Los Angeles juvenile crime law office as soon as possible.

In addition, do not forget about the school expulsion process. Children may be expelled for a number of different reasons. These include drug use and possession, weapon possession (a gun or even a knife), violent behavior and so on. It is also important to have a good Los Angeles criminal defense attorney by your side in order to minimize the damage. Although the school may expel the child, the school board may suspend the expulsion. This will at least imply that the child is going to remain in the same district, even though he or she will not have the right to remain in the same school.

Hence, in case your child was arrested and is now on the very verge of expulsion, do not hesitate to find a good attorney asap.

Law Offices of Criminal Defense Experts

Misdemeanor Charges Compared To Felony Criminal Charges In Los Angeles, CA

The Los Angeles Criminal Defense Experts, one of the the best options to fight your felony or misdemeanor cases the right way.

Being charged with any kind of criminal charges is incredibly frustrating, depressing and most people do not even realize how stressful the process really is. Still, there are two main types of charges that will largely determine the final verdict – misdemeanor charges and felony charges.

With that said, chances are, you already know that misdemeanor charges are far less detrimental and involve milder legal penalties. A person is going to be charged with a misdemeanor offense in case the bodily injuries of the victim were not dangerous for his or her health as well as well being. Scratches, minor sprains, cuts and minimal damage largely make for the misdemeanor case. Of course, it does not mean that a person, who committed a misdemeanor offense, is going to avoid any and all legal penalties. It simply means that the legal punishment is not going to be as severe.

On the other hand, if the bodily injuries were severe or in case the defendant killed someone, he or she is going to be charged with a felony and this is an entirely different story. Felony charges involve harsh legal penalties and we are not only talking about expensive fines – in most felony cases people are sentenced to imprisonment and have to spend years behind bars.

Still, it is important for you to understand that before the charges are going to be set, your case is going to go to the prosecutor. He or she is going to study it and will determine if it is going to go to court and what kind of charges are suitable for your case. However, the prosecutors often overcharge people in hopes of negotiating a better deal with them. It is a common practice, but it means that you should not agree with everything the prosecutor is telling you. The very best thing to would be hiring a qualified as well as genuinely experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, who would know how to deal with this legal situation properly.

In order for you to get a more comprehensive understanding of the matter, let us review the following example: Let us say that Daniel was charged with a felony after he accidentally struck a pedestrian. The prosecution told Daniel that he should definitely plead guilty. This way, the charges will be reduced to misdemeanors and he will be able to avoid jail. It seems like a reasonable deal, does it not? Well, good thing that Daniel hired a professional lawyer, who got in touch with the pedestrian and asked for his medical bills. With his consent he reviewed the bills and realized that the victim only sustained minor injuries – bruises and scratches. This means that the case was a misdemeanor one to begin with. Hence, now they could negotiate a much better deal and Daniel will not need to listen to the prosecutor and his offer after all. The example clearly demonstrates how valuable a good Los Angeles criminal defense attorney may really be for reducing the sentence.

Perfect Criminal Defense How-To Guide Released By Los Angeles Criminal Experts For People Who Were Arrested And Charged With Criminal Offense

Criminal defense law firm, Los Angeles Criminal Experts, have published a new how-to guide dedicated to helping people who were arrested and charged with criminal offense, beat criminal charges and avoid criminal record. This guide will also have information useful to anybody facing the challenge of effectively defending a client and avoid criminal record.

Interested parties are invited to review the how-to guide in full on the main website: www.losangeles-criminaldefense.org

This most recent how-to guide from Los Angeles criminal experts contains precise and detailed steps and instructions, designed to be used by people who wants to reduce the charges and avoid jail, helping them beat criminal charges and avoid criminal record, as quickly, easily and with as little stress as possible.

Los Angeles criminal experts state that this accessible, easy to follow guide provides all of the information necessary to fully understand the topic, to get the results they want.

The Full How-To Guide Covers: perfect criminal defense – how to develop a right defense strategy. Instant protection – facing a prosecutor in court and avoid jail sentence or dismissing charges.

When asked for more information about the guide, the reasons behind creating a guide on perfect criminal defense and what they hope to accomplish with it, criminal defense expert, lead Los Angeles criminal defense attorney at Los Angeles criminal experts said: “We want people to know that being arrested for criminal offense doesn't mean that everything is lost. Our combined 50 + years of criminal defense experience gives you a possibility to aggressively approach a prosecutor and reduce or dismiss your charges in court.”

People who were arrested and charged with criminal offense and anybody interested in perfect criminal defense are invited to review the how-to guide online.

Is It Possible To Get DUI For Taking a Sleep Medication?

Were you aware that over 40 million of people all over the nation are using prescription medication in order to fight their sleeping problems? That is right – the issue is that severe. However, what is more important, not everyone realizes it, but a lot of people from over 200 000 DUI offenders are arrested because they were driving under the influence of their sleeping pills.

Learn 3 things you didn't know about DUI offences here: www.losangeles-criminaldefense.org/dui/

Needless to say, we all live in a very fast-paced society, where just about everyone as well as just about everything is constantly rushing somewhere, trying to deal with some tasks or to handle some responsibilities. Sure enough, our hectic way of life is very tiresome, both in terms of physical and emotional wellness. Sure enough, our health and well being are being greatly affected by how we live. Hence, more and more people these days are fighting with insomnia- very common issue that is becoming a big problem for the modern society.

Indeed, the recent FDA studies clearly demonstrated that sleeping pills can be just as dangerous as alcohol and one should avoid using them prior to getting behind the wheel in the morning. The situation is a very difficult one – the active components of those sleeping pills are very potent and cause numerous side effects, including drowsiness, making a driver under their influence lose focus and concentration. This makes that driver all the more dangerous for the other drivers, their passengers as well as the pedestrians.

In case you or your loved ones were arrested for driving under the influence of sleeping pills, you should know that the legal penalties will be similar to the ones you would get if you were driving under the influence of alcohol and your BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) were .08%. This means expensive fines, community service, probation, awareness classes and even possible jail time.

Still, the number of people using sleeping pills to fight against the insomnia is ever growing and if you were using those pills and it got you under arrest for DUI, we simply cannot help but recommend you to definitely get in touch with a qualified as well as genuinely experienced DUI expert at the earliest opportunity. There are ways to fight the charges and to get minimal sentence of to even get the case dismissed to begin with.