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California law defines domestic violence as abuse committed against an intimate partner. You commit abuse when you recklessly or intentionally use or threaten to use physical force against your intimate partner.  An intimate partner could be your former or current spouse, domestic partner, live-in partner, girlfriend/boyfriend, or your child’s parent. Domestic violence is an umbrella word for several crimes, including:

• Domestic battery
• Corporal injury to an inhabitant or spouse
• Child abuse
• Child endangerment
• Child neglect/failure to provide care
• Elder abuse
• Stalking
• Criminal threats
• Aggravated trespass
• Damaging a telephone line
• Revenge porn
• Posting harmful information on the internet

A conviction of any of the above domestic violence offenses may end up costing you your reputation. You may also be slapped with a protective/restraining order, lose visitation/custody rights to your child, and face years of probation or incarceration time and hefty fines.

Of all crimes that are more frequently falsely reported, domestic violence tops the list. Yet, it will be virtually impossible without good legal representation to prove your innocence when almost everybody believes you’re guilty. At Bakersfield Criminal Attorney, we will stand with you. We’ll dedicate our resources to fighting for you and clearing your name.

California is one of the states with the strictest law on driving under the influence (DUI), and DUI defense is one of our primary fields of expertise.

A DUI accusation threatens your driving privilege, job (especially if you are a commercial driver), and future, and retaining a DUI defense lawyer can significantly improve the chances of avoiding all these.

You can face DUI charges if you have a BAC (blood alcohol concentration) of 0.08% (noncommercial driver), 0.04% (commercial driver), or 0.01% (under 21 drivers).

Unlike other California crimes, you’ll go through two distinct legal proceedings once accused of DUI— the administrative per se hearing at the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) and criminal court process.  The DMV hearing is held to determine whether your license should be suspended for DUI. The criminal court process seeks to establish whether you are guilty of DUI and, therefore, face the consequences, including license suspension. You need expert legal counsel for both of these processes to stand a chance of winning.

At Bakersfield Criminal Attorney, we strategically use several legal defenses to acquire dismissals or reduction of charges/penalties at the jury trial and DMV hearing.  Just because the police report indicates you were under the influence or the BAC test results came back positive doesn’t mean you are indeed guilty. It may turn out that you are innocent!

Even though DUI receives so much attention, there are many other severe driving crimes you could be convicted of (both felonies and misdemeanors). Some of them include:

• Vehicular manslaughter
• Driving on a suspended license
• Driving without a valid license
• Evading an officer
• Unlawful use of a disability placard

A conviction of some of these crimes will result only in the suspension of driving of your driving license and add points on your driving record, while others may lead to incarceration and hefty fines. Like any other crime, a driving crime equally requires an experienced attorney fighting for you to stand a chance of winning.

Drug charges are among the most common criminal charges in California. Even though the public perception of drugs has changed over time, particularly marijuana use, drug laws are still tough. Simply possessing some drugs could still result in criminal penalties, while the law treats offenses such as drug manufacturing or trafficking very seriously.

If you’ve been charged with a drug-related offense in Bakersfield or the surrounding areas, we can help. Remember, the law on drugs is complex and constantly changing. Therefore, you should entrust your case to an attorney who is both experienced and up-to-date with the current changes— just like us. Also, note that police officers do not always follow the rules, and we are on standby to ensure your rights are protected. Drug cases we handle include:

• Drug possession
• Drug manufacturing
• Drug sale/transportation
• DUI drugs
• Marijuana cultivation
• Marijuana sales
• Medical marijuana/compassionate Use Act
• Possession for sale
• Under the influence
• Prescription drug fraud

At Bakersfield Criminal Attorney, we understand that just because you’re found guilty of an offense doesn’t mean it has to ruin your entire life by remaining on your criminal record permanently.

Many laws govern who can and can’t have their convictions expunged or sealed and what kinds of charges qualify to be expunged or sealed from your record. However, this shouldn’t worry you. Our record expungement and sealing attorneys provide a rigorous approach to delivering results. We understand that your life may depend on re-establishing a clean record. Thus, we can help provide solutions that center on that becoming a reality.

Whether you’re under investigation, arrest, or have been charged with a federal offense, you have every reason to be intimidated by the accusations you are facing. Federal crimes are more severe and punishable by a higher legal authority. Without an expert federal crimes defense lawyer who knows your rights and can protect you at each stage of the legal process, the outcome might jeopardize your freedom completely.

Our federal crimes defense lawyers have been successfully representing clients in federal courts for several years now. Their exceptional reputation across the state Federal Courts and extensive experience provides clients with confidence, backed by a zealous legal counsel who designs defense strategies that yield results.

Some of the most commonly charged types of federal crimes in California include, but not limited to:

• Tax evasion
• Bank robbery
• Computer crimes
• Child pornography
• Identity theft
• Counterfeiting
• Mail fraud
• Kidnapping
• Violations of the Federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO)
• Money laundering

California fraud crimes are a special category of theft crimes. They involve using deception, a lie, dishonesty, or falsehood to gain a benefit. The most commonly charged fraud crimes in California are credit card fraud, check fraud, real estate fraud, embezzlement, mail fraud, and identity theft.

Whereas not all forms of fraud are criminal, you need to talk to a criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible if you’re under investigation for or have been suspected of fraud. The different forms of fraud that exist make it possible for the prosecution to charge you with multiple offenses, some you may not even know.

If you talk to investigators or police without legal counsel, you may unintentionally hurt your case or give them the proof they require to charge you with an offense. Speaking to a criminal defense attorney who knows how to manage criminal investigations and defend your rights through the entire criminal justice system is the only way to make sure you’re protected.

Sex crimes are offenses that involve unlawful sexual conduct. They vary in severity and can be charged as felonies or misdemeanors. A sex crime charge can ruin your reputation in a split second, regardless of how false and baseless. And given the high-profile sex offenses frequently making the news, it can be more challenging to plea bargain or receive a fair trial if accused.

Upon conviction, you will be subject to severe penalties, including imprisonment, hefty fines, the requirement to register as a sex offender, the habitual sex offender title, among others.

A sex crime charge is very easy to make yet very difficult to defend because the alleged offense usually happens in a one-on-one situation without proof or independent witnesses. However, our sex crimes attorney will ensure you receive a fair trial and the best possible defense for your charges. We will explore our knowledge of the California sex crimes laws and poke holes into the prosecution’s case to obtain the best possible results for you. Some of the sex offenses we defend against are:

• Prostitution
• Indecent exposure
• Lewd conduct
• Lewd acts with a child
• Child sexual abuse
• Failure to register as a sex offender
• Date rape
• Possession of child pornography
• Oral copulation by force
• Rape
• Soliciting a prostitute
• Sexual battery
• Statutory rape

Theft crimes involve the unlawful taking of property that doesn’t belong to you, intending to deprive the rightful owner of it permanently. Examples of theft crime cases we handle include, among others:

• Grand theft
• Petty theft
• Petty theft with a prior
• Shoplifting
• Robbery
• Burglary
• Possession of burglary tools
• Receiving stolen property
• Appropriation of lost property
• Grand theft auto
• Grand theft firearm

There was a time when many people considered a conviction of minor theft crimes like shoplifting or petty theft to be inconsequential, hardly worth mentioning when applying for a job or during a job interview. However, today, a conviction of any theft crime, even the minor ones, can lead to harsh non-judicial or judicial consequences. Only a skilled criminal defense lawyer can provide you with case-specific advice and help you fight to avoid these penalties.

Common defenses we use to help our clients fight theft crime charges are police entrapment, intoxication, mistake of fact, a claim of ownership, and property not taken from the owner’s possession.

California violent crimes are usually prosecuted very harshly and carry the most severe consequences upon conviction. These crimes include, among others:

• Kidnapping
• Murder
• Attempted murder
• Carjacking
• Robbery
• Arson
• Assault intending to commit a felony
• Carjacking
• Voluntary manslaughter
• Mayhem
• Rape
• Sodomy
• Extortion
• First-degree burglary
• Threats to witnesses or victims

A conviction of any of these violent offenses can subject you to years in state prison or county jail. In other cases, you could face life imprisonment or capital punishment. Apart from incarceration, a conviction of a violent crime also counts as a strike per the California Three-Strikes law, not to talk of the heavy fines you’ll have to pay. All these penalties should tell you that you need to act first and hire a lawyer if facing violent crime charges.

Our violent crimes defense lawyers are experts in defending clients facing all kinds of violent offenses. We can help you as well. There are several defenses we can argue that have your charges dismissed.  They include the insanity defense, self-defense, mistaken identity, lack of intent, lack of adequate proof, and false accusations. And where case dismissal isn’t possible, we will negotiate with the DA so you can receive a charge reduction that would lead to lenient penalties.

Feel free to reach out to one of our violent crimes attorneys today, and we’ll provide you with immediate answers to your questions concerning the specific facts surrounding your case.