- Criminal DefenseQuite simply, that means that a lawyer that has been practicing criminal law close to a border town his whole life knows a lot more than a new lawyer, and especially one that does not have an office only a few minutes from the border.
- DUI/DWI
- Traffic ViolationsDriving under the influence is a specialized and highly technical area of the law. What used to be considered a glorified speeding ticket, now is one of the most severely punished misdemeanors on the books. A person convicted of a DUI is facing jail, fines, alcohol classes, driver’s license suspensions, points on the driver’s license and higher insurance costs.
- White Collar Crimes
- MisdemeanorsIf you have a felony record, before seeking an expungement, your lawyer should first seek to have the felony reduced to a misdemeanor. Many crimes in California are referred to as “wobblers.” That means they can either be a felony, punishable by prison, or a misdemeanor, punishable by jail time. Reducing a felony to a misdemeanor can be done at any time but should definitely be done before having your record expunged. To do this requires a motion pursuant to Penal Code 17(b) and can be done in connection with an expungement.
- EmbezzlementMany federal defendants are charged with federal offenses where the Government law enforcement maintains that they committed the crime to make money as opposed to state crimes of passion and violence like assault and domestic violence. Federal crimes also include embezzlement or theft of government property under Title 18 U.S.C. § 641 which is obviously a crime where the motive of the accused is financial gain. Of course, the circumstances which lead to the offense are some of the most important facts to communicate in the case. San Diego Defenders’ supervising attorney, Daniel Smith, says “ in many cases, the motivation to commit the federal crime is the most important factor in humanizing our clients before the judge, jury or prosecutor – these are good people who may have never been convicted of any crime in the past.” The fact that our client has turned his or her life around and has a good solid plan to become a productive member of society is often the most important information to get to the Judge in a federal case. At San Diego Defenders, our clients are not pushed through the system, the are good people that have a plan. We understand the importance of humanizing our client and unlike most public defenders, we have the time to humanize our client for the best results in a federal charge.
- Drug CrimesIt is a crime to use, possess, manufacture, or distribute certain drugs classified as having a potential for abuse. This can refer to substances such as cocaine, heroin, morphine, and amphetamines, among others. Drug offenses also include drug trafficking and the unlawful possession of prescription drugs. Possession, cultivation, transportation or sale of marijuana is also a crime under Federal law, and to a somewhat lesser extent, California law.
- Assault
- Citizenship and Naturalization