Criminal Law

Facing criminal charges can be a terrifying experience, especially if you are going through it alone. Criminal charges vary, and can lead to expensive fees, damage to your record, and of course, jail time. There are many unknowns when you are charged with a crime, which is why it is essential to contact a criminal law attorney right away, especially if you are actively being investigated for a crime. Our Pasadena based criminal law firm is experienced in fighting criminal charges of all types. There are two categories of criminal law charges: misdemeanor and felony.

Misdemeanor

A misdemeanor is a “lesser” criminal act, but is still a very serious charge. Common misdemeanors in Pasadena include petty theft, public intoxication, simple assault, disorderly conduct, vandalism, marijuana possession, reckless driving, DUI and other crimes. It is essential that you seek the help of an experienced criminal law attorney to prevent these charges from causing unnecessary damage to your livelihood. While each misdemeanour case is unique, having a good idea of the process will help you protect your rights

  1. A Complaint will be filed against you – a law enforcement agency will conduct an investigation and after an arrest will forward their incident report to the local district attorney’s (D.A.) office which will then determine whether a prosecution will ensue.  
  2. Make attorney arrangements – if an attorney decides to prosecute you, it is essential that you contact an experienced criminal law attorney as soon as possible to discuss you next steps.  
  3. Attend the Arraignment – at an arraignment, the individual charged with a crime will be formally read his/her rights and enter a plea of “guilty” or “not guilty”. You should discuss your plea with an attorney before making a decision.
  4. Pre-Trial Hearing – the pre-trial conference gives the parties an opportunity to negotiate a plea agreement. Your attorney will be involved to help you with this process, and to ensure you understand all aspects of the case.
  5. Trial – should the parties be unable to reach a settlement, the case will go to trial. More often than not, you will not need to go to trial for a misdemeanor. The Liskey Law Firm is dedicated to getting you the best possible outcome for your case.

Felony

A felony is a more serious crime, and can carry very severe consequences. The most common felony cases are murder, aggravated assault, battery, animal cruelty, arson, possession of drugs with intent to distribute, burglary, and other severe crimes. To help reduce your sentence or obtain the best possible outcome, it is essential that you talk to a criminal lawyer with experience dealing with felony crimes. The process of a felony is similar to a misdemeanor, but carries much heavier consequences:

  1. Filing of Complaint – this essentially is the same process as in a misdemeanor
  2. Selecting an Attorney – The attorneys at Liskey Law Firm in Pasadena can help you with your felony charges
  3. Arraignment –This process is the same as when charged with a misdemeanor. Unlike in a misdemeanor, the person charged with a crime must appear personally along with their attorney
  4. Pre-Preliminary Hearing – this give the parties an opportunity to begin negotiating and possibly resolve the matter through a plea agreement. However, because being charged with a felony is a very serious matter, there is not usually a settlement reached at this stage. Your attorney will discuss your options with you.
  5. Preliminary Hearing – A preliminary hearing is a “probable cause” hearing where the D.A. presents evidence to the court and the judge determines whether there is enough evidence to continue prosecuting the charged defendant. This is when a defense attorney would test the strength of the prosecution’s case and attempt to get the charges dismissed (though it is very rare for a judge to dismiss the charges at this stage).
  6. Arraignment on the Information – a pleas of “guilty” or “not guilty” will be entered at this time.
  7. Pre-Trial Hearing – this is the period where the parties engage in serious settlement talk and where pretrial motions are heard.
  8. Trial – parties empanel a jury and proceed to trial. Here, 12 people from the community are selected to decide whether a crime was committed. There must be a unanimous vote for a conviction.

Facing criminal charges is a serious matter. The Liskey firm has has the right mix of experience and knowledge to customize a defense for you and assist you in every aspect and step of the way.