Violent Crimes Defense Lawyer in Riverside, CA
Any criminal conviction has the potential to result in severe penalties, but violent crimes tend to carry the most significant punishments under California state law. If you or a loved one are charged with a violent crime of any kind, legal representation from an experienced criminal defense attorney is essential if you want to avoid the maximum possible sentence the law prescribes.
At the Law Offices of Kathleen G. Alvarado, our team provides a full range of criminal defense services to our clients in the Riverside area. We can examine your case and help you create the strongest possible defense. Our team understands how devastating it can be to realize that you potentially face years in prison, especially if you are not guilty of the charges against you or if your charges have been severely inflated for any reason. We will work closely with you to help you navigate this case with more clarity and a better understanding of the legal process you are about to endure.
Why Choose Our Team?
California law allows anyone charged with a crime to secure legal representation from a public defender free of charge. These attorneys are dedicated and experienced, and many people cannot afford the cost of private defense counsel. However, it’s vital to understand that most public defenders handle many cases at a time and simply cannot provide much individual attention to each case. While a public defender may offer an acceptable level of defense representation in a criminal case, their legal services will likely pale in comparison to what a private criminal defense attorney can provide.
Attorney Kathleen Alvarado has decades of experience as a legal professional. After more than 25 years as a Deputy District Attorney for San Bernardino County, Attorney Alvarado is keenly familiar with how local prosecutors pursue convictions. You can expect a client-focused experience when you choose our team to handle your current violent crime case. We will carefully review the circumstances of your arrest and the evidence against you before helping you create a strong foundation on which to build your defense.
Why Choose Our Team?
California law allows anyone charged with a crime to secure legal representation from a public defender free of charge. These attorneys are dedicated and experienced, and many people cannot afford the cost of private defense counsel. However, it’s vital to understand that most public defenders handle many cases at a time and simply cannot provide much individual attention to each case. While a public defender may offer an acceptable level of defense representation in a criminal case, their legal services will likely pale in comparison to what a private criminal defense attorney can provide.
Attorney Kathleen Alvarado has decades of experience as a legal professional. After more than 25 years as a Deputy District Attorney for San Bernardino County, Attorney Alvarado is keenly familiar with how local prosecutors pursue convictions. You can expect a client-focused experience when you choose our team to handle your current violent crime case. We will carefully review the circumstances of your arrest and the evidence against you before helping you create a strong foundation on which to build your defense.
Violent Crime Cases We Represent
Violent crimes carry the most severe legal penalties for those convicted. If you are wrongfully accused, acted in self-defense, or otherwise believe that the charges you face are unjust, be clear about your situation. Your defense attorney can provide the legal counsel you need to approach the situation with more confidence. At the Law Offices of Kathleen G. Alvarado, our team represents clients facing charges for many types of violent crimes, including:
- Assault and battery. California defines “assault” as making an aggressive threat toward another person and “battery” as acting upon that threat. Depending on the severity of the assault and whether the defendant used a weapon during the incident, the defendant could potentially face fines in the tens of thousands of dollars, years of imprisonment, and significant restrictions of their Constitutional rights.
- Sex crimes. Rape and sexual battery are egregious crimes that cause lasting physical and psychological damage to victims. California prosecutors tend to seek the maximum sentences that the law allows for sex crimes, especially those perpetrated against children. Unfortunately, if you are wrongfully accused of a sex crime, your case may boil down to your word against your accuser’s due to a lack of physical evidence. However, an experienced Riverside violent crimes attorney can potentially help you clear your name and avoid the significant penalties that follow a conviction for sex offenses in California.
- Weapons charges. California upholds some of the strictest firearms laws in the country. Violations of any kind can result in loss of your Second Amendment rights and substantial legal penalties, including fines and imprisonment. We can help you preserve your rights and clear up any misunderstanding that may have led to a wrongful weapons charge.
- Robbery and armed robbery. Burglary and robbery are often conflated. Burglary is the crime of stealing from someone without their knowledge, while robbery involves a direct confrontation, typically with a threat of force. If you break into a store at night to steal goods and money from the register, this is burglary. If you threaten a person with a gun to steal their purse or wallet, this is robbery. Robbery charges are much more substantial when a weapon is involved.
- Domestic violence. This term applies to violent acts among family or household members. Spousal abuse, child abuse, and battery in the home are just a few examples of domestic violence that can lead to severe penalties, including fines, imprisonment, and even loss of custody of your children. If you are accused of domestic violence after acting in self-defense, or if a member of your family falsely accused you of committing a violent act, our team can help you fight the charges you face.
- Murder. Taking another person’s life can potentially lead to many years or even life in prison. Typically, the only defenses against murder charges are self-defense, incurable mental illness, or mistaken identity. If you face murder charges of any degree, you need defense counsel who can closely examine the evidence in play and determine the best possible approach to building a defense.
If you or a loved one was recently arrested for any type of violent crime, it’s essential to speak with a Riverside violent crimes lawyer as soon as possible to start working on your defense.
How Can an Attorney Help Me?
Hiring the right attorney can potentially mean the difference between acquittal and conviction in a violent crime case. Your Riverside violent crimes attorney will begin representation by carefully reviewing all available evidence and interviewing you about the situation. It is essential to be completely honest with your attorney, even if you know you are guilty in some measure. Leaving out any important information will only make it more difficult for your attorney to represent you and could potentially leave substantial gaps in your defense.
If you are innocent of the charges against you, your Riverside violent crimes attorney will search for exculpatory evidence and highlight weaknesses in the prosecution’s evidence. If you are guilty, your defense attorney’s job is to mitigate the punishment you face. Regardless of your fault, your attorney will perform a thorough analysis of the prosecution’s case and the circumstances of your arrest. If your attorney can prove that the police violated due process during your arrest, or if they discover the police manufactured or planted evidence in pursuit of a conviction, this can be enough to have your case dismissed entirely.
Depending on the severity of your charges and the availability of evidence that can support your case, full dismissal may not be an option. However, an experienced criminal defense attorney can potentially help you reach a plea agreement with the prosecution and significantly reduce your sentence.
How Can an Attorney Help Me?
Hiring the right attorney can potentially mean the difference between acquittal and conviction in a violent crime case. Your Riverside violent crimes attorney will begin representation by carefully reviewing all available evidence and interviewing you about the situation. It is essential to be completely honest with your attorney, even if you know you are guilty in some measure. Leaving out any important information will only make it more difficult for your attorney to represent you and could potentially leave substantial gaps in your defense.
If you are innocent of the charges against you, your Riverside violent crimes attorney will search for exculpatory evidence and highlight weaknesses in the prosecution’s evidence. If you are guilty, your defense attorney’s job is to mitigate the punishment you face. Regardless of your fault, your attorney will perform a thorough analysis of the prosecution’s case and the circumstances of your arrest. If your attorney can prove that the police violated due process during your arrest, or if they discover the police manufactured or planted evidence in pursuit of a conviction, this can be enough to have your case dismissed entirely.
Depending on the severity of your charges and the availability of evidence that can support your case, full dismissal may not be an option. However, an experienced criminal defense attorney can potentially help you reach a plea agreement with the prosecution and significantly reduce your sentence.
POTENTIAL PENALTIES FOR VIOLENT CRIME CONVICTION IN CALIFORNIA
Any type of violent crime can carry a sentence that includes expensive fines and years of imprisonment. Additionally, a criminal conviction will continue to negatively impact your life for years to come, even after you complete your sentence. For example, a criminal record for assault can make it difficult to obtain employment in the future. Conviction for a sex offense will lead to permanent registration on a sex offender registry, which will make it difficult to find housing and will restrict your job opportunities.
In most cases, California judges assign penalties for violent crimes based on several factors:
- If a crime is premeditated, or if the defendant clearly planned to carry out the crime, this should malice aforethought and will likely lead to more significant penalties than a “crime of passion” carried out in the heat of the moment.
- If a defendant attempted to conceal their violent crime in any way, this also indicates a willful desire to escape justice. It may also lead to additional criminal charges such as obstruction of justice or destruction of evidence.
- The defendant’s criminal record will also come into play in a violent crime case. California’s infamous “three strikes” law means that anyone convicted of three violent crimes or major felonies faces 25 years in prison. It is much harder for a defendant with a record of prior violent crime convictions to avoid prosecution than a defendant facing their first violent crime charge.
- The severity of the crime’s impact on the victim will not only come into play during criminal sentencing but also expose the defendant to civil liability. The defendant may face restitution as a term of their sentence. However, they could also face civil action from the victim and/or their family depending on the type of crime and its severity.
These factors can sway a violent crime case significantly, which is another reason why anyone charged with a violent crime in California needs reliable defense representation as soon as possible following their arrest.
FIND YOUR CRIMINAL DEFENSE TEAM IN RIVERSIDE TODAY
The Law Offices of Kathleen G. Alvarado have the experience, resources, and courtroom skills to handle California’s most complex violent crime cases. Our team has successfully represented many defendants facing years of imprisonment and other significant penalties. We help them secure case dismissals and substantial reductions in their sentencing thanks to our aggressive and detail-oriented approach to criminal defense representation. If you need a reliable, responsive, and experienced Riverside violent crimes attorney, contact us today and schedule a consultation about your case.
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Our Customers Say
What a great office to work with! They take great care of their clients from start to finish. The attorneys are exceptionally knowledgeable and the staff is so friendly and organized. If you are looking for excellent representation after an injury I highly recommend you start with Kathleen.
I was represented by Kathleen and found her to be hard working, competent, while personally supportive. Her dedication to my case reflected a commitment to excellence that can only reflect a moral grounding.
Fast response, everything clearly explained. If I need legal advice in the future I will use this service again. They do what they advertise making legal issues simple. Recommended.
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