Criminal Law

The attorneys at the Law Offices of Anthony E. Vieira represent people throughout Southern California who have been charged with a wide variety of offenses. Whether it is a DUI charge, a drug seizure, or an assault allegation, our Los Angeles County criminal defense lawyers understand how to build cases for the people whom we represent. Founding partner Anthony Vieira is a former deputy district attorney who understands how police and prosecutors often approach these cases, and he fights vigorously to get charges dropped or reduced whenever possible. Our firm is proud to guide clients through the criminal justice process with experience and compassion. We also are available if you need a personal injury attorney to assert your rights against someone who has harmed you.

Criminal charges are serious situations that come with the possibility of significant punishments, including fines and jail time. A conviction also means a criminal record, which may carry a stigma and make it difficult to find and keep a job. This is why it is vital that a person charged with or even suspected of a crime consult an experienced criminal defense attorney. The earlier in the process that you get legal representation, the better your chances of fighting the charges.

If you are arrested in California and kept in custody, you will typically go before a judge for an arraignment hearing within 48 hours (not including weekends and holidays) of the arrest. The hearing is designed for the judge to determine whether you may be released from jail for the time leading up to the trial. Felony cases usually involve a second arraignment hearing later in the process. In many misdemeanor cases, meanwhile, police allow the person charged with the crime to be released under an order to appear at court when their case comes up.

In many cases in which a judge orders a person charged with a felony to be held in jail pending trial, the judge will also allow the person to put up bail money in order to be released. The money is similar to a good-faith deposit. A person ordered to be held on a $10,000 bail, for example, needs to put up $10,000 in order to be released. They get the money back if they show up for the court proceedings.

Whether you are allowed to be free or are kept behind bars leading up to trial, the good news is that state and federal laws provide a number of defenses for people charged with crimes in California. Some of the possible defenses revolve around how the police came to get the evidence that they are using to try to prove that you committed the crime. The burden is at all times on prosecutors to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you committed the crime. Search and seizure laws limit the evidence that they may use to meet their burden of proof in many cases.

If a police officer wants to stop you on the street or pull over your car, they must have a “reasonable suspicion” to believe that you have recently been involved in or are currently committing a crime. An officer who wants to search a home or car without a warrant generally must have “probable cause” to believe that there is evidence of a crime inside. Although there are some exceptions to these rules, evidence obtained by police officers who fail to follow them is likely to be thrown out in court.

At the Law Offices of Anthony E. Vieira, our Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys have more than a decade of experience fighting for people who have been charged with crimes. We understand the wide range of legal issues that may arise in these cases, and we work tirelessly to build defenses for the people whom we represent. We also serve defendants in Pasadena, Santa Ana, San Diego, and other cities in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego Counties. Contact us online or call (877) 805-2901 to schedule a free appointment. We also can assist you if you need representation from a personal injury or wrongful death attorney.