Downtown Los Angeles (commonly called "DTLA") is a very diverse place, with a lot to offer.  On the north end of Downtown, there is Chinatown, Union Station, Little Tokyo, Olvera Street and of course the Men's Central Jail and Twin Towers Correctional Facilities.  A few blocks south are City Hall, the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, and the Bunker Hill Business District.  The central part of Downtown Los Angeles has an Arts District, Skid Row, and the Jewelry District.  The Southern portions of DTLA include South Park (by the Staples Center) and the Fashion District (Santee Alley).  The Law Offices of Nichols Loncar are located just west of the 110 Freeway in the City-Center/Westlake neighborhood of Downtown Los Angeles.  Our office is located at 1200 Wilshire Blvd.

With so many different neighborhoods and functions, DTLA also sees a wide variety of different criminal charges and arrests.  From alcohol-related arrests and DUI leaving the many bars, restaurants and clubs downtown, to counterfeit goods in the Fashion District, to drug possession and sales in Skid Row, Downtown Los Angeles keeps the police, and Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorneys quite busy.

LAPD is the primary law enforcement agency in the region, but LA County Sheriff patrols the various metro stations and California Highway Patrol polices the freeways going through Downtown Los Angeles (110, 10, 101, 5).  Felony matters stemming from Downtown LA charges and arrests are heard Downtown at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, located at 210 W Temple Street.  Traffic tickets and traffic related misdemeanors (including DUI and driving on a suspended license) are heard at the Metropolitan Courthouse located just South of Downtown Los Angeles, at Washington Blvd and Hill Street.

If you have been charged with a crime in Downtown Los Angeles, or nearby in Westlake, Chinatown, Echo Park, East LA, Koreatown, or South LA, contact the Law Offices of Nicholas Loncar for a free consultation with a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney.  We can discuss the details of your case, what defenses you may have available and how to best proceed in fighting your criminal case.  

In DUI cases, a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer can assert a wide range of defenses that might save your driver's license and keep you out of jail (Including: Mouth Alcohol, Rising BAC, How Accurate are Breathalyzers?,  Did Police Follow Proper Testing Procedure, Do Field Sobriety Tests Prove Anything, Alcohol and Drugs are NOT the Only Causes of Bad Driving).  For theft offenses, there may be an opportunity to reach a civil compromise dismissal with merchants or otherwise disprove intent to steal.  Drug crimes and weapon offenses might have viable motions to suppress if the police violated your rights.  You need a lawyer who can fight for you and work to get the best possible outcome in your case.

This is a confusing, difficult time.  If you have been arrested, charged with a crime or even cited for a traffic violation, you undoubtedly have questions about what to expect and what to do next.  With a free consultation with a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney, you can ask those questions and get meaningful, tailored to your case, and carefully explained answers.  We will identify the best course of action, and get started working for your defense.


EXAMPLE:
Eric has a party at his loft in Downtown Los Angeles.  Over the course of the party, lots of people have come and gone, some staying longer than others.  Late in the night, a few party guests are still around and Eric goes to bed, leaving a few of his friends and their friends alone in the living room.  As the last guests leave, they leave the front door wide open.  One of the party guests also left a small bag, containing a small amount of cocaine on a couch.

A neighbor sees the door open for a while and calls the apartment manager.  The apartment manager calls the LAPD, scared to go inside.  There is a mess and with the door open, they fear there may have been a burglary.  The police knock on the door for several seconds and then enter, uninvited.  They see the bag in plain sight on the coffee table and and believe it to contain an illegal drug, cocaine.  They wake up Eric and place him under arrest for possession of a controlled substance in violation of Health and Safety Code 11350.  (more on California Drug Crimes).

Eric's Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney will get the government's evidence through police reports and other testimony, and devise the right course of conduct.  There might be a viable motion to suppress the evidence (if the police violated Eric's Fourth Amendment Rights with an unlawful search), the amount of cocaine left in the bag might not be deemed a "usable amount" under California Law, and Eric might be eligible for a dismissal of the case pursuant to PC 1000, a diversion program, where drug possession offenses can be dismissed upon completion of a drug counseling program.

Speak to a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney now about your case.

Nicholas M. Loncar, Esq. 
Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney
t: 213-375-3775 | f: 213-375-3099
Mobile: 323-803-4352 
NL@iDefendLosAngeles.com
1200 Wilshire Blvd | Suite 406
Los Angeles, CA | 90017
www.iDefendLosAngeles.com

Published By: Nicholas Loncar | Written by Nicholas Loncar