SAN FERNANDO CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY AND DUI LAWYER
The City of San Fernando, CA is located in the far north end of Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley.  The surrounding areas of Sylmar, Lakeview Terrace, Pacoima and Mission Hills are part of Los Angeles.  San Fernando has fewer than 25,000 residents.  San Fernando is a predominantly Hispanic/Latino community.  

San Fernando is a safe place, with low crime rates for LA County, and lower than the national average.  San Fernando Police Department provide law enforcement services, and criminal and traffic cases are heard at Los Angeles County Superior Court's San Fernando courthouse.

Despite being a safe place with low crime rates, there are a host of criminal cases that land San Fernando and San Fernando Valley residents in need of a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney.  The low crime rates in some areas tend to make law enforcement overzealous, looking to make a crime where none exists.  Throughout LA County, but especially in areas with low crime, DUI enforcement has become a top priority.  This is just as true of San Fernando.  San Fernando Police are not busy solving weekly homicides and are able to devote more time and other resources to stopping drunk driving.  DUI checkpoints and saturation points are common.  Domestic Violence prosecution is also aggressive in LA, including San Fernando.  Drug crimes, including possession, sales, transportation, cultivation or manufacture are not uncommon in San Fernando.  From marijuana grow operations and illegal dispensaries, to meth labs, to transporting a controlled substance in a vehicle.  Property crimes are also low, but there are some petty thefts and other theft crimes as well.  Weapon possession offenses also come up from time to time and may have constitutional defenses.

If you have been arrested or charged with a crime in San Fernando, Sylmar, Pacoima, Burbank, North Hollywood, or elsewhere in the San Fernando Valley or Los Angeles, contact the Law Offices of Nicholas Loncar for a free consultation.  A Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer can help you understand the court process, how a prosecution works and what defenses you might have available in your particular case.

COMMON DUI DEFENSES:
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

EXAMPLE of a SAN FERNANDO CRIMINAL DEFENSE CASE:
Tim is driving in San Fernando, on his way to meet some friends to watch a basketball game at a local sports bar.  Tim runs a stop sign and gets pulled over by a San Fernando Police Officer.  Tim's license had previously been suspended for DUI, and he had not yet fulfilled the obligations to restore his license or get a restricted license with the DMV.  Tim had not been drinking, but the officer has Tim submit to some field sobriety tests and blow into a preliminary alcohol screening (PAS) device to test his blood alcohol concentration (BAC).  Tim passes the FSTs and blows a .00 on the PAS test. 

Nevertheless, Tim is arrested for driving on a suspended license in violation of VC 14601.2, for driving while his license is suspended for DUI.  His car is impounded for 30 days and he is now facing a misdemeanor charge, a probation violation in his DUI case.  To make matters worse, an inventory search of Tim's vehicle yields some "wax" (a marijuana concentrate, for which he does not have a valid doctor's recommendation), a violation of HS 11357(a), which may be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony (more on marijuana laws).

Tim hires a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney to handle his probation violation and marijuana concentrate case.  The burden is lower on the government in probation violation hearings, and the defendant does not have the same rights to a jury trial on the violation.  As such, Tim's lawyer is able to convince the prosecution not to file any new charges, on the VC 14601.2, or on the marijuana concentrate charge.  

In exchange for getting his license in order with the DMV by the date set by the court, Tim will not do any jail time and will not suffer any new convictions.  He must pay a small probation revocation fine and continue to abide by the original terms of his court probation.  With the help of his Los Angeles DUI Lawyer, Tim has gotten back on track, got his license and vehicle back and will still be able to expunge his DUI conviction when he is done with probation.

Being arrested or charged with a crime is scary, stressful and embarrassing.  But you do not have to face this challenge on your own.  If you have been arrested or charged with a crime in San Fernando, the SF Valley or somewhere else in LA, contact the Law Offices of Nicholas Loncar for a free consultation.

Nicholas M. Loncar, Esq.
Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney
t. 818-646-8788 | f: 818-646-8772
MOBILE: 323-803-4352
www.iDefendLosAngeles.com
[email protected]
12198 Ventura Blvd | Suite 207
Studio City, CA | 91604

Published By: Nicholas Loncar | Written by Nicholas Loncar