Santa Monica Criminal Defense Attorney

SANTA MONICA CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY AND DUI LAWYER
Santa Monica, CA is a world-famous town on the Pacific Ocean in Los Angeles County.  Known for its beach, pier, the Third Street Promenade, as well as celebrity residents, beach-front mansions, not to mention great restaurant and night life options. Santa Monica's nearly 90,000 residents are largely young professionals, young families and college and graduate students (nearby Santa Monica College, Loyola Marymount University and UCLA).  Neighboring towns and neighborhoods include Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, West Los Angeles and Venice.

Santa Monica is a popular tourist destination, as well as a hub for entertainment and night life for Angelenos.  Although generally a safe area of Los Angeles, Santa Monica does have crime, arrests and criminal charges, DUI and drug crimes being the most common.  Santa Monica Criminal cases are heard at the Airport Courthouse, by LAX and El Segundo.  Traffic matters go to the Santa Monica Courthouse.

The Santa Monica Police Department patrols Santa Monica, with the LAPD, LA County Sheriff and California Highway Patrol having jurisdiction of the surrounding areas.  If you have been arrested or charged with a crime in Santa Monica, speak to a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney now to discuss your case, your defenses and answer any questions you have about the court process.  We offer free consultations and fair, reasonable legal fees.  Here is a partial list of some of the kinds of criminal cases we handle in Beverly Hills and throughout Los Angeles:DRUG CRIMES | DUI | DUI CAUSING INJURY | DUI W/ PRIOR | FELONY DUI | VIOLENT CRIMES | THEFT CRIMES 
 PROSTITUTION/SOLICITATION | WEAPONS OFFENSES | SEX CRIMES | HOMICIDE | DOMESTIC VIOLENCE  
JUVENILE OFFENSES | PROBATION VIOLATIONS | FELONY |MISDEMEANOR | INFRACTION (TRAFFIC)
GANG CASES | VANDALISM | EXPUNGEMENT | APPEALS | CIVIL RIGHTS | THREE STRIKES

In Santa Monica and Los Angeles DUI cases, your lawyer can help you to assert some of the available defenses on your behalf and fight for and negotiate for the best possible outcome in your case.  Find out how the following defenses might keep you from getting a criminal conviction, keep you out of jail and/or save your driver's license:  Mouth Alcohol, Rising BAC,How Accurate are Breathalyzers?, Did Police Follow Proper Testing Procedure,Do Field Sobriety Tests Prove Anything?, Other Causes of Bad Driving Pattern.

Having your lawyer write and argue a motion to suppress might be your best defense in drug cases, weapon offenses, possession of stolen property cases.  If the police obtained the evidence against you in violation of your constitutional rights, your attorney can have that evidence thrown out and your case dismissed.  For more information on your Fourth Amendment rights against unlawful search and seizure, take a look at the following articles on search and seizure law: Stop and Frisk and Search of Persons, What constitutes a search?, Consent Searches, Search of Vehicles and Effects, How to Suppress Evidence.

EXAMPLE:
Tom is driving in Santa Monica, on his way to meet some friends to watch a football game at a sports bar.  Tom runs a red light and is pulled over by SMPD officers.  Tom'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.  Tom had not been drinking, but the officer has Tom submit to some field sobriety tests and blow into a preliminary alcohol screening (PAS) device to test his blood alcohol concentration (BAC).  Tom passes the FSTs and blows a .00 on the PAS test. 

Nevertheless, Tom 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 Tom'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).

Tom 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, Tom'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, Tom 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 terms of his court probation.  With the help of his Los Angeles DUI Lawyer, Tom 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.  Contact the Law Offices of Nicholas Loncar now for a free consultation with a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney.  We can discuss the details of your criminal case, begin to evaluate your defenses and decide on the right course of action to get you the best outcome possible in your criminal case.  Whether you need to avoid jail, negative immigration consequences or are simply innocent of the charge(s) alleged, a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer can help.

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

Published By: Nicholas Loncar | Written by Nicholas Loncar

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