Inland Empire Criminal Defense Attorney
Practice Areas and Legal Definitions
California laws and procedures related to criminal defense are complicated and require a skilled criminal defense lawyer to properly navigate through the process. Southern California criminal defense Attorneys of the Dolan Law Offices fights for the rights of alleged criminal offenders in the city of Indio and in the greater Palm Springs area. He keeps case information detailed and accessible and provides legal solutions related to the following matters:
California Domestic Violence:
Domestic violence or abuse is any physical, emotional, sexual or other violence that takes place between people who may be married or not married; heterosexual, gay or lesbian; or living together, separated or dating. Domestic abuse can be criminal and includes physical assault: hitting, pushing and shoving, etc.; sexual abuse: unwanted or forced sexual activity; and stalking.
California Violent Crimes:
As unpopular as violent crimes and violent criminals are in society, individuals accused of violent crimes have the same rights as any other criminal defendant, including the right to an attorney; the right to a jury trial, the right to cross-examine witnesses, the right against self-incrimination, and the right to produce evidence. Individuals accused of violent crimes are typically those most in need of these Constitutional safeguards, as emotion and character evidence is often used to taint and sway the minds of the public, the court, and the jury. At Dolan Law Offices we represent clients charged with a variety of violent crimes in communities throughout Southern California and the Coachella Valley area.
California Sex Crimes:
Charges of sexual misconduct carry extremely serious penalties, and these crimes are commonly punished more severely than any other crime except murder. Sexual misconduct is seldom witnessed by anyone other than the accuser and accused, and the risk of conviction of an innocent person is drastically higher in these cases. In today's environment, accusations of unwanted sexual advances and child molestation are often investigated and prosecuted without sufficient evidence. The law presently has dramatically weighed in on protecting the rights of the so-called victim and often extremely relevant evidence is excluded from trial, such as an accuser's past sexual conduct.
Sexual misconduct cases require a combination of effective legal counsel, investigation and negotiation before indictment. Where conviction seems inevitable, experts are used to explore treatment and supervision alternatives to time or psychiatric hospitalization. If you have been accused of a sexual offense, contact The Dolan Law Offices for a confidential discussion.
California Juvenile Crimes:
Juvenile court is unique and should not be treated by an attorney as if it were adult court for young clients. While the substantive criminal law is the same in juvenile and adult court, the procedures and sentencing laws are substantially different. The consequences of a misstep by an attorney inexperienced in juvenile matters can be dramatic. For example, contrary to what many parents believe, a juvenile conviction is not removed from a child's record when they turn 18.
Despite the rehabilitative focus of juvenile court, juvenile convictions are counted as criminal history in future cases, remain on state criminal records databases and may affect a young person's ability to enter college, obtain employment, financial aid, a driver's license or join the military. Juvenile sex crime convictions pose their own special problems and consequences. Such a conviction may put the offender's name on a sex offender database open to the public and may trigger a reporting requirement that could last for a lifetime.
Additionally, juvenile convictions can result in commitment to a juvenile detention facility or institution for periods ranging from days to months and even to years. Worse, in some cases a child may end up being prosecuted in adult court, where the punishment is even more severe.
Juvenile court also handles cases involving allegations to which the state needs to intervene in the parent-child relationship because of alleged child abuse or neglect. This is a civil (as opposed to criminal) process known as a dependency proceeding. While such allegations may become the subject of a criminal investigation, frequently a Child Protective Services (CPS) caseworker contacts the parents before the police become involved. Although there is clearly a need for intervention when children are at risk, the power of the state to remove a child from the home is frightening. Often, parents with nothing to hide will react negatively to a caseworker who threatens to remove children from the home unless the parents comply with all demands made by the caseworker. The resulting conflict, unfortunately, only strengthens the opinion of many caseworkers that the child needs to be removed from the home.
California Drug Crimes:
Over the past few decades, the government has amassed armies of law enforcement personnel whose sole purpose is to pursue, arrest and prosecute violations of the nation's drug laws. Those laws have become more and more severe, with offenders frequently receiving sentences with very long mandatory minimum prison terms. The severity has also extended to drug forfeiture laws, which the government uses to seize bank accounts, houses, cars, boats and other property, even when it cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime has been committed.
The Dolan Law Offices has many years of experience representing clients in all types of drug cases and treats each drug case individually, finding the right solution for each client. In some cases, that is arranging for treatment of a client's longstanding addiction, others it is performing legal research and investigation to challenge the government's tactics in pursuing the client and invading his or her private life. Others, it is negotiating a plea bargain or preparing for and going to trial. Sometimes there may be a need for a combination of these tactics.
California Theft Crimes:
Under California statutes, Theft includes the crimes of Larceny, Fraud, Embezzlement, Shoplifting, Burglary, Grand Theft Auto, and Robbery.
Coachella Valley Attorney and Certified Criminal Law Specialist John Patrick Dolan Defends Against Shoplifting, Fraud, Embezzlement, Larceny, Burglary, and Other Theft Crimes
Theft by Larceny requires the taking and carrying away the property of another with the intent to permanently deprive the owner of the property. Petty Theft of property valued less than $400.00 is a misdemeanor, although a second offense may be filed as a felony. Theft of property valued over $400.00 is Grand Theft and may be filed as a misdemeanor or a felony for the first offense.
Burglary is the crime of entering a building with the intent to commit theft or a felony. The prosecution must prove that the accused had the intent to steal something or commit a felony at the moment of entry into the building. The old terminology of "breaking and entering" is satisfied merely with entry of the building - force is not necessary. In California First Degree Residential Burglary is always a felony and a "Strike." All other types of Burglary, including Shoplifting, are second degree. They may be charged either as a misdemeanor or a felony and do not count as "strikes."
Robbery involves the taking of property from another by force or fear. It is a felony and a strike. Infliction of Great Bodily Injury and/or the use of a gun or other weapon increases the sentence in state prison.
Embezzlement, Fraud, Bad Checks/Insufficient Funds and other White-Collar Crime generally involves nonviolent theft committed for financial gain. Many white-collar crimes involve professional people with no history of criminal activity.
A Theft Conviction Has Serious and Lasting Consequences
A conviction for any theft offense, even a minor one such as Shoplifting or Insufficient Funds, may have serious adverse consequences beyond fines and jail or prison. It may have affect your future employability or permanently affect your professional licensing and your career.
Any type of theft is a crime of dishonesty and "moral turpitude." Conviction of even a minor theft offense may permanently affect your ability to get the job of your choice and may limit your career. It may result in discharge from your current employment, especially if your job involves money, such as banking, investments, securities, stocks, or bonds. It could adversely affect medical, legal, real estate, and other professional licenses.
California White Collar Crimes:
High-tech professionals, corporate executives and clergy who are criminally charged for offenses such as corporate theft, counterfeiting, embezzlement, forgery, hacking, fraud, tax evasions, or bad checks are often referred to as "white collar" offenders and are prosecuted for white collar crimes. In some cases, first-time offenders are convicted and sent to prison even with no prior criminal history.
California Criminal Defense Generally:
Individuals found to violate a criminal law whether through their own admission of guilt or through the determination of a jury are subject to fines, imprisonment, probation and community service, among other penalties. The outcome of any criminal case depends on facts surrounding the crime charged, strength of evidence, legal validity of law enforcement and courtroom procedure, and goals and strategy of the government and defense.
Take Action to Protect Your Rights:
If you or a loved one, in Indio or within surrounding areas of Palm Springs, needs the legal counsel or assistance of an experienced criminal defense lawyer, please call The Dolan Law Offices today at 866-679-2754, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your free initial consultation.
