Los Angeles Attorney for a Criminal Arraignment
For most people, being arrested or even cited for a crime is one of the most scary and traumatic experiences of their life. It can be even more traumatic when you feel as if you have no idea how the process that you are being thrust into works or what is going to happen to you. You may hear folks throwing around terms like “criminal arraignment” and not know what they mean. The most important thing you can do, however, is to stay focused and take the most important step to keep you safe and protect your rights: hiring a skilled attorney to represent you.
Eric D. Davis, Attorney at Law, is one of the most preeminent Los Angeles attorneys for a criminal arraignment, with years of experience helping clients like you successfully begin and, eventually, resolve their cases. From the arraignment all the way through a trial if one is necessary, Eric Davis will be by your side at every step of the case, answering any questions you have and working to bring the matter to the most successful possible resolution for you and your future. Call our office today at (909) 861-8075 for a free consultation.
Events Leading Up to the Criminal Arraignment in Los Angeles
Most of the time when the police believe someone has committed a crime, they will place them under arrest. However, there are some occasions where, for low-level crimes like public intoxication or a traffic ticket, the police will simply issue you a citation and allow you to leave without taking you into custody. The citation will usually have a court date on it for your arraignment, and if not, you will receive a letter in the mail shortly informing you of the date. It is vital that you not ignore this and fail to show up for court, as this will likely lead to the judge issuing a bench warrant for your arrest. Instead, reach out to a skilled criminal defense attorney like Eric Davis as soon as possible after you receive the citation so that we can contact the prosecutor, assess the evidence, and try to work out a deal for the entire matter to be resolved on the arraignment date.
If the police place you under arrest, you will be transported to the local police station for what is known as the booking process. During this process, the officers will take your fingerprints, take you photograph, and inventory any items on you for safekeeping. Then you will be held in the station’s holding cell or at the local jail until your arraignment and bail hearing can occur, usually within 48 hours unless it is a weekend or a holiday. Because of this quick turnaround time and the importance of having an attorney represent you at the arraignment and at the bail hearing, where the judge will decide you should reach out to an experienced Los Angeles attorney for a criminal arraignment like Eric Davis as soon after your arrest as possible.
How Does a Criminal Arraignment Work in Los Angeles?
The criminal arraignment is the event where you are asked to enter an initial plea of guilty or not guilty. It occurs at the first appearance after your arrest or citation. The initial arraignment in California occurs at or around the same time as the bail hearing for those who were arrested, and usually within a few weeks of the citation for those who were cited. Typically, your lawyer will advise you to enter a plea of not guilty at your arraignment, as they will want time to gather all the evidence, assess the strength of the prosecution’s case against you, and try to work out a deal with government. In felony cases, there will actually be a second arraignment after the preliminary hearing. Again, an experienced Los Angeles attorney for a criminal arraignment like Eric Davis is likely to advise you to plead not guilty unless they have already come to some sort of amenable plea deal with the prosecutor. If a plea deal to your liking is reached later, the plea can be easily changed to guilty.
What to Do After a Criminal Arraignment in a Los Angeles Criminal Case
If you are charged with a felony, there will be a preliminary hearing that functions as a sort of mini-trial where the prosecutor will have to put on their evidence and witnesses to show the judge there is probable cause for the case to proceed to the trial stage. Your lawyer will be able to cross-examine the witnesses presented and present our own case. Even if the judge decides that there is probable cause for the case to proceed, this hearing can still be helpful by giving us a sense of how the state’s evidence and witnesses will hold up in an actual trial.
After the arraignments, bail hearing, and preliminary hearing have been dealt with, Eric Davis and the staff will work on filing any necessary motions, like a motion to compel any discovery that the prosecutor has yet to produce, and beginning negotiations with the prosecutor about the possibility of getting the charges downgraded or dismissed. For some low-level offenses and individuals without a criminal record, we may be able to convince the prosecutor to allow you into a pre-trial diversion program, where your charges will be dropped if you complete the program successfully. Other possible deals include the prosecutor downgrading the charge or recommending a lenient sentence in exchange for a guilty plea. Of course, if you do not wish to take a deal, Eric Davis is ready and able to fight for a not guilty verdict in the courtroom.
Call Our Los Angeles Attorney for a Criminal Arraignment Today for a Free Consultation
Since the initial arraignment will usually occur very quickly after your arrest or citation, it is imperative that you reach out to a veteran Los Angeles criminal defense attorney for an arraignment like Eric Davis as soon as possible. The quicker we get to work, the better chance we have of guiding your case to a successfully resolution, from the arraignment and forward until we achieve the best possible result for you. Call our firm today at (909) 861-8075 for a free consultation.