Recent Posts in Criminal Defense Category

If you or someone you know is being charged with a DUI, contact our office today to set up a free face-to-face consultation with one of our DUI attorneys. The  penalties involved with a DUI can be very serious and it is important to have an experienced DUI attorney on your side. At the  Hedding law firm we have a combined 75 years of experience and have been successful in dozens of cases like these.

If you or someone you know is being charged with a DUI,  contact our office today to set up a free face-to-face consultation with one of our DUI attorneys. The penalties involved with a DUI can be very serious and it is important to have an experienced DUI attorney on your side. At the  Hedding law firm we have a combined 75 years of experience and have been successful in dozens of cases like these.

Delino DeShields, Jr., first round draft pick of the Houston Astros, was arrested early Sunday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence.  DeShields, 18, was charged with three misdemeanor offenses: DUI, underage possession of alcohol, and driving the wrong way  on a one way street. He was booked into jail and released on bail two hours later. The Astros organization has said they will address the issue at an appropriate time. 

A DUI conviction can have a serious impact on your life and on the lives of those around you. If you or someone you know is facing DUI charges,  contact our office today. The DUI attorneys at the Hedding law firm, have handled hundreds of DUI/DWI cases over the years and we know the appropriate steps to take to assist you in making the right decisions.

According to California Vehicle Code section 23153 VC, you may be charged with a "DUI with injury" if you injured another person while driving under the influence. This could be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the circumstances of the offense, and your criminal history.

If you or someone you know has been charged with a DUI with injury, contact our office today. The DUI attorneys at the Hedding law firm have a combined 75 years of experience dealing with these types of cases. Our number one objective is to get your charges dismissed, we will work hard to get the best possible outcome for your case.

If you have been recently charged with a DUI offense and have more questions concerning the DMV process, come see a DUI lawyer at the Hedding law firm. Experienced in their field, a hardworking DUI attorney will help you fight off the Los Angeles DUI and provide more information about your driver's license and driving privileges. Contact our office today to set up a free face-to-face consultation.

If you or someone you know is being charged with a DUI, contact our office today to set up a free face-to-face consultation with one of our DUI attorneys. The penalties involved with a DUI can be very serious and it is important to have an experienced DUI attorney on your side. At the Hedding Law firm we have a combined 75 years of experience and have been successful in dozens of cases like these.

If you or someone you know is facing DUI charges, you will need an experienced and qualified attorney on your side. The DUI attorneys at the Hedding law firm have a combined 75 years of experience, and have been successful in many DUI cases. Contact our office today to set up a free face-to-face consultation. We will listen to all the facts surrounding your unique case and devise a proper plan of action.

If you or someone you know is being charged with a DUI contact our office today to set up a free face-to-face consultation with one of our DUI attorneys. The penalties involved with a DUI can be very serious and it is important to have an experience DUI attorney on your side. At the Hedding Law Firm we have a combined 75 years of experience and have been successful in dozens of cases like these.

If you have been recently charged with a DUI offense and have more questions regarding your unique case, come see a DUI lawyer at the Hedding Law Firm. Experienced in their field, a hardworking DUI attorney will help you fight off the Los Angeles DUI and provide more information about your driver's license and driving privileges.

Adam Mendoza, 21, has been sentenced to 15 years and 8 months in prison for a drunken driving crash that killed Izzy Raya,18, and Ralphy Naranjo,17. The families of the two victims were allowed to testify on Monday before Mendoza was sentenced. One of the victim's mothers brought his ashes to the trial and asked for justice.

According to prosecutors, Mendoza was drunk and high on methamphetamines when his SUV hit a light pole. The light pole fell on the SUV and crushed Raya and Naranjo, who were sitting in the back seat. A 17 year old girl was also in the car, she suffered serious injuries.

A DUI conviction can have a serious impact on your life and on the lives of those around you. If you or someone you know is facing DUI charges, call our office today. The DUI attorneys at the Hedding Law firm have handled hundreds of DUI/DWI cases over the years and we know the appropriate steps to take to assist you in making the right decisions.

A 23-year-old man, Juan Zermano, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and felony drunk driving after he struck another man with his car outside a party. Police were called to a house party at about 1 a.m. after an argument broke out in the house and then moved outside.

According to police, one of the boys involved in the argument called his brother, Zermano, to pick him up. When Zermano drove away, he made a sudden U-turn, drove up on the curb and struck the victim. Police were already on scene to deal with the argument and were able to witness the assault. The victim was released from the hospital early Sunday with non life-threatening injuries.

California Penal Code 245(a)(1) defines assault with a deadly weapon as an assault that is committed with any type of deadly weapon or by means of force that is likely to cause great bodily injury to another. It is filed as either a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the circumstances.

If you or someone you know is being accused of assault with a deadly weapon along with felony DUI call our office today to set up a free face-to-face consultation with one of our Los Angeles DUI criminal defense attorneys. The penalties involved with a DUI causing injury can be very serious and it is important to have an experienced DUI attorney on your side. At the Hedding Law firm we have a combined 75 years of experience and have been successful in dozens of cases like these.

A 17-year-old boy was killed early Saturday morning in Pacoima while riding his bicycle, when a motorist struck him. Shawn Fields, 26, was driving a 2007 Saturn northbound on Laurel Canyon Boulevard when he struck the teenager. The impact threw the victim and his bike across the intersection.  He was transported to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, where he died from his injuries. According to police, the motorist was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter while driving under the influence of alcohol.

Gross vehicular manslaughter while DUI is one of the most serious charges someone DUI can face. Someone is charged with this crime if they are driving a motor vehicle in a reckless manner that is significantly more then ordinary negligence, and a person is killed. Penalties can be from probation to ten years of state prison for each person who is killed. It must be proved that the person:

1. Drove under the influence of an alcoholic beverage or a drug or under the combined influence of an alcoholic beverage and a drug or drove while having a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or higher. And,
2. While driving that vehicle under the influence of an alcoholic beverage or a drug or under the combined influence of an alcoholic beverage and a drug, the person also committed either a misdemeanor or a driving infraction, or any other lawful act that might cause death; And,
3. The person committed a misdemeanor or some infraction or lawful act that might cause death with gross negligence; And,
4. The defendant's grossly negligent conduct caused the death of another person.

If you have been arrested or charged with a vehicular manslaughter while DUI offense, contact our criminal defense attorneys today. We have 75 years of combined experience and have defended hundreds of people over the years. The DUI attorneys at the Hedding Law firm understand the serious nature of these charges and we will do whatever we can to defend you. Call our office today at 818-986-2092, and set up a free face to face consultation.

For a college athlete a DUI conviction involves further penalties then sentencing. It has been learned in recent news from the nation's colleges and universities that there have been many DUI arrests involving NCAA athletes and coaches. Being a college athlete involves being in the public eye and when a legal issue arises such as a DUI conviction media publicity is expected. A DUI conviction often means the dismissal of an athlete or coach. This can affect the reputation of the sports program, hurt the team's chances of success, and damage the athlete's career.

Auburn University's football program recently dismissed or penalized several of its players following DUI incidents. Linebacker Kevin Spears is facing a undetermined suspension period after an arrest for driving while under the influence, hit-and-run, and public intoxication. This will cause him to miss the important game between Auburn and LSU this season.

These athletes have learned that the consequences of a DUI conviction go beyond the direct penalties. A DUI conviction can have an impact on your life and on the lives of those around you. If you or someone you know are facing DUI charges, call our office today. Our DUI attorneys at the Hedding Law Firm have handled hundreds of DUI/DWI cases over the years and we know the appropriate steps to take to assist you in making the right decisions.

Under a new bill signed Monday, repeat DUI offenders could lose their license for a decade if they have three DUI convictions within 10 years. Currently under California law, three convictions during ten years means a three year loss of a person’s license. The new law, AB 1601, does not take effect until January 1^st, 2012.

Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, is responsible for the bill. He became interested in the issue after reading an article in the San Mateo Times regarding repeat DUI offenders. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger approved the law and said "This legislation is an important step toward making California's roads safer." Schwarzenegger said in a statement, "Those who have multiple DUI convictions should not be on the road threatening lives."

If you or someone you know is facing a first time DUI or repeat DUI offense, do not hesitate to call the Hedding Law Firm today at (818) 986-2092. Our Los Angeles DUI defense attorneys will meet with you personally and give you an honest assessment of your Los Angeles DUI case.

Data found on the total DUI arrests for 2008 show a total of 214,828 DUI arrests in California, and out of those 1,468 were not of the legal drinking age.  Under the "Zero Tolerance Law", anyone under the age of 21 with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.01% or more, will be charged with a DUI. Underage drivers with a BAC of 0.05% or greater could be charged with an underage DUI and a regular DUI and is subject to arrest for a DUI.  On average, to reach a BAC of 0.01% would mean you would have to drink either one 12 ounce beer, one 4 ounce glass of wine, or one 1.25 ounce of liquor. Most likely any one of these could put you over the 0.01% and closer to 0.05% BAC.

If convicted, drivers under 18 years old will loose their license for one year or until they turn 18 years old. A judge may also choose to confiscate the underage driver's vehicle. In all cases the driver will have to pay fines of several thousand dollars, and attend driver's safety and alcohol abuse related classes. Subsequent convictions will lead to harsher penalties.

Despite what the type of drug it is, being under the influence while driving is dangerous. In the state of California, you can still be charged with a DUI defense even if you are under the influence of drugs instead of alcohol.

Whether the drugs are legal or illegal, it really does not matter. A police officer will charge you with a Los Angeles DUI if you are under the influence---drugs including prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, LSD, heroin, or any other type of drug. As your DUI attorney will tell you, all drugs are the same and the DUI defense charges will relatively be the same.

Once you step into a vehicle and you are under the influence, not only are you putting yourself at risk but others as well. Charged with a Los Angeles DUI, you will face very severe penalties along with jail time. It is important that you hire an experienced and knowledgeable DUI lawyer who will help you fight your DUI defense case, despite how sticky the situation may be.

As your DUI attorney will tell you, when you are being investigated for driving under the influence, it is common law for the officer to lookout for signs, indicating drug or alcohol use. Even if you passed field sobriety tests of typical Los Angeles DUI protocols, you can still show signs of impairment that the police officer will look out for. At this point, the experienced DUI defense officer will look for sings of drug usage-needle marks, the size of your pupils, measure your blood pressure or pulse, and the like. Maybe your DUI lawyer has experienced this in a previous Los Angeles DUI case, but when a blood or urine test comes back positive for traces of drugs, you will be immediately arrested and your driver's license will be withheld by the officer until you schedule your DMV hearing and ask for your license and driving privileges to be reinstated.

Some drugs may leave your system faster than others. In some Los Angeles DUI cases, victims have been falsely accused to driving under the influence due to external factors such as speech impediments, tiredness, etc. No matter the situation, it is pivotal that you hire an experienced DUI attorney to help you handle your case. The Hedding Law Firm has an abundant amount of knowledgeable and hard-working DUI attorneys who will do their best to help you fight your DUI defense case.

No one likes to be charged with a Los Angeles DUI, or any city for that matter. The DUI defense process is complicated and absolutely no fun for all the parties involved. Besides picking a DUI attorney, one of the most important decisions that you and your DUI lawyer must make is whether or not you should agree to a plea bargain or take your DUI defense case to trial.

Depending on your DUI defense case, the plea bargain or the trial will most likely offer you a better outcome for your situation. Oftentimes as your DUI lawyer will tell you, when you face a trial by jury, agreeing to a plea bargain for your Los Angeles DUI may be your best bet. If the prosecution has a pile of evidence against you and a very strong case, it would be wise to choose the plea bargain for your DUI defense. When agreeing to a plea bargain, the result is usually an agreement upon a sentence with fewer penalties.

If you are charged with a Los Angeles DUI, the prosecution might agree to lower the felony offense to a misdemeanor charge as part of your plea bargain. In turn, this will help lower your DUI defense penalties that you may have been sentenced with and may even allow your driving privileges to be reinstated sooner. Also, you may be offered to accept a dry-reckless charge or a wet-reckless charge. For DUI defense cases, a wet-reckless charge is when you agree to plead guilty to the lesser charge of alcohol-related driving. Unlike going to trial for your DUI defense, you will not have to attend mandatory alcohol education classes and have no restrictions on your driver's license. As your DUI lawyer will tell you, ff you agree to plead guilty to reckless driving while not alcohol-related, a dry-reckless charge results in only receiving probation and a fine. Either of these are great options for your Los Angeles DUI case.

It is highly advisable that you hire an experienced DUI attorney if you are convicted with a Los Angeles DUI. You need a DUI lawyer with strong negotiation skills so that you have the opportunity to obtain a win for your DUI defense regardless of the chose to accept a plea or go to trial. The Los Angeles DUI defense lawyers at Hedding Law Firm are among some the best lawyers you will come cross. Come by for a free consultation as they will go through with you step by step what your game plan should be for fighting your DUI defense case.