California board-certified criminal law specialists and former Long Beach prosecutors, specializing in Criminal and DUI defense.
For over 3 decades, we have committed our legal defense practice to defending individuals accused of criminal charges in Long Beach. Following a criminal arrest, you will have countless questions about what you should do next, what to expect, the penalties you face, the impact on your career, and your possible case outcomes. With over 70 years of combined criminal trial experience as former Long Beach prosecutors and law enforcement instructors, Long Beach criminal defense attorneys Paul Takakjian and Stephen Sitkoff have earned reputations within the Long Beach Courthouse as aggressive criminal defense lawyers with expertise in defending DUI charges, sex crimes, theft crimes, drug crimes, and domestic violence charges. Call our Long Beach office for a free no-obligation consultation (562) 606-5117 to learn more about your options and how we can help you.
Since 1987, We Have Successfully Defended The Following Criminal Charges In Long Beach:
DUI – Commonly prosecuted as a misdemeanor, however, it can be elevated to a felony if your drunk driving offense resulted in a collision causing injury or death to another or you are facing your 4th offense within the last 10 years of your 1st DUI conviction. Both Mr. Takakjian and Mr. Sitkoff previously prosecuted both misdemeanor and felony drunk driving offenses during their tenure with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Additionally, Mr. Takakjian is former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department academy instructor where he taught breath testing administration and compliance, along with Title 17 compliance.
Drug Crimes – We have nearly 2 decades of experience in defending drug charges in Long Beach ranging from simple possession to the most serious possession with intent to sell or traffic. Our extensive experience in defending drug crimes has also resulted in many close professional relationships with local drug/alcohol rehabilitation programs throughout the Long Beach area. Our experience as former senior prosecutors gives us a unique advantage and insight into law enforcement investigative tactics and procedures. This, combined with our expert knowledge of the rules of evidence and criminal procedure, ensures flaws and factual weaknesses in the prosecution’s case will be identified and used to our clients’ advantage in trial or plea negotiations.
Theft Crimes – Our experience in Long Beach theft charges includes defending charges of shoplifting, petty theft, grand theft, commercial burglary, residential burglary, receiving stolen property, forgery, insurance fraud, grand theft auto, and embezzlement. Because we recognize the future employment challenges you face with a theft crime conviction, we focus our efforts on negotiating with prosecutors to either reduce theft-related charges down to non-theft offenses such as trespassing or disturbing the peace, or in some circumstances, reductions to an infracted offense or complete dismissal after a diversionary sentence. Whether you were wrongfully accused or simply exercised poor judgment, you can rest assured that our firm will have a dynamic defense strategy specifically prepared for your unique case facts to ensure you receive the best possible outcome.
Sex Crimes – If you have been charged with a sex crime, it is imperative that you seek counsel from an experienced sex crimes defense lawyer. While any lawyer can claim to be a “sex crime defense expert,” both Mr. Takakjian and Mr. Sitkoff are one of the few criminal defense attorneys deserving of this distinction based upon their experience and expertise as former senior prosecutors within the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office’s elite sex crimes special prosecution unit. Since 1987, our firm has specialized in defending sex crimes in Long Beach such as child annoyance, child molestation, statutory rape, forcible rape, sexual battery, indecent exposure, lewd act in public, as well as high tech sex crimes such as contacting a minor for the purposes of committing a lewd act and possession/distribution of child pornography. The consequence of a sex crime conviction is not just limited to long state prison sentences and fines. Lifetime registration as a sex offender under California Penal Code section 290 can be a potential consequence you face if convicted.
Violent Crimes – A violent crime is a criminal act involving the use or threat of force upon another. Offenses such as murder, battery, assault with a deadly weapon, and Long Beach domestic violence charges are violent offenses where the primary objective is the violent act. Whereas, you can be charged with a violent crime even if the act does not involve actual physical contact or even injury. For example, criminal threats, stalking, and assault are a few violent offenses that do not require physical contact nor injury between you and the victim. Violent crimes are prosecuted aggressively, and the penalties and consequences can be more severe if there are serious injuries involved. It is paramount that you retain experienced criminal defense representation to guarantee your case is defended on an even playing field. Whether your case arose out of alcohol-fueled poor judgment or the incident involved an act of self-defense, our decades of criminal defense experience and our reputation, which precedes us within the Long Beach criminal court, assures you of the best criminal defense advocacy in the Long Beach area.
Pre-file Investigations — In some criminal cases where the evidence is insufficient at the time of initial reporting to police, the case would be assigned to a detective for further investigation, also known as a pre-file investigation. This phase represents the first stage in the criminal procedural process and involves the assigned detective(s) interviewing witnesses, interrogating “targets” or suspects, freezing bank accounts, executing search warrants, and/or engaging in surveillance operations. The following are a few of the criminal offenses that are most commonly investigated pre-file:
- VC 20001/VC 20002 – Hit & Run with Injury and/or property damage
- PC 273.5(a)/PC 243(e)1 – Spousal Abuse or Domestic Battery
- PC 288(a) – Lewd Act With a Minor Under 14 years old
- PC 503 – Embezzlement
- HS 11351 – Possession with Intent to Sell Narcotics
- PC 242 – Battery
- PC 459 – Residential Burglary
- PC 548(a) – Insurance Fraud
Why Hire Our Long Beach Criminal Defense Firm?
If you are hiring a Long Beach criminal defense attorney for the first time, deciding upon whom to hire almost exacerbates the stress and anxiety you are already dealing with. We recognize there are thousands of criminal defense lawyers for you to choose from, however, there are very who can match the experience and expertise we bring to each of our Long Beach Court cases, whether it is a serious felony or a DMV license suspension hearing. We believe in an honest and transparent approach to the operation of our criminal defense practice. Therefore, unlike many other criminal defense firms, you will not have a different attorney appearing at each of your court dates, you will know who your attorney is, and you will have direct communication with him. Most importantly, when you retain Takakjian & Sitkoff, LLP, you will be represented by either Paul Takakjian or Stephen Sitkoff, not a less experienced associate or inexperienced contract lawyer.
If you have been arrested in Long Beach, San Pedro, Signal Hill, or the surrounding areas within South Los Angeles County, please contact our Long Beach criminal defense at (562) 606-5117 or toll-free at (888) 579-4844 for your free no-obligation consultation. We are available 24/7, seven days a week.
Takakjian & Sitkoff, LLP
1 World Trade Center
8th Floor
Long Beach, CA 90831
