Former West LA Prosecutors | Beverly Hills Criminal And DUI Defense Lawyers
Since 1987, Beverly Hills criminal defense attorneys, Paul Takakjian and Stephen Sitkoff, have committed their legal practice to the defense of persons accused of criminal and DUI charges out of Beverly Hills and throughout West LA. Whether you have a prior criminal record or you are facing your first DUI offense, you likely numerous questions about what to expect, the penalties you face, the impact on your career, possible case outcomes, as well as other uncertainties that lie ahead. With over 70 years of combined criminal trial experience as former Beverly Hills Court prosecutors and law enforcement DUI instructors, we have forged a reputation within the LAX Courthouse as experienced criminal defense litigators with a genuine commitment to achieving only the most successful resolutions to our clients’ cases. Call us now at (888) 579-4844 for a free no-obligation consultation to review each detail of your case, as well as each of your possible outcomes.
Our defense expertise includes, but are not limited to, the following:
DUI – Although typically prosecuted as a misdemeanor, a felony DUI can charged if your drunk driving offense involves a collision causing injury or death to another, or your most recent DUI arrest qualifies as your 4th offense within the last 10 years of your 1st DUI or Wet Reckless conviction.
Drug Crimes – Since the passage of Prop. 47, simple possession of a controlled substance and/or prescription drugs, or possession for “personal use”, have been downgraded to misdemeanor drug offenses. However, certain aggravating circumstances, such as your prior serious felony history and/or your drug crime arrest involves possession of drugs with the intent to sell would result in you being prosecuted for a felony drug charge. As a result of our decades of experience in defending drug related crimes, we have forged many close professional relationships with local drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs throughout the Beverly Hills and West La area, which we have utilized as a means of alternative sentencing for our clients to keep them free from incarceration.
Theft Crimes – This class of crimes includes petty theft, grand theft, commercial burglary, residential burglary, receiving stolen property, forgery, insurance fraud, grand theft auto, and embezzlement. Theft crimes are among the most difficult convictions to have on your record from a future employment standpoint. Therefore, our goal in every theft-related we defend will be to negotiate outcomes involving the reduction of charges down to non-theft offenses or complete dismissal after a diversionary plea.
Sex Crimes – Whether you are arrested or targeted for investigation for a sex offense against a minor or adult, it is imperative that you seek counsel from an experienced Beverly Hills sex crimes defense lawyer due to the permanent life altering consequences you face if convicted. As former senior prosecutors within the Los Angeles County District Attorney Office’s elite sex crimes special prosecution unit, Mr. Takakjian and Mr. Sitkoff know how aggressively prosecuted these crimes are. Most importantly to you, their experience as former sex crimes prosecutors provides them with an unmatched foundation of knowledge and experience into what is necessary to properly defend against such serious charges.
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, or domestic violence 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 examples of crimes which do not require physical contact nor injury with the victim. Crimes of violence carry harsh mandatory penalties and your criminal sentence can be further enhanced if there are serious injuries involved.
Prefile Investigations — In 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 “prefile investigation”. This phase represents the first stage in the criminal procedural process and involves the assigned detective(s) interviewing witness, 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 prefile:
- 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
Call Us Now For A Free Case Review
Since 1987, we have successfully defended clients charged with both misdemeanor and felony crimes in Beverly Hills and throughout West Los Angeles utilizing our decades of criminal defense experience and genuine commitment to achieving the best possible results for our clients. If you have been arrested or have recently learned you have been targeted as a suspect in a criminal investigation, call us now at (888) 579-4844 to review your case and options.
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