Los Angeles Criminal Attorney Blog

Recently, a fight began inside a Hollywood café and ended with a man getting stabbed with an ice pick outside of the establishment, according to DailyBreeze.com.

The fight started inside Joseph’s of Hollywood at about 10:30 p.m. on March 27 and allegedly involved three men. The men took the fighting outside and one of the men was stabbed in the head with an ice pick. That man was transported to a local hospital and is reported to be in stable condition. The other two men purportedly involved were detained by police.

Some criminal defendants who are involved in an argument may be charged with a crime although they were not involved in a physical altercation. Arguments among groups of people can turn into fights. Police may see that there was physical violence involved and charge everyone involved in the original argument with a crime, even though some of the individuals may not have been involved in the violence. Those people may find themselves facing serious criminal charges that carry significant jail time. In these situations, it can be hard to prove your innocence. It’s important to obtain high quality representation if you are ever facing criminal charges in California. Even relatively minor charges can have lifelong repercussions.

If you are ever charged with a crime, it is in your best interest that you contact a skilled Los Angeles criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. A lawyer with experience and knowledge will be able to craft a successful defense, plea bargain, get evidence thrown out of court, or get the charges dismissed entirely. The legal team at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf has extensive experience in successfully representing those charged with crimes in the Los Angeles area. Contact us today at 866-390-7373 for a free consultation.

A Los Angeles man, who was convicted 20 years ago of a fatal drive by shooting, has been released, according to LATimes.com. He had been arrested in 1991, at age 16, after six teenagers who had been standing near the shot victim identified him as the shooter. The man insisted he was at home watching television at the time of the shooting. He was convicted on the word of six teenagers, the only evidence in the case, and sentenced to life in prison.

Since then, five of the six witnesses, including the victim’s son, have recanted their identifications. The sixth man refused to testify. The conviction was overturned by a judge who found that there was no longer confidence in the jury’s verdict.

Putting an innocent man in prison has unpredictable ramifications. The innocent man has a son who was born shortly after he was arrested; and his father died while he was in prison. Despite losing a large part of his life and being absent for key events during the past 20 years, the freed man insisted he was not angry and was simply excited about living a normal life again.

This sad case illustrates how important it is to obtain high quality legal representation if you are ever suspected of a crime. It is important to fight the charges from the very beginning of the case. Criminal convictions can be very hard to overturn, even if new evidence surfaces or witnesses change their stories. If you have been accused of a crime in Southern California, contact the skilled Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf. Call us today at 1-800-968-2734to learn more about your rights.

A former city manager, his assistant, the city’s mayor, and a city councilman from Bell have been ordered to stand trial on a variety of charges related to taking public funds, according to My Fox LA.

The individuals have been charged with over 50 counts of misappropriation of public funds, conflict of interest, and falsification of public records. Prosecutors claim that the city officials legally inflated their salaries and then falsified public records to hide those salaries. The city manager was found to have a salary and compensation package of $1.5 million. In order to pay those salaries, prosecutors allege, they diverted property taxes and other funds. They also allege that the city manager loaned almost $2 million of public money to himself and others. Defense attorneys argue being well-paid is not a crime.

Although some view California white-collar crimes, such as the misappropriation of public funds, as not as serious as other types of crimes, white collar crimes can have serious legal consequences. There are both state and federal white collar crimes. Penalties for white collar crimes can include prison or house arrest, as well as fines and restitution. They can be charged as felonies or misdemeanors.

If you are facing charges for a white collar crime in California, contact the Los Angeles white collar crime defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf. Our attorneys have extensive experience in all aspects of criminal law, including successfully defending clients on a variety of white collar crime charges. Call today at 866-390-7373 to learn more.

On March 3, Los Angeles police shot and killed a man who shouted obscenities at them and looked as if he were drawing a weapon, according to SFGate.com.

Police officers were stopping someone when the man pulled up, honked his horn, and screamed at officers. He then put a weapon on his car roof. He walked towards officers, yelling obscenities. He was told to stop but ignored the order and reached his hand towards his waistband. A police officer shot him several times, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

We do not know what made this individual confront the police. We also don’t know why he didn’t follow the police officers’ orders. If you are ever involved in a traffic stop or a physical confrontation with the police, there are a few rules you should always follow in order to avoid serious consequences.

First, don’t run. The police will become very suspicious of why you are running and will use stronger force to subdue you. In all likelihood, they will find you and the consequences will be much worse than if you hadn’t run at all. Also, don’t ever resist arrest or touch an officer. The natural instinct of many people is to try to hit an officer’s hands away, but that could lead to additional charges.

If the police tell you to do something, do it. Avoid being argumentative and remain calm. If they tell you to put your hands where they can see them, do as they say. They don’t know you and they don’t know if you have a weapon. Avoid making sudden movements.

It can be intimidating to have an encounter with the police. If you have been arrested for a crime in the Los Angeles area, contact the Los Angeles criminal defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf at 866-390-7373. Our skilled attorneys will help you navigate the criminal justice system.