Orange County Felony Attorney
What are felony crimes?
Felony crimes include murder, rape and arson, and the worst felony offenses
can be punishable by death or life imprisonment in the California state
prison. While most felony offenses are straight felonies, meaning they
are classified as nothing more than as felonies, crimes are called "wobblers."
Wobblers can be charged as a felony or a misdemeanor, depending on the
specific facts and circumstances of the case.
When you have been arrested for a felony offense, it is critically important
to your case that you secure the help of an
Orange County criminal lawyer with experience in handling these types of cases. You need a seasoned
legal defender on your side who knows how to aggressively advocate for
you in court to obtain the best outcome for your case, and you can find
this level of representation when you call the Law Offices of Jacqueline Goodman.
Classifying Felony Crimes
Some of the most common felony offenses in Orange County and throughout
California include:
- Possession for sale of a controlled substance
- Murder
- Rape
In many cases, California Penal Code designates a specific sentence for
felony crimes. This is the case with Penal Code 92 PC, which deals with
bribing a judge or judicial officer, in which the law states that those
convicted will face imprisonment for two, three or four years. In other
felony cases that involve wobblers, the law states that a conviction may
result in "imprisonment in the state prison, or by imprisonment in
the county jail for not more than one year."
Wobbler cases are left to the discretion of the prosecutor who will decide
whether to file the case as a misdemeanor or felony offense. The prosecutor
will often look into the facts of the case and your criminal history to
make a decision; it is important to have the help of a criminal defense
attorney regardless of what the prosecutor decides. Some of the most popular
wobbler cases are
domestic violence cases under Penal Code §273.5. The classification of these charges
depends on the person's prior record and whether or not there were
serious injuries involved.
Penalties for Felony Crimes
If you have been arrested for a felony, you must realize the severe penalties
that will follow a conviction and the impact that these penalties could
have on the rest of your life. When you are convicted of a felony under
California criminal law, you will either be placed on formal probation
from the time of sentencing or parole following your release from prison.
Prison sentences vary depending on the circumstances of the case, and
the length of the prison term for carjacking could range between 36 and
108 months. A conviction for voluntary manslaughter includes a prison
sentence ranging from 26 to 132 months, and attempted murder can result
in a maximum prison sentence of 108 months.
Probation for a felony offense means that you will have to adhere to court-imposed
conditions after your sentence. These terms could include attending regular
counseling, checking in on a regular basis, and obeying all laws in order
to avoid additional arrests. Parole, on the other hand, does not take
effect until you have been released from prison. The terms and conditions
of parole are similar to probation and may last for many years.
Regardless of the felony crime that you have been arrested for, you must
keep in mind that it is never too late to start fighting your charges
with a strong
criminal defense strategy.