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.