Los Angeles Criminal Lawyers Blog
Many people mistakenly believe that you can only be charged with one criminal offense arising out of one accident. Unfortunately, this is not true. You can be charged with multiple criminal offenses and face multiple charges due to one accident.
When you have been charged with multiple offenses, you can also face multiple sentences. The sentences do not coincide. So if you are sentenced to thirty days in jail for one offense, and thirty days in jail for a second, serving thirty days does not satisfy the requirement. You must serve one after the other. This is why it is extremely important to retain the services of a Los Angeles Criminal Defense attorney when you face multiple charges.
A knowledgeable and experienced Criminal Defense attorney like those at Hoffman & Associates deal with multiple offenses as a part of their regular caseload. They know how to extract the different layers and nuances of the different offenses, how to scrutinize the evidence and present a case that allows for at least one, if not all, of the offenses to be reduced or dismissed.
But first, it is important to understand how multiple offense can arise out of one accident. Let’s consider an example.
Donny is driving home from a birthday party. He had a few drinks over the span of 2 hours. He thought that his blood alcohol level would be below the legal limit since he only had a few drinks, but his drinks were stronger than intended and he was, in fact, over the legal limit. On that day it was rainy, and the streets were almost flooded. On his drive home, Donny’s car skidded and he slammed into a parked car. Afraid, that he would also get a DUI, Donny took off from the scene. Unfortunately, a witness saw Donny, and immediately called the authorities, giving them Donny’s car description and license plate. Donny was stopped a few blocks away, questioned about the Hit and Run, as well as asked to take a sobriety test. Donny was charged with a Los Angeles Hit and Run, as well as a Los Angeles DUI.
Donny faces some serious charges. What his ultimate sentence would be depends on the extent of damage and Donny’s criminal records. It will also depend on his case is presented. There is significant room for negotiations and argument in cases such as these. This is why it is important that Donny hires a skillful Los Angeles Criminal Lawyer that can help him present the best possible case.
The goal is always to, first and foremost, get Donny’s case dismissed entirely. The second goal is to get it reduced. The attorney may do this by working diligently to make amends in regards to the Hit and Run damage, hoping to enter an agreement that will cause prosecution to drop the hit and run charges altogether. The attorney will then work on weaknesses and arguments in the DUI case. Either way, Donny will be glad he has a skillful and experienced attorney on his team. Don’t make the mistake of attempting to go it alone, get someone on your team that will fight for you!