It is essential to effectively and successfully navigate the complicated waters of the Los Angeles and San Diego County juvenile Court system that one understands the forces that influence judicial rulings as well as court procedures and the extreme power and control of each counties probation department.
Both of these counties are faced today with excessive caseloads each day, budget cutbacks by the county resulting in fewer public defenders trying to adequately represent large caseloads of clients each day. This translates into a few short minutes to understand each case and advocate a solution through negotiation with the prosecutor. This less than thorough representation reduces clients cases to numbers instead of clients. Here lies the challenge of minors being represented by public defenders or court-appointed attorneys.
When your son or daughter has been arrested and charged with a misdemeanor or felony criminal offense, it is imperative that their rights are properly protected under the Constitution, and they are afforded competent legal representation caring enough to become familiar not only with the prosecution’s case as set forth in the police report, but a complete understanding of the minors side. Any defenses and witnesses that can serve as a basis for a favorable result, if not a complete dismissal must be carefully reviewed.