Top Rated Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer

As a premier Los Angeles criminal lawyer, Michael Kraut was trained and attended Harvard Law School and then spent 14 years as a Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County. He worked in the prestigious Hardcore Gang Homicide Division and the Major Frauds Division. Attorney Kraut tried in excess of 86 jury trials to verdict and has won an unheard of 99% of his felony jury trials.

Drawing on his experiences, contacts and relationships with prosecutors, law enforcement and judges within the criminal justice system, Mr. Kraut opened the premier Los Angeles criminal defense firm, the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers. He knows the inner workings of investigations conducted by law enforcement and how prosecutors assemble their cases against a suspect. Mr. Kraut defends clients accused of criminal charges in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California. Mr. Kraut is known for "working up" his cases by conducting a thorough and independent investigation separate and apart from law enforcement. He leaves no stone unturned when defending his clients whether they are fighting a misdemeanor DUI, complex white collar fraud case, or a high profile murder case. Attorney Kraut understands that his client's interests and he will work hard to keep them out of jail and free of a criminal record.

Mr. Kraut has lectured to law enforcement on investigative techniques and taught prosecutors on courtroom trial tactics. He has been featured on CNN, Fox News and throughout print media.

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If you or a loved one faces misdemeanor or felony charges, contact Los Angeles criminal attorney Michael Kraut at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers for help. The Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers have offices throughout the Los Angeles area, and are also available to travel to your home to discuss your personal situation. Mr. Kraut primarily practices in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and Orange Counties.

Prosecutors and police in the Los Angeles region take allegations of domestic violence very seriously. When they find evidence of domestic violence upon arriving at a scene, the police are required to take into custody the person whom they believe is responsible. However, police officers can make mistakes when they are responding to a situation, and they often overreact to the circumstances or identify the wrong person as the perpetrator. Once a person has been taken into custody, they have a high risk of facing charges because prosecutors pursue domestic violence cases aggressively. Even if the accuser does not want to press charges, the prosecutor still can proceed. Anyone who has been charged under California Penal Code Section 273.5 thus should promptly contact a domestic violence lawyer who knows how to build defenses in these cases.

A common defense in domestic violence cases is self-defense. If you were not the initial aggressor, you may be able to show that your use of force was justified to protect yourself under the circumstances. In other situations, you may be able to argue that the other person consented to the conduct. Moreover, while domestic violence allegations deserve to be taken seriously, not all of them are legitimate. An accuser may be trying to get revenge on the defendant or gain an advantage in a family law matter, such as a child custody dispute. If your attorney can show that the accuser is not credible or may have improper motives, you may be able to defeat the charge.

Our domestic violence attorneys understand the importance of thoroughly exploring each possible defense to a charge, since domestic violence convictions can have very serious consequences. These can include jail time, fines, restitution, and a restraining order that may significantly restrict your contact with family members. If the incident resulted in moderate or severe injuries, domestic violence probably will be charged as a felony.

In cases involving a great bodily injury, a conviction will become a strike on the defendant’s record under the Three Strikes Law, which can have grave consequences for sentencing after any future convictions. Even if you cannot get the charge dismissed, getting a reduction from a felony to a misdemeanor or an infraction can make a huge difference to your future.

Call Us for Help

If you or a loved one faces domestic violence charges, contact Los Angeles criminal attorney Michael Kraut at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers for help. The Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers have offices throughout the Los Angeles area, and are also available to travel to your home to discuss your personal situation. Mr. Kraut primarily practices in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and Orange Counties.

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs under California Vehicle Code 23152(a) VC and California Vehicle Code Section 23152(b) VC is one of the most widely charged criminal offenses in the LA area. Each day and night, law enforcement officers from the Los Angeles Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and other agencies patrol the streets and freeways of Los Angeles looking for impaired drivers. Under the law it is a crime to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol or with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or above.

Unless the suspected drunk driver is stopped as part of a DUI checkpoint operation, a law enforcement officer must have probable cause that a driver is violating the law before the officer can legally justify stopping the vehicle. This is usually a violation of a vehicle code provision, such as speeding, improperly changing lanes or an equipment violation. Once a driver has been stopped, the officer must then be able to objectively form the opinion the driver is intoxicated. This is typically based on symptoms of intoxication, such as an odor of alcohol, bloodshot or watery eyes or slurred speech. At that point, the officer will usually ask the driver to submit to a series of field sobriety tests designed to determine if the driver is impaired. The officer may also request the driver to breath into a Preliminary Alcohol Screening ("PAS") device to see if the driver has a high blood alcohol content.

Once the officer concludes the driver is impaired, he or she will arrest the driver for DUI and will take the driver to the police station or hospital for further, more accurate chemical testing. The driver will be given the option of providing a breath or blood sample at the station (or hospital for blood). If the driver refuses testing, he or she can still be charged with a DUI offense and can lose their license for a full year.

During the Los Angeles DUI arrest process, the arresting officer will provide a notice of impending license suspension from the DMV. At that point, the driver will spend the night in jail. They may be released and provided a future court date or may have to appear in court for their arraignment the following day.

The case will be sent to a prosecutor to review for criminal filing. For first time DUI offenses in Los Angeles, that will be a prosecutor from either the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office or the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, depending on the location of the incident. The driver is usually charged with one count of driving under the influence in violation of California Vehicle Code Section 23152(a) VC and driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or higher in violation of California Vehicle Code Section 23152(b) VC. In addition, the driver would have to deal with a potential driver's license suspension from the DMV. If the driver requests a hearing within ten days of the arrest, they would have the chance to contest the suspension before a hearing officer from the Department of Motor Vehicles. An effective Los Angeles DUI attorney may be able to challenge the stop of the vehicle, the basis for arrest, and the results of the chemical test, both in court and before the DMV. For those convicted of DUI, penalties can include jail time, mandatory alcohol counseling classes, community service/labor, loss of license and substantial fines.

If you have been arrested for DUI in Los Angeles, it is imperative that you contact an experienced Los Angeles DUI Attorney immediately. For more information about DUI in Los Angeles, and to schedule your 1/2 hour free consultation, contact Los Angeles DUI Attorney Michael Kraut at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers located at 6255 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 1520, Los Angeles, CA 90028. Mr. Kraut can be reached 24/7 at 888-334-6344 or 323-464-6453.