San Diego Serious Violent Crimes Lawyer Near Me

Were you accused of committing a serious violent crime in San Diego, California? If arrested and charged, you’ll be facing serious prison time and a permanent criminal record. Contact an experienced San Diego serious violent crimes lawyer at Blair Defense Criminal Lawyers immediately to start building the aggressive defense you need.

You don’t have a moment to waste if you’ve been charged with a serious crime. We handle cases involving arson, San Diego conspiracy, felony DUI, San Diego probation violation, and more. Contact our law firm in San Diego, California at (619) 357-4977 to schedule your free consultation today.

Table of Contents

How Blair Defense Criminal Lawyers Can Help as Your San Diego Serious Violent Crimes Lawyer

It’s important to remember that you are innocent until proven guilty. Our lawyers have years of experience helping clients fight criminal charges in Southern California. You can count on us to launch the most aggressive and thorough defense possible.

Now, you should expect the prosecution to pursue the maximum available sentence. Aggravating factors can also lead to an enhanced sentence. Our skilled criminal defense lawyer in San Diego knows how to fight these serious charges.

When you hire us, our attorneys will:

Immediately launch a full investigation into the alleged crime
Interview witnesses and analyze forensic and DNA evidence
Evaluate the prosecution’s evidence for any holes or weaknesses
Hire experts and specialists who can discredit the prosecution’s evidence
Negotiate behind the scenes to have your charges downgraded or the case dismissed if possible
Fiercely advocate to protect your legal rights at trial

Our experienced San Diego serious violent crimes lawyers will throw the full weight of our experience and resources into defending your freedom. We’ll do everything in our power to make the prosecution’s job as difficult as possible.

Don’t take a chance with an overworked public defender. Call our lawyers to schedule a free case review today.

Overview of Serious Violent Crimes in California

It’s easy to feel hopeless if you’ve been charged with a serious violent crime. California courts punish violent criminals harshly. Hiring an experienced San Diego serious violent crimes attorney is the only way to protect yourself.

At Blair Defense Criminal Lawyers, we handle all types of serious violent criminal cases, including:

Murder
Voluntary manslaughter
Rape
Aggravated assault and battery
Assault with a deadly weapon
Robbery
Arson
Kidnapping
Domestic violence
Child abuse and child endangerment
Criminal threats
False imprisonment
And more

Even allegations that you committed a violent crime can have devastating consequences. If you’ve been accused of a crime, call our lawyers in San Diego today. We’ll immediately begin working to clear your name and protect your future.

Murder

California Penal Code Section 187 defines murder as the killing of a human being or fetus with “malice aforethought.”

To convict on murder charges, the prosecution must prove the following elements:

You committed an overt act with wanton disregard for human life
That act had a high probability of causing a person’s death
There was no lawful justification for the act

The “malice” element of the criminal offense may be express or implied. Malice will be implied if you acted without considerable provocation. If you deliberately intended to take someone’s life, malice is “express”.

Murder can be charged as a first-degree or second-degree felony. You will be charged with first-degree murder if:

The murder was premeditated, willful, and/or deliberate
To commit the murder, you used a destructive device, poison, torture, lying in wait, or armor-piercing ammunition
The case involved felony murder, which means the murder was committed in the course of committing another serious felony offense, the victim was a peace officer, you aided and abetted a killing, or were a major participant in the attempted murder

In all other cases, murder is a second-degree felony in San Diego County.

Manslaughter

Voluntary manslaughter is considered a lesser offense than murder. Still, it involves taking another person’s life; the charges shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Voluntary manslaughter charges apply when you’re accused of killing someone without malice, whether in a sudden rage or in the “heat of passion”. In these cases, the defendant is accused of killing someone under circumstances where emotions clouded their judgment so that you couldn’t think clearly.

Rape and Sexual Assault

Under California law, rape is defined as having sexual intercourse with another person without their consent and against their will.

Prosecutors can charge someone with rape if they have evidence to prove:

The defendant used force or violence to commit the sexual assault
The defendant used threats of violence to accomplish the act
The defendant knew or reasonably should have known that the victim was unable to consent because of intoxication or use of a controlled substance
The defendant knew that the victim was incapable of consent because of a mental disability or physical disability

Under California rape laws, it’s also possible that the prosecution could charge you with rape if the alleged victim was unconscious, asleep at the time of intercourse, or if the defendant used fraud to manipulate the victim into consenting to sexual intercourse.

Rape is one of the most violent crimes you can commit. Police and prosecutors will work tirelessly to collect evidence that proves your guilt. If you were accused of a sex crime, contact an experienced San Diego serious violent crimes attorney at Blair Defense Criminal Lawyers for immediate assistance.

Aggravated Assault and Battery

Prosecutors can convict on aggravated assault and battery under California Penal Code Section 243(d) if they can prove that you committed a violent act that caused serious physical injury.

A “serious physical injury” is one that impairs the victim’s physical or cognitive abilities. It isn’t always necessary for prosecutors to prove that the victim required medical care or suffered a permanent injury.

Assault With a Deadly Weapon

Assault with a deadly weapon is a serious felony under California Penal Code Section 245.

The severity of the charge depends on:

Whether the offense involved a firearm or another type of deadly weapon
The severity of the injuries that were likely to result from the assault

Remember, you can face serious jail time even if you aren’t accused of causing serious physical injury or death. It’s enough that your actions could have caused someone serious harm.

Domestic Violence

Under California law, willfully inflicting a corporal injury on someone with whom you shared a domestic relationship is a serious offense.

Serious and traumatic corporal injuries include those inflicted by physical force, such as:

External wounds
Damage to internal injuries
Injuries caused by strangulation or suffocation

To convict, you must have shared a domestic relationship with the victim. A domestic relationship is defined to include:

Spouses and former spouses
Current and former romantic partners
Cohabitants and former cohabitants (i.e., roommates)
The parent of the alleged abuser’s child
Fiances

Domestic violence that causes great bodily injury is a felony.

What are the Penalties for Serious Violent Crimes in San Diego, California?

The penalties for a serious violent crime depend on the specific criminal charge you’re facing. In California, the length of a prison sentence depends on the specific crime involved. In most cases, California’s three strikes law will increase the severity of the penalty.

If you are convicted of a serious violent crime in California, you could be sentenced to:

Up to life in prison without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder
Between 25 years and life in prison for first-degree and felony murder
Between 15 years and life in prison for second-degree or felony murder
Three, six, or 11 years in state prison for voluntary manslaughter
Up to eight years in state prison for rape

If you are convicted of assault with a deadly weapon, you could face up to four years in prison for felony charges. If the deadly weapon was a firearm, the judge will sentence you to a minimum of six months in jail, even if the offense was a misdemeanor.

In addition to jail or prison, you could be sentenced to probation, ordered to pay significant financial penalties, or complete counseling.

What Defenses Can Be Raised if I’m Accused of Committing a Serious Violent Crime?

The elements of that offense will depend on the crime and the circumstances.

Common defense strategies in cases involving serious violent crimes include:

Self-defense
Lack of intent or required state of mind
Alibi, mistaken identity, and actual innocence defenses
False allegations
Challenges to witness credibility
Police bias
Constitutional violations that can result in illegally-obtained evidence being thrown out

Our San Diego violent crimes lawyers will examine every piece of evidence and conduct our own investigation to uncover evidence that could prove your innocence. If law enforcement obtained evidence in an illegal search and seizure, we’ll file a motion to have it excluded.

Depending on the circumstances, there may be additional defenses that could play a role in your case.

Schedule a Free Consultation With a San Diego Serious Violent Crimes Lawyer

Schedule a Free Consultation With a Serious Violent Crimes Lawyer

You can count on our defense attorneys at Blair Defense Criminal Lawyers to pursue the most aggressive legal defense possible. If you were charged with a violent crime, call an experienced San Diego serious violent crimes lawyer to create an attorney-client relationship today.

Visit Our Criminal Defense Law Office in San Diego, CA

Blair Defense Criminal Lawyers
225 Broadway Suite 1750
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 357-4977

Our criminal defense law firm in San Diego, CA also provides: