Rancho Cucamonga Criminal Defense Attorney

Criminal charges of any kind are serious issues that require professional legal representation. If you or a loved one face a criminal charge in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, or San Bernardino County, the Graham Donath Law Offices, APC can represent you and potentially help to minimize your penalties. Contact us today to schedule a free case review and find out how our firm can help with your criminal case.

Why Hire Our Rancho Cucamonga Criminal Defense Lawyer?

The right defense attorney could potentially mean the difference between a jail sentence and a criminal record and avoiding penalties or pleading to lesser charges. Graham Donath offers comprehensive criminal defense representation for all types of criminal charges in the Rancho Cucamonga and San Bernardino area.

We have knowledge in all types of criminal cases in the Rancho Cucamonga criminal justice system.
Graham Donath focuses his practice entirely on criminal defense to provide highly focused legal representation to those who need it most.
Graham Donath is a member of various professional legal organizations including the California Attorneys For Criminal Justice, the Criminal Defense panel of Riverside County, and the Orange, Los Angeles and Riverside County Bar Associations.
We offer free consultations to potential clients to help them better understand their legal positions before making financial commitments for legal counsel.

How Graham Donath Can Help

Graham Donath is an aggressive criminal defense lawyer with a stellar track record of successful cases. When you work with the Graham Donath Law Offices, APC, you can expect your attorney to fully explore all available evidence in play in your case, help you determine your best defenses, and represent your interests in court. A reliable criminal defense attorney can help you avoid severe legal penalties and possibly plead down to lower charges with lighter sentencing in some cases.

Our Firm Handles California Criminal Defense Cases

We handle all types of criminal cases in Rancho Cucamonga.

Violent crimes. If you face criminal charges for assault, battery, rape, or another violent crime, we can help you look for exculpatory evidence or explore pleading options.
Domestic violence. A domestic violence conviction can have a serious impact on several aspects of your life, and our firm can help determine the validity of the charges against you. Contact our Riverside domestic violence lawyers for a free consultation.
Drug crimes. Many Californians struggle with substance abuse and others may face wrongful arrests for legal drugs. We can help clear up these discrepancies and potentially help a client secure diversionary or alternative sentencing for nonviolent offenses.
Depending on the nature of a DUI offense and the offender’s prior history, we may be able to help avoid fines and jail time in exchange for mandatory rehab or drug and alcohol education courses.

Rancho Cucamonga Criminal Court Information

If you suspect you have a warrant out for your arrest for any criminal matter, you can find out via the Rancho Cucamonga district court website, various third-party public records providers, a local bail agency, or the local Sheriff’s department. If you confirm a warrant exists for your arrest, your next move should be to speak with a criminal defense attorney that has experience working in the Rancho Cucamonga region as soon as possible.

What to Expect in a Misdemeanor Case

Misdemeanors are less severe than felonies but can still easily lead to fines, prison time, and other severe penalties. Additionally, repeat misdemeanor charges may qualify for felony-level sentencing. After arrest, a suspect moves through the booking process and must remain in confinement until arraignment, until he or she posts bail, or until a judge allows the suspect to leave on his or her own recognizance. During arraignment, the suspect has the opportunity to enter a plea, which will lead to the next phase of the criminal justice process.

Impact a juvenile record can have on your life

Any juvenile charged with a crime needs to be aware that their actions can have a dramatic impact on the rest of their lives. If you are a minor and have been charged with a crime, or if you are a family member of a juvenile facing criminal charges, please reach out to a skilled Rancho Cucamonga criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. At the Graham Donath Law Offices, APC, our attorneys have spent a significant amount of time working on juvenile-related cases. Our clients often come to us thinking that juvenile records will not impact their children’s lives and that these seemingly “minor” incidents will not affect them. In fact, regardless of the actual severity of the crime, many people think that the incident is “minor” just because a juvenile was responsible. This is not the case. Parents need to understand that juvenile records can dramatically impact their children’s future.

Nearly any person you ask in an official position will say that the juvenile justice system is designed to rehabilitate young offenders. However, even after “rehabilitation,” a person will likely find that their record follows them and can have a negative impact on their lives well into adulthood. Aside from the obvious consequences of serving a sentence related to the crime, juveniles charged and convicted of crimes need to worry about the following:

Obtaining employment. A juvenile record could certainly impact a person’s ability to get a job. Many workplaces ask their applicants to self-report prior convictions, including juvenile convictions. Even if a person does not self-report their juvenile conviction, the company could run a background check (or even a Google search) before they decide to hire a person. This could uncover the juvenile record. In many cases, companies automatically disqualify applicants with any kind of criminal record, even juvenile records.
Applying for colleges. You need to be aware that nearly every college and university will consider juvenile records during the application process. Depending on the nature of the crime and conviction, this could result in a complete rejection from the college. However, most colleges consider juvenile records on a case-by-case basis, and they often allow the applicant to write a letter or provide an in-person explanation about their charges. Some of the factors that come into consideration when universities are making their decision include the length of the applicant’s record, the seriousness of the offenses, and the signs of rehabilitation.
Having their record used against them later. It is no secret that prosecutors in the state of California will use a person’s past against them if they are facing new charges. This is also true for juvenile record cases, particularly if the record has not been sealed or expunged. While we know that past behavior does not always indicate future performance, prosecutors will make the argument that the past criminal record shows a pattern if any new allegations of criminal offenses arise.

California is a state that has laws in place to seal or expunge juvenile records under certain circumstances. However, this is not a guarantee, particularly depending on what charges a person was convicted of as well as the nature of the case. You need to work with a Rancho Cucamonga or San Bernardino criminal defense attorney on your juvenile crimes charges in order to help ensure that your record gets properly expunged or sealed when you turn 18.

Steps to take after being charged with a crime

If you or somebody you care about has been charged with a crime, there are various steps that you need to take in order to avoid serious consequences. If you are facing a serious crime in California, please take the following steps:

Exercise your right to remain silent. If there is one thing that TV shows and movies get right with police dramas, it’s that they have stressed that those charged with crimes have the right to remain silent. This is not made up. The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution gives you the right to refuse to incriminate yourself in a criminal case. The best way to avoid self-incrimination is to remain silent. If you end up in custody, refuse to answer any questions without an attorney present.
Remain calm and polite. It can be difficult to remain calm and polite if you are facing a criminal charge or being arrested. However, we strongly urge you to remain calm and polite throughout this entire process. While this may be hard to do if an authority figure is being aggressive, or if you believe you have been wrongfully arrested, resist the urge to argue with police officers or prosecutors.
Exercise your right to an attorney. Ensure that you call an attorney as soon as possible. If you are not able to, have a family member arrange for a criminal defense attorney in Rancho Cucamonga to help you. Let an attorney get to work on your case immediately so they can begin communication with law enforcement and prosecutors in the case.
Understand the charges you are facing. When you get an attorney on board, they will work diligently to obtain any evidence that is being used against you. They will obtain a list of all the charges you are facing and discuss them with you. Speak to your attorney so you can gain a complete understanding of the situation at hand.
Take notes. If you have access to a pencil or pen and a pad of paper after being arrested, ask for them so you can start taking notes. Write down everything you remember about your arrest and what happened while you were in custody. Write down anything that the police officers or any prosecutor has said to you. Write down anything that you think can be helpful, but remember this – do not write down anything that could be self-incriminating.
Do not discuss your case openly. Piggybacking off of the idea of not writing down anything that could be used against you, you also need to be mindful of what you say if you are released from police custody. In general, you should not talk to your case with any person other than your criminal defense attorney in Rancho Cucamonga. Even trusted friends or family members can turn into gossip machines that unintentionally jeopardize your case. What you say to them could be twisted five times over by the end of the day.
Let your attorney handle the case. Lastly, you need to trust your criminal defense attorney. This means that you need to tell them everything you know about the charges you are facing and the situation at hand. Ask your attorney questions and raise legitimate concerns, but do not go behind your attorney’s back and speak to any other person involved in the case.

Benefits of hiring a criminal defense attorney

A skilled criminal defense attorney in Rancho Cucamonga or San Bernardino is going to be an invaluable resource if you are facing criminal charges. To put it simply, most individuals do not have the resources or legal expertise necessary to properly defend themselves in court. Prosecutors and police officers have the full weight of the state behind them, so any person charged with the crime needs to rely on an attorney to help them through this process. Some of the benefits of hiring a criminal defense lawyer include the following:

They have legal knowledge. Good criminal defense attorneys in Rancho Cucamonga will have a thorough understanding of the charges you are facing. Find an attorney that has experience handling cases like yours and rely on them throughout the entirety of your case. When you have an attorney who understands the law and that has experience handling cases like yours, you are leveling the playing field against your adversaries.
They know how to navigate the legal system. An attorney will generally have an understanding of all the parties involved, which can include detectives, prosecutors, and judges. The legal system is not easy, particularly for someone who does not have much experience handling complex negotiations or courtroom settings. A criminal defense attorney can better interact with prosecutors and judges in these cases.
They have the resources necessary to handle the case efficiently. Skilled criminal defense attorneys have the resources and experience to deal with your case in the right way. From gathering new evidence to analyzing existing evidence, they will be ready to help. An attorney can use their resources to find witnesses, cross-examine the prosecution’s witnesses, and plan a winning strategy for your case.
They know how to negotiate. In many criminal defense cases, negotiations with prosecutors will have to occur. In some cases, these negotiations will involve plea deals for lesser charges. Negotiations may also occur concerning any eventual sentencing. An attorney can handle all negotiations and help reach the best possible outcome for their client.
They can offer you peace of mind moving forward. Most importantly, you will have peace of mind when you work with a skilled Rancho Cucamonga criminal defense attorney. Getting through an arrest and a criminal case can be stressful, but you should not have to do this alone.

Contact a Rancho Cucamonga Criminal Defense Attorney

Hiring a criminal defense attorney is a wise choice if you face misdemeanor or felony charges in Rancho Cucamonga. Regardless of your level of guilt for the charges you face, the Graham Donath Law Offices, APC can help protect your rights and ensure a fair trial. Contact us today if you or a loved one is in need of legal advice or legal representation in a criminal matter in Rancho Cucamonga, and we will let you know how our firm can help.

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