The Law Office of Allen Farshi, is LA's premier Criminal defense law firm with a tradition of success. Our practice includes real estate, and Bankruptcy law. The following page is a summary, on frequently inquired criminal matters.
 Criminal Defense
Our office represents clients facing a wide verity of Criminal charges. During our initial free consultation we will discuss suitable bail strategies and assist with bail arrangements.  Where we succeed in  securing release on defendant's own recognizance, (O.R) bail will not be required. If "O.R" is denied, bail is set too high, or there is a hold on bail, we will go to court and fight for you. Mr. Farshi's past experiences as an immigration attorney will benefit non citizen defendant's  contemplating an immigration or deportation consequence.  
Charges we have defended in the past. Domestic violence, DUI, drug possession, probation violations, Warrant recall, narcotics and paraphernalia possession, shop lifting, burglary, forgery, vandalism, welfare, Medicare and Medical fraud, stalking, assault and battery, mayhem, assault by a deadly weapon or means of force likely to produce great bodily injury, attempted murder,  solicitation, unlicensed possession of a fire arm,  Restaurant Bear and Alcohol code violations, Joy riding,  speed contests, hit and run and felony evasion. Our office also accepts all traffic court matters, such as multiple speeding tickets, reckless driving, driving on a suspended or expired license. Let us go to court for you. Call us now  1 (818) 379 1777.

Can we Expunge any record ?: Our office has succeeded in expunging (clearing) 100% of our client's prior misdemeanor and felony convictions, subject  to eligibility. Felony convictions can be expunged in a two step process under California PC 17(b), provided that (1) the felony was a Wobbler and (2) probation was granted.  Many people wish to have their felony charges reduced to a misdemeanor pursuant to Penal Code section 17(b). Misdemeanors are expunged under PC 1203.4. known as a "Petition for Dismissal of Conviction" (Penal Code section 1203.4), It is important to note that 1203.4 petitions are only available to those who did not serve time in the state prison with the California Department of Corrections.  It is available to people who have served time in the county jail, or were placed on probation. A "Petition to Seal and Destroy the Record of Arrest."  (Penal Code section 851.8), is used when the case never makes it to court, either because the prosecution did not file charges, or because the prosecution dismissed the charges. In theses situation,, the case does not have a court number, and one has to add the matter to Calendar in court by filing a petition and getting a judicial order.
     Our office moves with efficiently. In Los Angeles county, we are often able to clear criminal records in 6 to 8 weeks. In other counties the time varies, and depends on how busy a particular department is. Our attorney fees are very competitive. We generally charge $595 for misdemeanors and $895 for felonies. Call for pricing, If Probation has not ended, to seal your record of a criminal arrest, or if you have since moved from California. Let our experience work for you. Call us now at 1 (818) 379 1777.

Petty Theft / Petty Theft with Priors - PC 490.1, 484, 666
    Petty Theft requires taking or stealing the personal property of another. If the amount taken is $50 or less then the prosecutor can file a misdemeanor or an infraction. Most infractions are punishable by up to a $250 fine that could cost almost a $1,000 after mandatory penalty assessments and fees. If the amount taken is $400 or less then it is considered petty theft and a misdemeanor. A misdemeanor violation of petty theft punishable up to 6 months in local jail and or a $1,000 fine plus mandatory penalty assessments and fees. After mandatory penalty assessments and fees a $1,000 fine could cost you almost $4,000.  If you have prior theft convictions of any kind then it is considered petty theft with a prior and a felony but may be reduced to a misdemeanor by the judge or prosecutor. A felony of petty theft with a prior is punishable up to 3 years in state prison.
    The court will also order a restraining order from the location or victim and restitution in theft cases. You may be eligible for a dismissal, diversion, probation, or community service instead of county jail or state prison.  A Theft conviction will have immigration consequences. Let our experience work for you. For a free initial consultation, call us now at  1 (818) 379 1777.

Domestic Violence  Is a serious charge often brought by a co habitant. A domestic violence complaint can not be taken lightly because the charge may count as a strike, particularly when a enhancement is charged. The District Attorney and City Attorney aggressively prosecute all reported incidents of violence in the home, even when the alleged victim refuses to press charges or denies their initial accusations. Prosecutors will not drop or reduce domestic violence charges even when the alleged victim requests them to do so or refuses to testify in court. Prosecutors even threaten to prosecute a victim who changes his or her story, although they rarely, if ever, actually do so. The penalties for domestic violence have become increasingly severe, including probation, anger management, batterer’s treatment counseling programs and jail or prison. Even if you are released on bail you may be ordered not to return to your home and to stay away from your partner and/or your family, even though you are responsible for paying the bills! A conviction for assault or domestic violence can affect on your rights to see your children, affect your property rights, and seriously affect your immigration
status or result in deportation.
    Unfortunately, when the police respond to a domestic abuse call, they assume that the person who placed the 911 call is the victim and the other partner is the batterer. The police may rely on that assumption and arrest the person they think is the abuser. In a heterosexual relationship, this is almost always the man. Once the police arrives they will try to uncover the chain of events that led to alleged incident . To determine what happened, they will begin questioning each partner (and any witnesses present) individually and out of the presence of the others to get a clear representation of each person’s version of the events. The officers usually ask the same question many times to expose any discrepancies in the accounts given. It is best not to try to talk one’s way out of this type of investigation. The police should politely be advised that an attorney must be present before questions will be answered. The accused should refrain from admitting anything, even if doing so means that he or she will be arrested. In addition to questioning all individuals present, the police will look around the area for obvious evidence of abuse such as broken furniture, visible injuries or holes in the wall.
    Any firearms or other weapons found in the home will be removed. The officers will provide information to the victim about restraining orders and how they are obtained. The criminal complaint is often preceded by protective orders, essentially ordering the accused to stay away from his or her residence. The protective order is issued either on an emergency (EPO) or temporary basis (TRO), often without prior notice and hearing. The matter becomes more complicated  when the accused later shows up to remove his personal belongings, and is then charged with violating  the restraining order. On occasion, the complaining witness will tell the officer dispatched to pick up the Accused's personal items, that everything was already removed. Given the severity of the charges our office often employs private investigator's for purposes of corroborating the Accused's version of the events, and to probe discrepancies in the witness's version of the events. Unless the accused is a U.S. Citizen,  pleading to this charge even on the promise of probation, can result in deportation. Let our experience work for you.

Traffic Offenses   Our office represents individuals facing serious traffic offenses such as, hit and Run, warrants, speeding tickets, speeding contest, evasion and reckless driving charges. Barring special circumstances, our client need not be present in court. Contrary to popular belief, reckless driving and warrants always require attorney representation. Repeat traffic offenders, stand to have their license suspended. The California  DMV, makes this determination on a point system. We also represent our client's at DMV license suspension hearings.  Warrants are very common and  a serious problem that can lead to the driver's arrest. Typically the driver signs a written citation to appear, then either misplaces the citation, forgets the appearance date, or fails to appear altogether. A bench warrant is then issued for the driver's arrest, turning a traffic infraction into a criminal matter. We will go to court and have the Warrant recalled.
      Out of state visitor's and commercial truck driver's are generally released on a written promise to appear. The driver will later receive a bail notice for the actual fine by mail. The driver is given the option of either posting or forfeiting bail, in which case the violation enters the driver's DMV record, or to show up at arraignment and set a trial date. We go to court for out of state driver's who were cited while in California. Most states nowadays have joined a  compact, requiring the sharing and releasing of DMV information to sister states. A commercial truck driver, who has accumulated  excessive DMV points, is at risk of having his or her driver license suspended. The insurance premiums can double or even Triple, causing unimaginable financial hardship . Let our experience work for you. For a free initial consultation, call us now at  1 (818) 379 1777.

If you are not a U.S.  citizen   When  a plea offer is recommended by your attorney, every effort should be made to avoid pleas with immigration consequences. When this goal is not practical under the circumstances, your attorney should negotiate the wording of the actual charges, the language employed in the complaint and the Penal consequences on the record. If your attorney does not have this expertise, you will  benefit by consulting  an immigration attorney before accepting a plea. Undocumented aliens and those individuals who entered
legally but later fell out of status can be deported after the sentencing hearing even when probation is granted. The process is called summary removal. The deportation often takes place without warning or prior court hearing. Homeland security will usually have an immigration hold on defendants on green cards, out of status aliens and non documented residents for most drug charges and charges that implicate violence.
     For those individuals represented by the public defender's office, we offer to evaluate the potential immigration consequences of a plea offer. Our evaluation can often be accomplished on a prepaid phone call basis, following our thorough consideration of the charges and any prior records. For more information go to our FAQ section. If you are not a U.S. citizen, and facing criminal charges, call us now at 1 818 379 1777 before accepting any plea offer.
 

Disclaimer: This preceding article is for information only and does not constitute legal advise, nor is it intended as a substitute for the advise of an attorney. You should always consult a attorney first. The preceding results if any are case specific. Each case is prosecuted and defended on it's own merits. The above results are neither a guarantee of future results in a similar matter, nor intended or to be construed as results that can be expected or to be obtained in your case even in similarly situated matters. This website is updated only as time allows. There is not guarantee, either express or implied that the content contained herein is up to date. Our practice is limited to the State of California