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 Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers, Inc.. 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 Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers, Inc. for help. The Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers, Inc. 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.

In Los Angeles, a spousal Battery charge can be filed as a misdemeanor or, if there is significant bodily injury, then it would be filed as a felony charge. The charge is filed when force is used against a spouse or intimate partner. The misdemeanor carries a penalty of up to one year in prison.

A conviction for domestic violence can affect multiple areas of a person’s life, including professional licenses, their ability to work with children, firearms rights, and immigration status. Having a skilled criminal defense attorney working pre-filing to prevent a domestic violence case from proceeding can be critical. In many cases, these arrests may stem from a baseless accusation, and a criminal filing can have life-altering consequences for the entire family.

Theft crimes in Los Angeles range from misdemeanor shoplifting and petty theft, as outlined in Penal Code Section 484(a), to complex, multi-million-dollar embezzlement schemes under Penal Code Section 503, and significant fraud offenses in violation of Penal Code Section 487. These types of crimes are often considered Crimes Involving Moral Turpitude “(“CIMT”) for immigration purposes, and having a skilled attorney on board to stop or fight charges is crucial. Kraut Law Group, Criminal & DUI Attorneys, also handles other types of theft crimes in and around Los Angeles and Southern California. Many of these cases are prosecuted in Los Angeles as White-Collar Crimes. This also includes crimes of Insurance Fraud under Penal Code Section 550, Medical Billing Fraud, Hospice Fraud, and Identity Theft prosecuted in Los Angeles under Penal Code Section 530.5(a).

Additional crimes that are considered theft crimes in Los Angeles include Robbery - Penal Code Section 211, Shoplifting - Penal Code Section 484(a), Receiving Stolen Property - Penal Code Section 496(a), Petty Theft with a Prior – Penal Code Section 666(a), Forgery – Penal Code Section 470(a), Extortion – Penal Code Section 518, Credit Card Fraud – Penal Code Section 484(e), Embezzlement – Penal Code Section 503, Vehicle Theft – Vehicle Code Section 10851and Burglary – Penal Code Section 459, and Welfare Fraud – Welfare and Institutions Code 10890(C)(2).

The majority of these types of cases are prosecuted in Los Angeles as felonies. The punishment for these crimes includes long prison sentences, loss of jobs, and in some cases, for people who are not United States citizens, immigration consequences for many people will be catastrophic.

Prosecutors in Los Angeles treat accusations of violent crimes very seriously, and those charged with acts of violence can face lengthy prison sentences as well as other consequences. California’s unique “Three Strikes” laws have extended prison sentences for defendants with prior “strike” offenses. In Los Angeles, violent crimes include assault with a deadly weapon under Penal Code Section 245(a)(1), assault with a firearm under Penal Code Section 245(a)(2), robbery under Penal Code Section 211, and even murder under Penal Code Section 187. Other offenses that are considered “violent crimes” include criminal threats in violation of Penal Code Section 422 and residential burglary under Penal Code Section 459, also called First Degree Residential Burglary. Personal use of a firearm in the commission of a violent crime can add 10 or 20 years to a person’s sentence under the firearm sentencing enhancement under Penal Code Section 12022.53. A person who has been accused of a crime of violence in Los Angeles or whose family members have been arrested in connection with this type of offense should contact Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers immediately.

In the Los Angeles area, sex crimes can include misdemeanor offenses such as lewd conduct under Penal Code section 647(a) as well as significant felonies such as rape under Penal Code section 261 and possession of child pornography pursuant to Penal Code section 311.11. A sex crime conviction in Los Angeles can be life-altering. It can lead to severe penalties, including prison time and lifetime registration as a sex offender per California Penal Code section 290. Indecent Exposure and Lewd Conduct charges are crimes of moral turpitude and are prosecuted in Los Angeles under Penal Code Section 647(a). There may be many ways to fight your case, and having a knowledgeable criminal defense attorney on your side is crucial.

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 Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers, Inc. located at 6255 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 1520, Los Angeles, CA 90028. Mr. Kraut can be reached 24/7 at (323) 464-6453.