Westwood Criminal Defense Attorneys

We created this Westwood page to provide our neighbors with practical, accurate, and usable guidance in the event of an arrest in or around the Village, UCLA, Holmby Hills, or the surrounding West Los Angeles area. At Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers, our criminal defense attorneys bring decades of courtroom experience and a former prosecutor’s perspective, paired with local knowledge of how cases actually move through Westwood and the West Judicial District. Our goal is to protect your record, minimize disruption to your school and work, and position you for the best outcome under California law, from the first contact with police through the final day of the case.

Westwood at a glance: crime and safety trends you should know

Westwood is one of the safer neighborhoods in Los Angeles, yet arrests still occur for DUI, domestic incidents, theft, and campus-related offenses, especially on game days and weekends.

Recent mapping shows an estimated violent crime rate of ~4.6 per 1,000 residents annually, with northwest blocks trending lower than central blocks; risk can vary block by block. Comparative dashboards place Westwood’s overall crime rate below national averages and its violent crime rate well below national figures, context jurors may consider when evaluating police decision-making and probable cause.

Crime data doesn’t predict your case, but it does inform the scrutiny of stops, detentions, and charging decisions. When police patrol in a relatively low-crime zone, courts often expect clear, articulable facts to justify stops and searches. We utilize neighborhood patterns, along with body camera footage, dispatch audio, and field sobriety records, to challenge detentions that lack a lawful basis.

The local justice map: who handles arrests in Westwood

• LAPD - West Los Angeles Community Police Station. Handles most off-campus Westwood arrests and detentions; initial point of contact for many investigations, traffic stops, and bookings. 1663 Butler Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90025
• UCLA Police Department (UCPD). Primary jurisdiction on UC property, residence halls, and adjacent university facilities; full-service state police with 24-hour operations and campus-specific reporting procedures. Public line: (310) 825-1491. UCPD may investigate incidents on/near campus and forward cases to the City Attorney or District Attorney.
• Airport Courthouse - Los Angeles Superior Court. The West District felony and misdemeanor hub, where most Westwood criminal and DUI cases are filed and arraigned. 11701 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045 (weekday business hours).
• Prosecutors: Los Angeles City Attorney (most misdemeanors) and Los Angeles County District Attorney (felonies).

If you or a loved one is detained, initial booking and release decisions are made by the arresting agency. Future hearings almost always take place at the Airport Courthouse. Campus-related matters typically land at the same courthouse, even when UCPD initiates the case.

How a Westwood case usually moves

• Police contact during a traffic stop, noise complaint, campus call, or retail-security referral.
• You may be detained, questioned, and possibly arrested—either cited and released or held for booking.
• For DUI, the officer may request a breath or blood sample after conducting field sobriety exercises; refusal can result in additional DMV license issues.
• Within days to weeks, the prosecuting agency decides whether to file charges.
• Your first court date is an arraignment at the Airport Courthouse, where we enter a plea, address bail/OR release, and start discovery.
• We litigate motions to suppress and other challenges to the stop, arrest, and any searches; we negotiate for reductions, alternatives, diversion, or dismissal.
• If needed, we set a jury trial. We prepare every case as if it will be tried, because that preparation drives better outcomes at the negotiating table.

Westwood DUI defense: law, jury instructions, and penalties

• § 23152(a): driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• § 23152(b): BAC 0.08% or more
• § 23152(f), § 23152(g): drug or combination cases

• CALCRIM 2110: impairment standard
• CALCRIM 2111: per se 0.08 standard
• CALCRIM 2114: 0.04 standard for passenger-for-hire scenarios

Our DUI defense attorneys use these to frame pretrial motions and ensure that a correct and balanced statement of the law reaches the jury.

• Up to 6 months in county jail
• $390-$1,000 base fines + assessments
• 3-9 month DUI program (BAC-dependent)
• License restrictions/IID options; probation is common
• DMV runs on a separate track with potential immediate IID-based driving

• Up to 1 year county jail (min. per statute)
• Higher fines
• 18-30 month program
• Longer IID requirements; 2-year suspension with IID options in many cases

• Mandatory minimum county jail; up to 1 year
• Habitual traffic offender designation
• 3-year revocation (often manageable via IID, if eligible)

• Misdemeanor: up to 1 year county jail; fines up to $5,000
• Felony: 16 months / 2 / 3 years state prison; restitution, programs, and license impacts

Our DUI playbook involves scrutinizing stop justification, body-cam timing, field sobriety testing administration, breath-test equipment calibration/maintenance, blood draw protocols, chain of custody, conversion formulas, and rising-BAC defenses. We also evaluate diversion, charge reductions, or non-conviction outcomes when supported.

Beyond DUI: standard Westwood charges, key codes, and instructions

• Domestic battery & related offenses. PC § 243(e)(1) (domestic battery) and PC § 273.5 (corporal injury). The evidence is based on 911 audio, body camera footage, physical findings, and statements from independent witnesses. CALCRIM domestic-battery instructions guide elements and lesser-included options.
  
• Criminal threats. PC § 422. A wobbler, which can be charged as a felony or misdemeanor; hinges on intent, immediacy, and sustained, reasonable fear. CALCRIM 1300 governs. Defenses include context, equivocal language, and First Amendment protections.
• Theft & shoplifting. PC § 459.5 (shoplifting), PC §§ 484, 488 (petty theft), PC § 487 (grand theft). Tools: diversion, civil compromise, loss-prevention credibility, video evidence.
• Assault & battery. PC §§ 240, 242, 243. Often involves intoxication, mutual combat, and inconsistent statements. We emphasize proportionality, self-defense, and proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
• Drug possession. HS § 11350 or § 11377. Suppression issues: vehicle stops, searches, and consent (including dorm/apartment settings). We pursue treatment-focused resolutions and dismissals where supported.
• Record clearing. We advise on expungement, early termination of probation, and record clearing to protect employment and licensure after the case ends.

What to expect at the Airport Courthouse, and how we handle day one

• At arraignment, we make the initial plea, address release terms, and secure discovery.
• We coordinate to minimize time away from work or class and handle scheduling to reduce the number of courthouse appearances.
• The Airport Courthouse serves all of West L.A., so calendars can be crowded. Our daily presence helps us solve problems in real time, from clearing warrants to arranging surrender terms that avoid disruptive at-home or on-campus arrests.
  

If UCPD arrests you, we coordinate with campus departments as needed, especially when a student-conduct investigation overlaps with the criminal case, to protect educational goals, scholarship eligibility, and immigration status.

Real Experiences in Defending Cases Around the Airport Courthouse

Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers have handled numerous criminal cases originating around Westwood and handled at the Airport Courthouse. In a recent case, we represented a Westwood resident who was falsely accused of domestic violence, PC § 273.5(a), at his home. Due to the immediate efforts of Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Defense Lawyers, we were able to get the Los Angeles District Attorney to decline all charges and reject the case. Once the case was declined, we were also successful in getting law enforcement to convert our client’s arrest to a detention, pursuant to PC § 849.5, so that our client could say that he was never arrested.

License consequences and the DMV track in DUI cases

The criminal court and DMV run separately. After a DUI arrest, you face an administrative suspension unless you take action promptly. Refusing a chemical test triggers automatic penalties that escalate with prior convictions (one-, two-, and three-year windows). We request a DMV hearing promptly, which will pause any driver’s license suspension until the hearing takes place and a decision is made. We have had lots of success at these hearings, allowing our clients to keep their driving privileges and pursue IID-based driving when available.

Our DMV strategy: challenge the stop, undermine the test, and present work/school/caregiving needs to preserve lawful driving through an IID or restricted license, managing every deadline so you don’t miss narrow protection windows.

Why choose Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers for a Westwood case

We are familiar with the driving routes officers use, from Wilshire and Veteran to Sunset and Hilgard, and understand how campus protocols intersect with city procedures. We spot issues quickly: Fourth Amendment stops, Miranda advisements, and scientific challenges to breath/blood results. Our background as former prosecutors informs how cases are charged at the Airport Courthouse, and our defense practice leverages that insight to obtain dismissals, reductions, and diversion when the facts and law permit.

Clients in Westwood, from first-year students and graduate researchers to longtime residents and visitors, choose us because we communicate clearly, prepare meticulously, and fight strategically. We work to shield your career, education, and record, and we keep you informed at each step, so you always know what comes next.

Practical steps if you or a loved one is arrested in Westwood

• Stay calm and polite. Ask for a lawyer; avoid answering questions about drinking, drug use, or events.
• Provide ID and necessary documents; do not consent to searches.
• Contact us immediately so we can protect your rights.

If you receive a citation with a future Airport Courthouse date, please send us a copy immediately so we can appear on your behalf when permitted and begin gathering video, audio, and records before they’re lost.

Talk to us today

If you need a Westwood criminal or DUI defense team, we’re ready to help. We are familiar with the streets, stations, and courthouse where your case will be decided, and we have the experience to protect your future. Call Kraut Law Group Criminal & DUI Lawyers now or send us a message to schedule a confidential consultation. We’ll review your situation, map the best path forward, and start working immediately to secure the best possible result.