Our Burbank criminal defense attorneys fight for charge reductions and dismissals in felony, misdemeanor, and infraction cases throughout Los Angeles County. Our local law office is located at:
303 North Glenoaks Blvd. Ste. 200
Burbank, CA 91502
(818) 736-7646
Surrounding areas we serve include Glendale, Long Beach, Lancaster, Santa Clarita, Torrance, Pasadena, El Monte, Pomona, Palmdale, West Covina, Norwalk, Downey, and more.
Experienced Burbank defense attorneys
Our Burbank criminal defense lawyers include former prosecutors and public defenders. With decades of collective experience, we understand the workings of the Burbank Police Department, the Burbank City Attorney’s office and the Los Angeles County District Attorney. So we know how to beat them at their game.
Our legal team defends clients accused of every kind of criminal charge, such as:
- Assault and battery (PC 242)
- Domestic violence
- Drug crimes, including drug possession (HS 11350)
- Driving under the influence
- Embezzlement (PC 503)
- Hit and run (VC 20002)
- Juvenile crimes
- Lewd conduct criminal offenses
- Probation violations
- Sex crimes
- Theft crimes
- Violent crimes
- White collar crimes
We also fight for lower bail, expungement of criminal records, and restoration of gun rights. And our DUI lawyers make every effort to save our client’s driver’s licenses by putting on a strong defense at the DMV hearing.
Burbank jail
People arrested in Burbank are usually booked at the Burbank Jail, located at:
200 North 3rd Street
Burbank, CA 91502
(818) 238-3010
Search for inmate information here.
Burbank court
Misdemeanor cases stay at the Burbank courthouse throughout the case cycle, including trial. The address is:
300 East Olive
Burbank, CA 91502
(818) 260-8400
Felony cases that do not resolve get transferred to the Pasadena Courthouse, located at:
300 East Walnut St.
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 396-3300
Search for case information here.
Criminal justice court process
Arrests are often the beginning of a criminal case. The police apprehend the suspect and book him/her. Then the suspect can usually be released on bail or his/her own recognizance. Very few defendants are incarcerated without the possibility of bailing out: These typically include homicide suspects, people who are flight-risks, or people who present a danger to the community.
The official first court date of a criminal matter is the arraignment, where the judge reads the charge to the defendant in open court. In most cases, defendants can miss the arraignment and most other court dates as long as they have a private attorney appearing for them.
Defendants who miss their required court appearances will be punished with a bench warrant. The process of getting the bench warrant quashed is complicated. First, the defendant (or defense attorney) must file a motion to quash the warrant with the court. Then the court will schedule a hearing. And then the defense attorney (and sometimes the defendant) must appear in person to ask for the warrant to be withdrawn. Meanwhile, as the warrant is outstanding, the defendant can be arrested at any time.
Private attorneys tend to get better results than public defenders.
Following the arraignment, the defense attorney and deputy district attorney will begin a period of negotiation. Neither side wants to go to trial, so prosecutors are usually willing to make some concessions in the form of lower penalties, reduced charges, or even dismissed charges. But if no plea agreement can be reached, then the case will go to trial.
Defendants charged with felonies are required to have a preliminary hearing (if the case does not settle first). Prelims are similar to trials, but they do not determine guilt or innocence. Instead, the purpose is to show the court that the prosecution has a strong enough case to continue pressing charges. (Note that prelims are not available to defendants indicted by a grand jury, which is a rare event.)
If the defendant eventually gets convicted, the next step is for the judge to hand down a sentence. If the defendant pleaded guilty as part of a plea bargain, the court will usually impose whatever sentence the defense and prosecutors agreed to. If the defendant was found guilty at trial, then the judge can choose any sentence within the statutory penalty range. Certain defendants may be able to get around doing jail time by going on probation instead.
Call our criminal defense law firm for legal advice. We offer free consultations on your criminal cases.
We have years of experience serving clients throughout northern, central, and southern California, including Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Van Nuys, Encino, San Fernando, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Monica, and more. Our practice areas include personal injury in addition to criminal law and DUI cases.