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Criminal Defense Attorney in South Pasadena, CA

Assault Defense Attorney in South Pasadena, CA

An assault charge usually starts with a chaotic moment: an argument, a shove, a fight someone else started. The police arrive after the fact and pick a side, and the report rarely tells the whole story. My job is to build the full picture before that one-sided version becomes a conviction.

How Assault Charges Work in California

California charges these cases along a spectrum, and where yours lands changes everything about the exposure:

  • Simple assault (Penal Code 240)
  • Battery (Penal Code 242)
  • Battery causing serious bodily injury
  • Assault with a deadly weapon (Penal Code 245), which can be charged as a felony and carry strike consequences

Defenses the Facts Often Support

Assault cases turn on context, and context is exactly what a police report leaves out. I develop the defenses the facts support and hold the prosecution to its burden:

  • Self-defense and defense of others
  • Mutual combat
  • False or exaggerated accusations
  • Accident or lack of intent
  • Injuries inconsistent with the accuser's story

The Long-Term Consequences of a Conviction

A conviction can carry consequences well beyond the sentence:

  • A violent offense on your record that employers and landlords see
  • A potential strike for felony assault with a deadly weapon
  • Immigration consequences
  • Loss of your firearm rights

Options Even When the Evidence Is Strong

Not every case belongs in front of a jury. Where the evidence is weak or the story doesn't hold together, I press for a reduction or a dismissal before trial. Where a resolution makes sense, I negotiate outcomes, including reductions to non-violent charges, designed to protect your record and your future. And where a case should be fought, I try it.

How Luis Valdivia can help with your case

  • Develop self-defense, mutual-combat, and false-accusation defenses where they apply.
  • Expose inconsistencies between the injuries, the evidence, and the accuser's story.
  • Fight to keep a felony or strike allegation off the case.
  • Negotiate reductions and resolutions that protect your record.
  • Safeguard your employment, immigration status, and firearm rights.

Think I can help with your case?

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