Accused of Murder in Southern California?
If you’re in Riverside County, Los Angeles County, or San Bernardino County, and you are facing murder charges, the clock is ticking. The bottom line is that you have everything to lose – your freedom, your family, and even your life. Your entire future hangs in the balance, which is why you need a steady, experienced murder defense attorney at your side. That attorney is Alan Spears. He has won numerous murder cases, has gotten murder cases dismissed, and has literally saved clients’ lives.
California Penal Code Section 187 outlines the crime of murder and the potential penalties for a conviction. In Riverside County, San Bernardino County, and the rest of California, murder is a felony. Murder is one type of homicide; the others are voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter. In order to secure a conviction for murder, the prosecutor must prove that you intentionally acted in a way that disregarded human life and that was likely to result in the death of another person. Murder defense attorney Alan Spears has more than five decades of experience, and has a proven track record of successfully pushing back against prosecutors’ assertions. He is known for securing dismissals and acquittals for his clients.
There are three types of murder in California:
- First-degree murder: You may be charged with first-degree murder if the prosecutor alleges that you planned to kill someone; that you used poison, armor-piercing bullets; that you laid in wait for the person; that you tortured the person; or that you killed someone while committing another felony offense. A conviction carries a prison sentence of 25 years to life.
- First-degree murder with special circumstances: There are close to two dozen situations where a conviction for first-degree murder can result in the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole. These include killing more than one person, having a prior murder conviction, killing a police officer, or killing someone in conjunction with robbery or kidnapping.
- Second-degree murder: You can be charged with second-degree murder when the prosecutor believes that the means of killing someone – firing a gun, for example – was intentional, but that you did not mean to kill the person. The implications of a conviction vary by circumstance, but the baseline sentence is 15 years to life. The maximum is life without possibility of parole.
A murder charge is serious. Mounting a successful murder defense takes experience and finesse. Murder defense attorney Alan Spears has that experience and understands the nuances of the law in a way that can mean the difference between death row and freedom.
Call criminal defense attorney Alan Spears immediately at 951-400-4574 for a free consultation.
