Violent Crimes Defense

common.howWeDefend Violent Crimes Defense — Los Angeles Cases

Violent crime charges in California carry some of the harshest penalties in the criminal justice system — including mandatory minimum sentences, strike enhancements under the Three Strikes Law, and decades in state prison. Whether you are facing a misdemeanor assault charge or a felony homicide allegation, the decisions you make in the first hours after an arrest can determine the outcome of your case. Attorney Michael P. Kade — a former LAPD officer who has investigated violent crimes firsthand — knows how prosecutors build these cases and exactly how to dismantle them.

California Violent Crime Penalties

Penalties vary based on prior criminal history, case facts, and enhancements. This table is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

Self-Defense, Defense of Others, and the Castle Doctrine

California law recognizes the right to use force — including deadly force — to defend yourself or another person from imminent harm. To claim self-defense, the force used must have been reasonable and proportionate to the threat faced. You must have actually and reasonably believed you were in imminent danger of being killed, suffering great bodily injury, or being touched unlawfully. California's Castle Doctrine (Penal Code 198.5) creates a presumption that you acted in reasonable fear of imminent death or great bodily injury when you use force against someone who unlawfully and forcibly enters your home.

Self-defense claims require careful factual development. Attorney Kade investigates the scene, secures surveillance footage before it is overwritten, interviews witnesses, and works with use-of-force experts to reconstruct what actually happened. Prosecutors often charge first and investigate later — we make sure the full picture is in front of the jury.

Three Strikes, Enhancements, and Mandatory Minimums

California's Three Strikes Law (Penal Code 667) doubles the sentence for any felony conviction if the defendant has one prior strike, and mandates 25 years to life for a third strike. Many violent offenses — assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, carjacking, voluntary manslaughter, and all murder charges — qualify as strikes. A single prior strike conviction can transform a manageable sentence into a decade or more in state prison.

Firearms enhancements add additional mandatory years on top of the base sentence: 10 years for personal use of a firearm (PC 12022.5), 20 years for discharge, and 25 years to life if the discharge causes great bodily injury or death (PC 12022.53). These enhancements are charged separately and run consecutively to the base sentence. Attorney Kade challenges the factual basis for every enhancement alleged and, where appropriate, argues for the court to strike enhancements in the interest of justice under People v. Romero.

common.defenseStrategies

• Assault and battery — misdemeanor and felony
• Assault with a deadly weapon (PC 245)
• Robbery and armed robbery defense
• Carjacking charges
• Voluntary and involuntary manslaughter
• Murder — 1st and 2nd degree defense
• Self-defense and Castle Doctrine claims
• Three Strikes and firearms enhancement challenges