Criminal defense
Aggressive Trial Advocacy
As a trial firm, we welcome the opportunity to fight for our clients. We built our name and reputation on our ability to connect with juries, dismantle opposing arguments through cross examination, and present a crystal clear defense perspective of the case.
And while we thrive on courtroom adrenaline, we know that a strong trial case is mostly built before the jury is selected. We work with a skilled team of investigators to track down potential witnesses and uncover crucial evidence that the police may have overlooked or that prosecutors failed to turn over.
If you are facing criminal charges and are interested in taking your case all the way to trial, we'd love to meet with you, discuss strategy, and show you why we're one of San Diego's premier trial firms.
Solutions-focused case resolution
Not every case is right for trial. Often times the prosecution's evidence is so overwhelming that going to trial simply isn't a logical option. And in some cases, even if the trial might be winnable, it may not be the most efficient or most appropriate solution in the long-run. Sometimes the best solution for the defendant, his or her family, and the community, is simply to admit to making a mistake and take some appropriate action to right the wrong.
With diversion programs becoming more available and more favored by judges, Defendants who are willing to embark on a journey of self-improvement can not only improve their lives, but can often earn a dismissal of their criminal charges, and maintain a clean permanent record.
Our firm has as excellent reputation among judges and prosecutors for working closely with our clients to turn their lives around. And judges have been willing to extend extraordinary lenience to our clients based on their trust in our ability to guarantee serious and permanent change.
Violent crimes
Violent crimes include any incident where another person was physically harmed, scared or threatened.
While there might be a few people out there who would hurt another person for no reason, in the vast majority of cases, there's more to the story. The key to preparing a winning defense in a violent case is understanding the totality of the circumstances. What is the relationship between the defendant and the victim? Who started, or escalated, the situation? What justification or explanation might exist for the parties' behavior?
Through our years of practice, we've seen that in a majority of cases, the victim and the defendant are almost equally to blame. Unfortunately the one that leaves the scene in handcuffs faces an uphill battle in setting the record straight and avoiding unfair punishment.
In some cases, the best strategy is simply to set the case for trial. If the victim was truly the aggressor, they will be less likely to even show up for trial, and if they do, we can reveal the truth through cross-examination. In other cases, where the defendant is at least partially at fault, we typically focus on earning a dismissal through mitigation.
At Jones Trial Attorneys, we have a team of professional criminal investigators that regularly assist our attorneys in untangling the facts of each case and presenting a clearer picture of exactly what happened. When it becomes clear that a situation just got out of hand or that there was mutual violence, the primary concern for the prosecutors and the judge is ensuring that it won't happen again. In these situations, we work with our clients and their families to address the underlying issue and obtain the necessary proof of education, training, or rehabilitation, required to earn a dismissal or serious reduction in charges.
If the victim and defendant are in a relationship or live together, the case will be considered "domestic violence" which can present some additional complications, but nothing we can't handle.
If you have questions, we'd love to answer them.
Drug Crimes
Drug crimes can vary significantly in severity and complexity from simple possession to cartel-level smuggling operations.
When a defendant is struggling with drug abuse or addiction, law enforcement and the courts are much more concerned with rehabilitation than incarceration. And the earlier a defendant can beginning making progress toward sobriety, the better the chances of earning a dismissal of criminal charges. The courts also offer a number of programs for avoiding a criminal record, including diversion, suspended sentences, and drug court. We've helped hundreds of clients navigate the system quickly and painlessly, and our attorneys are respected by prosecutors and trusted by judges to oversee our clients' rehabilitation without excessive and burdensome government oversight.
In more complex sales and trafficking cases, the key is understanding a particular defendant's nature and degree of involvement. Often times financial pressures lead otherwise law abiding people to undertake some questionable work, such as driving a mystery package across the border for a few hundred dollars. We frequently see single parents struggling for work roped into these types of arrangements, but by shedding light on the reality of the situation, we consistently help our clients avoid jail time or other excessive punishment.
In most types of cases -- but particularly drug-related offenses -- the harder our clients are willing to work on improving their lives outside of the courtroom, the more effect our efforts are on the inside. When our clients get and stay clean, get and keep a good job or enroll in school and can show strong attendance and solid grades, the Judge and prosecutor will not want to derail that progress -- so that means no jail time, even in otherwise heavy cases.
We've handled just about every kind of drug case imaginable and would love to answer any questions you might have about the court process, possible defenses, and some early steps you can take to get the best possible result. Call or schedule an office consultation today to learn more.
Property Crimes
Property crimes are unique in that there is a specific victim and the harm or injury caused is financial in nature, and can usually be rectified fairly quickly. In drug crimes, the victim is society at large, and in violent crimes the injuries can be permanent and complex.
But in property and theft cases, the primary concern of making the victim whole is typically pretty straightforward. If our client is actually guilty, we work together with the court, the prosecution, and the victim to make sure the property Is returned, restored, or compensated. We then identify the best way to prove that the same type of thing won't happen again.
No two cases or defendants are the same, so the appropriate course of action will depend on what makes sense for a particular client.
Most property crimes are motivated by desperation, poverty, and lack of opportunity. Like a good doctor, rather than just treat the symptoms, we prefer to cure the disease.
For us, that means helping our clients get a new job, get enrolled in school, and find other ways to give back to the community. Through this approach, we've been blessed to be a part of some truly wonderful transformations. And those clients that take their case seriously and put in the extra effort not only get the absolute best outcomes, but also walk away from their legal experience with a new job, new opportunities, new career goals, and improved interpersonal relationships.
In other cases, where our clients have been wrongfully accused, misidentified, or unfairly profiled, we don't hesitate to gear up for trial. In this day and age where money and devices are tracked electronically and there seems to be video footage of just about everything, legitimate theft cases should be easier than ever for the government to prosecute. So if the evidence simply doesn't add up, we love to take these cases to trial and pursue a total acquittal.
To learn more about our unique approach to criminal defense and see how we might be able to help you, give us a call or send us a message today.
Restraining orderS
Although handled by civil court judges, restraining orders are considered "quasi criminal" since the court's ruling can carry not only financial obligations, but also the loss of rights and freedoms. An adverse ruling in a restraining order case can also have serious ramifications on divorce, child custody, and immigration cases.
Because these cases can have such high stakes, we treat them every bit as seriously as our criminal trials. Over the years, we've handled dozens of restraining order trials and won nearly all of them. We know exactly what the judges need to see and hear in order to rule one way or another, and we can help our clients prepare their case to put them in the best possible position to win.
Give us a call today to learn more about how we handle and consistently win restraining courses for our clients.