Perlman & Cohen Los Angeles Criminal Lawyers
Downtown LA criminal defense firm founded in 2022, handling DUI, domestic violence, assault, sex crimes, drug, theft and violent felony charges.
Criminal Defense attorneys in Los Angeles
Misdemeanour and felony defense, DUI, expungement and post-conviction relief.
About Criminal Defense matters in Los Angeles
Criminal defense in Los Angeles County spans misdemeanours, felonies, DUI, and the post-conviction work that follows — expungement, record relief and probation modification. The early part of a case is procedural and moves fast: arraignment, bail or own-recognisance release, and the decision about what, if anything, is filed by the District Attorney or City Attorney.
The most consequential period is usually the one before charges are formally filed. An arrest is not a charge, and cases are sometimes rejected, reduced or diverted at that stage. That window is short, which is why the practical advice for someone in custody is to act the same day rather than to shop carefully over a week.
DUI matters run on two separate tracks that people frequently conflate: the criminal case in court, and a separate administrative process with the DMV about the driving licence. They have different deadlines and different standards, and missing the administrative one does not pause the criminal one.
Fees are usually flat, quoted by stage — pre-filing, pre-trial, trial — rather than as one number for the whole case. Ask what the quoted figure covers, what triggers the next stage, and who from the firm will actually appear in court. If cost is the barrier, the Los Angeles County Public Defender represents people who qualify, and that is a real practice rather than a fallback.
Criminal Defense firms in the directory
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Manuelian Law Firm
State and federal criminal defense, including violent crimes, drug crimes and expungement.
The Rodriguez Law Group
Downtown LA criminal defense firm led by a former senior deputy district attorney, handling felony, misdemeanor, federal, DUI and expungement matters.
None of the firms on this page match those filters.
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Common questions
I was arrested but not charged. Do I still need a lawyer?
That is often the most useful moment to have one. Before filing, there is a decision still to be made by the prosecuting office, and material presented at that stage can affect whether a case is filed at all or filed at a lower level. Once charges are filed, that opportunity has passed.
What happens at an arraignment?
It is the first court appearance: the charges are stated, a plea is entered, and custody status and future dates are set. It is short, but it is where the case's timetable and release conditions get fixed, so it is not a hearing to attend unprepared.
Is a DUI licence suspension handled by the court?
No. The licence question is a separate DMV administrative process with its own short deadline to request a hearing, running in parallel with the criminal case. Winning one does not automatically resolve the other.
Can a conviction be cleared from my record later?
California has several forms of post-conviction relief, and eligibility depends on the offence, the sentence and what has happened since. It is a distinct area of work from defending the original case, so ask specifically whether a firm does it.