Felony Defense Attorney
FELONY DEFENSE ATTORNEY SERVING ORANGE COUNTY RESIDENTS
Karren Kenney is an Orange County felony defense attorney who represents clients in Southern California charged with a variety of crimes, including the full slate of misdemeanor and felony offenses. A former Senior Deputy Public Defender, Ms. Kenney has dedicated her career to defending the accused. She has handled thousands of cases and tried more than 70 before juries. If you’ve been charged with a felony in California, your personal freedom is likely at risk. Ms. Kenney works aggressively to get charges reduced or dropped when possible, and she has a strong track record for securing the best possible outcome for the people she represents.
WHAT IS A FELONY?
Felonies are criminal offenses that are punishable by more than one year in prison. The punishment range is fixed on a crime-by-crime basis, leaving some leeway for judges to determine the extent of the penalty based on the circumstances of the alleged crime.
In California, an offense often can be charged as either a felony or a misdemeanor depending on the nature of the crime and the defendant’s criminal history. Assault and battery are typically misdemeanors, for example, but they may be raised to felonies when they’re committed against a police officer or involve certain types of deadly weapons. Although some fraud offenses are automatic felonies, others may be charged as misdemeanors if the circumstances warrant less severe punishment.
CALIFORNIA’S THREE STRIKES RULE
Being charged with a felony is a serious matter for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it may qualify you for the state’s three strikes rule. The rule provides that a person who has previously been convicted for a serious felony can be sentenced to twice the ordinary prison sentence if later convicted of any new felony. If the person is later convicted of a third felony that is serious or violent, he or she must be sentenced to a prison term of at least 25 years to life. In some cases, it is possible to accumulate more than one strike during the same sequence of criminal activity if multiple felonies are involved. Efforts to reform this harsh law are ongoing, but its basic structure remains in place. Defenses against its implementation include reducing previous crimes on a defendant’s record to levels where they would not qualify as “strikes.”
AGGRESSIVE FELONY DEFENSE ATTORNEY
If you have been charged with a felony in California, it’s vital that you have a seasoned criminal defense lawyer in your corner. With more than 18 years of experience representing clients in felony cases, Orange County felony defense attorney Karren Kenney has the skill, experience, and ability that you need to ensure that your rights are fully protected and that all avenues for resolving the matter are considered. Among other previous victories, Ms. Kenney recently secured a not guilty jury verdict for a client charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon as part of an alleged but unproven gang-related crime.
From our felony defense attorney office in Costa Mesa, the firm serves clients throughout Southern California, including in Huntington Beach, Irvine, Santa Ana and Los Angeles. Call (855) 505-5588 or contact us online for an initial consultation at no cost to you.