Misdemeanor defense attorney
Southern California Misdemeanor Defense Attorney
At Kenney Legal Defense, you can receive assistance from a misdemeanor defense attorney who represents clients charged with a wide range of state and federal crimes. These include the following misdemeanors:
- Assault and Battery
- Burglary
- Domestic Violence
- DUI
- Fraud
- Resisting Arrest
- Theft
- Trespassing
Ms. Kenney has over 20 years of experience defending clients in court, including nearly 12 years as a public defender, which included being a misdemeanor defense attorney. She has litigated more than 80 criminal trials over the course of her career and works aggressively to mount the strongest possible defenses for her clients.
What are misdemeanors?
California law defines a misdemeanor as a criminal offense punishable by up to one year in jail. A misdemeanor conviction can also carry significant fines amounting to thousands of dollars. Perhaps more importantly, the conviction goes on your criminal record. That means employers can find out about it and may decide not to hire you as a result. While your record can be “expunged” under certain circumstances, the best strategy is to fight the charges head-on and try to keep your criminal record clean.
Assault vs. battery
Assault and battery are two of the most common misdemeanors for which people are charged in California. Each crime is often confused with the other, but they are two separate and distinct criminal offenses, which are proved differently to secure a conviction. Put simply, assault is the threat of physical contact, and battery is the actual contact.
California law defines assault as an intentional attempt to do physical harm that’s usually shown through actions (running toward a person with a weapon) or statements (threatening to strike the person with the weapon). Battery, on the other hand, is defined under the California Penal Code as “any willful and unlawful use of force or violence upon the person of another.” The action must be intentional: an accident doesn’t count.
Assault and battery in their “simple” forms are generally treated as misdemeanors, but they may be charged as felonies under certain circumstances, such as when the alleged victim suffers major injuries or a weapon is used. However, a court may later decide to reduce the charges to misdemeanors during the course of the legal proceedings.
If you have been charged with misdemeanor assault or battery, or with any other misdemeanor crime in California, such as a marijuana DUI, domestic violence, shoplifting, fraud, burglary or trespassing, an experienced criminal defense attorney can assemble an aggressive defense on your behalf.
Aggressive Misdemeanor Defense Attorney
Attorney Karren Kenney is a seasoned criminal defense lawyer who has dedicated her career to representing clients charged with crimes in California. She was previously named Public Defender of the Year by her colleagues for her tenacity, commitment, and ability, showing that she is well-respected in the local legal community. Unlike other criminal defense lawyers and firms, Ms. Kenney handles all of the cases that she takes from start to finish rather than delegating work to other, less experienced lawyers. Among other previous successes, Ms. Kenney was able to get misdemeanor assault and battery charges against a client dropped after negotiating the client’s participation in a criminal diversion program.
Call (855) 505-5588 or contact us online for a free consultation and to learn more about how criminal defense attorney Karren Kenney can help you fight your state or federal misdemeanor case.