Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney Blog

In April of this year the Los Angeles Police Department arrested Los Angeles sex crimes suspect and Choreographer Alex Da Silva. Da Silva, 41, who has been featured on "So You Think You Can Dance". The previous arrest resulted in no charges by the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office. The DA's Office determined that further investigation and evidence was required. In the mean time, Da Silva hired a top notch Los Angeles criminal defense attorney.

After four months of dogged work, the LA District Attorney's Office filed 8 major sex crime felonies against Da Silva. He was arrested at his North Hollywood home. At the time he was originally arrested, Da Silva took the strong and aggressive action of hiring a pre-filing Los Angeles criminal defense attorney to protect his interests. While the case could have been much worse had he not made this decision.

For many years the LAPD had been receiving complaints of sexual assaults by the choreographer. But no charges were ever filed. After numerous woman who did not know each other complained of the same type of activity the prosecution filed the rape charges.

Da Silva has now been re-arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting several of his dance students. The acts charged occurred during the time period of August 2002 and March of 2009. The charges include four counts of forcible rape, two counts of assault with intent to commit rape and two counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object. Da Silva faces decades in prison.

The famous dance instructor is being held on $6.2 million bail and he will be arraigned this Thursday in Van Nuys, California

Continue reading "Los Angeles Dance Instructor for "Dancing With The Stars" Charged With Rape" »

As we see the beginning of a new President and Vice President for the United States, we will most likely see a new beginning for criminal prosecutions for Los Angeles DUIs and Southern California criminal law.

Already the new administration has claimed that there will be a clamp down on crime. The local administrations have also claimed that they will vigorously prosecute even minor offenses. It will not matter if you are arrested for a Los Angeles DUI, a Long Beach crime, a San Fernando robbery, or a Pasadena DUI, the police will be trying to enforce the law to the fullest. For that reason, it is important to hire a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who has the experience and knowledge to defend you.

The new emphasis on punishment for minor offenses is going to put regular citizens in a bad position. In the past, judges and prosecutors understood that there is a clear difference between people who are law abiding but who make a mistake, and those who a repeat offenders. Now, even minor offenses are going to punished more severely.

As a former prosecutor, Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael Kraut, handles criminal matters in the Los Angeles and throughout Southern California. His Harvard Law School training and over 14 years experience as a senior trial prosecutor has put Mr. Kraut in a unique position to defend individuals arrested and charged with Los Angeles based crimes.

If you have been arrested or charged with a crime and or you need to hire a Los Angeles pre-filing defense attorney or you are under investigation for violent crime in Southern California, please contact Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael Kraut for 24/7 assistance by phone at (323) 464-6453 or toll free at (888) 334-6344 or online.

In a shift from a decade ago, violent crime in Los Angeles has declined for 6 straight years. Police in this Southern California city are thankful in the decrease. Others worry that the decline will reversed due to the failing economy.

Los Angeles homicides decreased about 5% from the previous year. While that number is not that impressive, the total total drop of 27% in 5 years. Law enforcement claim that the decrease is due to the severe push in gang eradication.

Violent crime has also dropped for other Southern California cities. San Diego saw a slight down turn, while San Bernardino had a 7% decrease, and Orange County also saw a drop in violent crimes

Continue reading "Violent crime down in Los Angeles and Southern California in 2008" »

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has admitted to the County Board of Supervisors that they have failed to test over 5,600 rape kits with evidence of sexual assaults and other crimes. However, those same officials also state that they are not sure of the total number of kits that have gone untested. The reason they do not know the exact number is that smaller cities and towns contract with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department to test their rape kits and they have not reported the number of their untested items. Recently, the LAPD admitted to the failure to test in excess of 7,000 rape kits that they have in their possession.

The real fear is that if the tests have not been completed within 10 years of the date of the crime, then the statute of limitations will expire. After ten years, if the criminal is caught, the State may not prosecute the rapist. Therefore, Sheriff's Department will give priority to the rape kits that are the oldest.

Many people do not know what are in the rape kits, to clarify the contents, I will explain what is often in these kits. As a former senior District Attorney now defending serious crimes, I have learned that these kits often times contain body fluids, finger nail scrapings, DNA and other items used to identify specific individuals.

Once these items are tested and the suspect is identified, then the evidence from the rape kits will be used in a court to prove the identity of the rapist.

Continue reading "Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Admits That More Than 5,600 Rape Kits Have Not Been Tested" »

The Los Angeles City Council has just concluded hearings on the huge back log of untested rape kits held by the LAPD as part of sexual crimes evidence that the force has collected. These public hearings were all over the local television stations as victims of sex crimes and their advocates shamed the LAPD for the backlog of over 7,300 untested rape kits. In many cases, the statute of limitations has past on these crimes and those that sexually assaulted their victims could not be brought to trial.

After the hearing concluded, the City Council approved the hiring of 16 additional crime lab analysts immediately to process these samples. DNA and other samples taken from rape victims have not been processed. Sarah Tofte, researcher with the US Program at Human Rights Watch, says that the problem is not just with the processing of evidence, but in the investigating and prosecution of rape cases.

Yesterday, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Police Chief William Bratton, and Councilmember Jack Weiss announced that the crime lab would be increased by 30 employees in the next six months. This, they claim, will alleviate the backlog in untested kits.

Continue reading "Los Angeles Adds Crime Lab Positions To Process Rape Kit Evidence held by LAPD" »