Last month, the California Department of Justice released their annual report on crime for 2016. We took a look at the stats and noticed some important trends. Remember that the information that follows is general information about crimes. No matter what you’ve been charged with, it’s important to work with an experienced California criminal defense attorney who knows how to help you.

Violent crime is on the rise

For the second year in a row, violet crimes have risen. This includes murder, aggravated assault, robbery, and rape. In 2016, the number of violent crimes was more than 8,000 higher than in 2015. This is an increase of more than 4%. In total, across the state of California there were 1,930 homicides, 13,695 rapes, 54,769 robberies, and more than 100,000 aggravated assaults.

To put this in perspective, for every 100,000 people in the state, there were five murders, 35 rapes, nearly 140 robberies, and more than 260 aggravated assaults. The report did not collect data to determine the cause of the rise in reported crimes.

Property crimes are on the decline

When we compare the statistics of burglary, car theft, and larceny, there was a total drop of almost 3 percent compared to the year before. That said, in individual categories, there were more car thefts than in the previous year. Consider this: For every 100,000 cars on California roads, about 450 of them were stolen.

More than 66 percent of felony arrests ended with convictions

Throughout 2016, there were more than 206,000 people arrested for a felony in California. The total number of those that were convicted came to more than 137,000. That puts the statistical chances of going to jail after being arrested for a felony at about 66%.

While that is a startling number and may make you worry about your own criminal case, consider that probation with jail time was the most common penalty. In fact, they accounted for a about a third of all felony sentences. The ideal is to get you off for the crime you’re accused of. However, if there is a wealth of evidence against you, Law Office of Michael L. Fell may work to get you the best possible plea deal, which may involve a combination of jail and probation.

Juvenile arrests are way down

The good news, from a perspective of leniency for children, is that the number of juvenile arrests for both misdemeanors and felonies are way down. In 2011, the last time these stats were part of the California State Crime Report, juvenile crime rates were at an all-time high. By 2016, the total number has dropped by more than 57%. In 2016 alone, there was more than a 15 percent decrease.

If you or your child has been accused of or charged with a crime then you need a criminal defense attorney who looks at the entire case. At Law Office of Michael L. Fell, we keep up with the latest news in California law. You can trust us to use every innovation and method for your case. Reach out to us today at (949) 585-9055 to get started.