Living in Southern California, you may feel as though you know the most commonly charged crimes. You would likely assume that they’re very serious crimes but the truth is quite different. The news focuses on violent crimes but the real day-to-day crimes are generally much less frequently reported on. Read on to learn more about the give most common crimes committed in Southern California. If you’ve been accused of a crime, please reach out to Law Office of Michael L. Fell at (949) 585-9055 for a free legal consultation.
- Driving under the influence
- Theft
- Drug possession
- Trespassing
- Assault
In every state of the United States, it’s illegal to drive while under the influence of either alcohol or drugs. If you drive with a blood alcohol content of over the legal limit – which is .08% - then you can be arrested and jailed for a DUI. In fact, it is one of the top five reasons people get arrested in California.
There are actually many different crimes that fall under the umbrella term of theft crimes. It can refer to shoplifting, breaking and entering, possession of burglary tools, identify theft, forgery, writing bad checks, embezzlement, and many other crimes. While it’s true that many minor theft crimes are either undetected or unreported, they are still one of the main arrest reasons in California.
For years, one of the most common crimes in California has been the possession of drugs. However, it’s important to note that many of those arrests involved small amounts of marijuana. As of January 1st, 2018, marijuana is officially legal in the state of California. This doesn’t mean that it’s entirely legal, as it’s still a federal offense, but it will no longer be a reason for a person to be arrested by California police officers. It remains to be seen what the decriminalization of marijuana will do to the arrest stats for drug possession.
If you’re somewhere that you’re not legally allowed to be, then technically you’re trespassing. This is often tied in with burglary, as burglary is defined as trespassing onto someone else’s property with the intent to commit any felony. Trespassing charges are common, especially for juveniles and in domestic violence cases.
There are two main levels of assault. Simple assault refers to unarmed attacks, such as shoves, punches, or kicks. Aggravated assault refers to attacks that are more serious, cause significant injury, or involve a weapon. Assault is one of the five most commonly broken laws in California.
Contact an attorney if you’ve been accused of a crime
No matter if the crime you’re accused of is one that’s committed regularly or you’re one of the rare ones arrested for it, you need a criminal defense attorney. At Law Office of Michael L. Fell, we can use our combined experience to represent you and find the best possible outcome for your case. Contact us at (949) 585-9055 today for your free legal consultation.