Any domestic violence charge is a serious charge and can affect your ability to legally own a gun, affect your ability to get a job, and have many other negative consequences – not to mention jail time and fines if you are convicted. This is why we should never face this type of crime without a domestic violence attorney in Westminster CA. If you are not sure our help is needed, keep reading to get the details and then contact Law Office of Michael L. Fell at (949) 585-9055 for a free legal consultation.

The Legal Definition of a Criminal Threat

If you threaten to use violence against another person, it could legally be considered criminal threat – as long as it means certain criteria: You must have threatened to kill or seriously harm someone, the threat must have been specific, you must have made it either in writing or verbally (this includes text and email), and the alleged victim must have been reasonably afraid for their safety for a period of time.

A Conviction for Criminal Threats Can Be More Serious Than You Might Think

It is far too common for a person accused of this crime to not hire a domestic violence attorney in Westminster CA because it sounds like such as a minor crime. After all, how bad can words be? In the eyes of the law, very bad. In fact, if you are charged and convicted of misdemeanor criminal threats you can face fines of as much as $3,000 and as long as a year in jail.

Unfortunately, that is not the worst of it because this is a wobbler offense. That means that the prosecution can decide to charge it as a felony. If you are convicted of a felony charge of criminal threats, you could be spending as long as three years in prison and paying fines of as much as $10,000. This will also count as a strike under the Three Strikes Law, which means that you are likely to have to serve your entire sentence or at least most of it.

Finally, remember that there are other issues that could lead to additional sentencing enhancements. For example, if you make a threat against a protected group, if a child is present, or if your threat involves a firearm, you could face one to four additional years in jail.

There is a Domestic Violence Attorney in Westminster CA

While this might all sound frightening, the good news is that there is help for you. An experienced domestic violence attorney in Westminster CA you can trust Attorney Fell to provide the best possible defense against these charges. His experience includes more than 18 years of working for the prosecution, which gives him special insight into how that office works. Call Law Office of Michael L. Fell at (949) 585-9055 now for a free legal consultation.