Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

a friend of mine was in a fight about 2 months ago and the other person ended up in a coma from the fight, the guy died about 2 weeks ago. what can he be charged with and how much time can he get in jail or prison? the fight was because the other person was trying to steal from him. what should he do?


Asked on 8/15/12, 10:23 pm

2 Answers from Attorneys

Theresa Hofmeister Theresa Hofmeister, Attorney At Law

He should get a good attorney. No one can speculate without more facts, and certainly no one can say with certainty. All cases are fact-dependent, what the evidence shows, what the police concluded and wrote in their report, what witnesses there were and what they will say.

What you allege as the cause may or may not be proveable ... and if not, it won't actually matter much in the criminal case. And it may or may not be relevant even if true & provable.

Your friend should talk to some local criminal defense attorneys who regularly practice in the court where the case would be heard. Many offer free consultations. Good luck!

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Answered on 8/15/12, 11:24 pm
Terry A. Nelson Nelson & Lawless

what can he be charged with ??

Up to and including murder, at the discretion of the prosecutor.

what should he do?

Whenever threatened, arrested or charged with any crime, �what can you do�? No amount of free 'tips and hints' from here or anywhere else are going to effectively help you in your defense, other than the advice [if not already too late] is to exercise the 5th Amendment RIGHT to SHUT UP and do NOT talk to police or ANYONE about the details of the case except through an attorney. That includes on this or any other web site or public forum. Most police and prosecutors will happily tell you that 95% of people convict themselves by trying to be 'helpful and cooperative', either during initial contact, questioning, interview or interrogation. Hire an attorney, unless you know how to effectively represent yourself in court against a professional prosecutor intending to convict.

If this is in SoCal courts, and if serious about hiring counsel to help in this, feel free to contact me.

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Answered on 8/16/12, 1:17 am


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