Santa Ana Burglary Lawyer

Have you been charged with burglary?

You can be charged with the crime of burglary if you enter a building intending to commit any sort of felony at those premises. It is first degree burglary if you go into a home with the intention to commit a felony crime. It is burglary in the second degree if you enter another building, such as a business, with the purpose of carrying out a felony. While most second degree offenses are not usually counted as a strike against you, conviction on a first degree burglary charge commonly is. You do not have to be successful in committing a felony in order to be accused and convicted of this crime.

The penalties if you are found guilty can be severe, up to 6 years in a state prison. For conviction of a first degree offense, it will be considered a strike against you, meaning that no matter how good your behavior is, you will have to serve at least 85% of your sentence.

It is vital, therefore, that you have the protection of an experienced Santa Ana criminal defense attorney. In our firm, Mr. Schaffer served for 18 years as an Orange County Deputy District Attorney, working in the trenches to try the most complex gang cases and related crimes in the county. This experience can pay off when it comes to understanding how your case will be conducted and forcing the prosecution to prove its cause beyond a reasonable doubt. It can also come into play when negotiations are needed to get the charges against you reduced or even dismissed. When facing burglary charges, this is the sort of experience that matters.

Protecting Your Rights

If you have been charged, our first advice is to not say a word to the police or prosecutors and to quickly contact us. You may be innocent of the charges or there has been a misunderstanding and statements you make can be used to prove your guilt. You need to talk to someone who is on your side and can take hard-hitting actions in your defense. By having an attorney who can investigate the weaknesses in a prosecutor's case and exploit them to your advantage, your chances for a favorable outcome are greatly increased.

Accused of burglary? Quickly contact a Santa Ana burglary lawyer from our firm to find out what your legal options are.