Criminal Defense

1. Meticulous Advocacy for Those Accused of Criminal Conduct

Finding yourself charged as a criminal defendant has wide-ranging implications, including emotionally, professionally, financially, and even in your home life. Often times, those accused of criminal conduct find themselves in a highly stressful situation and find the situation extremely difficult to navigate.

If you find yourself charged with a criminal act, it's extremely important that you retain a skilled attorney to protect your rights and to advocate for your defense. Vincent S. Hughes is a skilled lawyer who meticulously investigates, advocates, and represents criminal defendants throughout Southern California. He understands how difficult the process is to deal with overall, and he will work with you to determine the optimum strategy to find a positive outcome to your personal situation.

2. An Advocate for your Constitutional Rights

The Constitution of the United States of America affords certain rights to those charged with committing a crime. Under both federal and state law, criminal defendants are afforded the right to an attorney, the right to confront their accusers, and the right to hold themselves free from self-incrimination.

Your rights don't only begin following an arrest; in fact, the Fourth Amendment provides protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. Thus, you are protected from being searched without a valid warrant and/or probable cause.

The Fifth Amendment provides many protections for those accused of committing criminal acts, including the right against self-incrimination as well as the right to an attorney during questioning.

The Sixth Amendment provides the right to an attorney during adversarial proceedings, including arraignment and all stages of criminal proceedings.

Other constitutional rights afforded to criminal defendants include the right to a speedy trial, the right to be free of cruel and unusual punishment, and the right against being tried for the same crime twice (Double Jeopardy).

3. An Attorney Who Handles a Wide Range of Criminal Law Issues

Whether you're facing an infraction, misdemeanor, or felony charge, the Law Office of Vincent S. Hughes will fight for you to guarantee that you receive a fair shake and that your constitutional rights remain intact. Attorney Vincent S. Hughes is a skilled criminal defense attorney, handling many types of criminal charges, including, but not limited to:

Infractions: Infractions are typically associated with traffic offenses, however, they can also be other criminal charges including disturbing the peace, driving on a suspended license, and others. Infractions have no possibility of jail time, however, they do have the possibility of hefty court-imposed fines.

Misdemeanors: A misdemeanor charge is one which carries a maximum possible jail sentence of 364 days in prison and a court-imposed fine. Examples of misdemeanor offenses include petty theft, DUI, vandalism, and assault and battery.

Felonies: A felony is a more serious crime, which can be either violent offenses, or those that are non-violent. Felonies carry the possibility of incarceration in the state prison for a period over one year and hefty court-imposed fines. Examples of felonies include murder, attempted murder, rape, grand theft, burglary, and many drug offenses.