Our Criminal Law Practice

Leveraging over 40 years of trial experience, Mr. Biegel and his lawyers provide aggressive, perceptive criminal defense.

Mr. Biegel, assisted by three lawyers and a staff of paralegals, evaluates every option available to you to prevent a criminal conviction. When possible, he seeks pre-indictment resolutions to your case through motions to dismiss and plea agreements. If the case proceeds to trial, our firm remains dedicated. We leverage our considerable investigative skills and legal resources to try to keep you out of jail or minimize your sentence. Mr. Biegel and his associates are skilled trial attorneys who can call on professionals in various fields of expertise to testify on your behalf in court.

The best criminal defense is a well-prepared legal offense

Mr. Biegel is a strong proponent of early-engagement; the sooner you call us, the better we can protect you. The firm handles state and federal trials. We represent clients in criminal matters including:

• White-collar crimes
• Sex crimes
• Major felonies
• Driving under the influence (DUI)
• Drug and controlled substance crimes
• Domestic violence
• Juvenile delinquency

Alternative methods of defense

When clients adamantly profess that they are innocent of the charges brought against them, our criminal defense attorneys mobilize a team of investigative experts and legal resources to substantiate this claim in court. We understand that when you are innocent, nothing is more important than clearing your good name.

If a client readily admits that he or she is guilty of the charges or of some lesser charge, our attorneys engage in damage control. Working with the prosecutor, we are often able to reach a plea bargain agreement where charges are reduced and the expected penalties substantially lessened.

In particular cases, such as serious felonies, we do something no other Monterey County defense firm does. Instead of simply relying on the Monterey County Probation Department to produce a Sentencing Recommendation in its report to the court, we prepare a detailed brief entitled Defense Statement of Views re Sentencing and present it to the court as an alternative to the Probation Report. This document usually contains much more background about the mitigating circumstances of your case, and furnishes the facts and circumstances which justify imposition of a lesser sentence than has been recommended to the court by the Probation Department.

In addition, where time in jail has been recommended or required by statute, we are often able to steer our clients into alternative programs such as the Work Alternative Program (community service) or the Supervised Home Confinement Program (house arrest with allowance for going to work or attending school). We have also been successful in using companies who provide state-of-the-art devices, like GPS bracelets, which assure the court that a client can be released with no fear of fleeing or going into prohibited places.

Providing post-conviction remedies

If convicted, you have two options: you can file an appeal or serve your sentence. Our attorneys remain by your side even after you have been sentenced, and continue to provide you with legal counsel you need to get the sentence reduced or repealed.

For sentences involving long periods of probation, in many cases Mr. Biegel has been able to file a motion for early termination of probation. Based on your good behavior and consistent compliance with the terms of the probation, you may be eligible to have your sentence reduced and even dismissed.

In other cases involving a jail-term, we assess your case honestly to see whether you are eligible to file an appeal in either a federal or a state appellate court. We do not handle appeals, as it is best for the client to have a fresh look by other attorneys if an appeal is to have the best chance of success. However, we have contacts with some of the best appellate lawyers in the state and work with them to supplement their efforts on your behalf to have a conviction reversed or a sentence lessened.

Once you have served your sentence or completed probation, you might be eligible to have your criminal record cleared—so, when potential employers and creditors run a background check on you, your record is does not display a criminal history. The courts consider the following factors when establishing eligibility for criminal record erasure:

• You have completed probation or one year has passed since date of judgment
• You are not under suspicion for, or charged with, subsequent offenses
• You obeyed all the court orders
• You are living an honest and upright life

Certain sex crime convictions and most traffic violation convictions cannot be deleted from your record in California. Additional factors may affect your eligibility status. Speak to our attorneys to learn more about your alternatives, and to find out if you are eligible to clear your criminal record.

Representing clients regionally and nationally

We serve various communities throughout central California, including Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties. Our attorneys will travel to represent:

• Local clients living in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties charged with in-state criminal offenses
• Local clients in out-of-state cases. Engagements with local clients have taken us as far as Utah, Texas, and New Jersey
• Out-of-state clients charged in California with felony and misdemeanor offenses. Many times visitors to the Monterey Peninsula suffer the indignity of being arrested for driving under the influence and we have had striking success in representing these out of town clients, particularly paying attention to any adverse consequences involving their drivers license in their home state.

Speak to an attorney at the Biegel Law Office

Call now: (877) 223-8982. We inform you of your legal rights and options. Your freedom is in jeopardy and our attorneys protect you from self-incrimination.