To better serve our clients, the Law Firm of Spital & Associates in San Diego, California is organized into coordinated Practice Areas representing various subjects of the law.
San Diego Criminal Defense Law Firm
Need a Strong Defense? Call Us 24 Hours a Day /7 Days a Week at 619-583-0350 - "A Law Firm That Cares!" Since 1971
As your San Diego criminal defense attorneys, Samuel Spital & Associates handle juvenile and adult criminal cases, both felonies and misdemeanors including:
- High profile drug charges
- Sex crime cases, including molestation
- DUIs and traffic violations
- Violent crimes, including domestic violence
- White collar crimes, including embezzlement
- Criminal appeals
- Arrest and Bench Warrants
- Expungements and Dismissals of Convictions
We want to be your criminal defense law firm
We will defend your rights at every stage of your criminal case, from police contact, interrogations, detention, arrest and arraignment, through to the end of your case. CONTACT US when you want a San Diego criminal defense lawyer or DUI attorney. We care about your needs and we are here for you.
When a Crime Has Been Committed
Once a suspect has been identified to law enforcement officers, they will attempt to make an arrest. Before law enforcement can arrest anyone, however the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires that there be probable cause to make an arrest. Probable cause means that if a person of ordinary caution and prudence would have a strong suspicion of a person's guilt, that suspect can be taken into custody.
A verbal complaint to a law enforcement officer by the victim or a witness to a crime may be enough to support probable cause. If there is insufficient evidence at the scene, law enforcement may detain a person to conduct a brief investigation. In order to arrest a suspect without a warrant, however, law enforcement must have a reasonable suspicion that a crime was committed, is currently being committed, or is about to be committed. Law enforcement officers must be able to articulate specific facts to support their finding of reasonable suspicion.
Once you are arrested, you still have certain rights that are guaranteed by the Constitution that must be upheld. Before a law enforcement officer can question you, you must be told that you have the right to remain silent, that anything you say may be used against you, that you have a right to have a lawyer present while you are questioned and that, if you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed for you. These are your "Miranda" rights, guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court.
If Samuel Spital & Associates acts as your attorney and we find out that you have not been given these warnings, we will request that the court exclude any statements you made to the law enforcement officer. (This does not apply if you volunteer information without being questioned by the police.) This does not necessarily mean your case will be dismissed just because an officer failed to provide such a warning.
Remember, you can only be questioned without your lawyer present if you understand your rights and voluntarily give them up.
(For information on crime and safety for policymakers, researchers, educators, and the general public, a valuable resource is the National Criminal Justice Research Service. Another source of information is the Cornell Law School Web site. To order criminal law books online at a discount, go to Barrister Books.)
We Can Help with Bail
Bail allows you to be released from jail (unless you are released on your own recognizance). We can help you obtain a bail bond. Call Samuel Spital and Associates for a referral to get a loved one immediately released from jail on bond.
Samuel Spital & Associates
8880 Rio San Diego Drive
Suite 800
San Diego, CA 92108-1642
Telephone: 619-583-0350
Fax: 619-583-1850
Call 7 days a week at any hour or send an e-mail now.