Life in Palm Springs, CA, is blessed with an abundance of recreation, the climate is warm, and the streets are lined with palm trees.
But when you suddenly find yourself arrested in Palm Springs, you may feel as unsettled as someone taking their very first ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, with its rotating cars and its steep ascent over rugged Chino Canyon.
That's why you need an experienced criminal defense attorney with deep experience in the relevant practice area. There are too many pitfalls and complexities for the uninitiated to traverse the legal process on their own.
Attorney David J. Givot and his law firm, Palm Desert Criminal Attorney, have extensive experience in helping people in situations just like yours navigate the court system and win their case. We combine years of hands-on courtroom experience, a deep knowledge of California state law, and detailed familiarity with local Palm Springs court procedures.
We will know how to build you a solid defense and win the best possible outcome to your case. To learn more or for a free consultation, call us anytime 24/7 at 888-293-0396.
Our Commitment to You
We at Palm Desert Criminal Attorney are 100% committed to fighting tirelessly to secure the best interests of each and every one of our clients.
Our vision is to defend your Constitutional rights and win the best possible outcome to your case, be that a dismissal, an acquittal, or a reduced charge or sentence.
We understand that many innocent people are arrested on a wide variety of charges on a regular basis, and that other times, charges can be greatly exaggerated and over-prosecuted. We know how to bring a corrective to these kinds of situations through cross-examination, challenging the evidence and argument of the prosecution, and by finding exculpatory and mitigating evidence in your favor.
We always put ourselves in your shoes and represent every client the way we would want to be represented were our roles reversed. Our team of legal experts will guide you step by step through the whole legal process and apply the full force of our legal expertise in your behalf.
What Sets Us Apart?
There are many law firms operating in and around Palm Springs, CA, so why should you choose Palm Desert Criminal Attorney to represent you? What sets us apart from the competition?
First and foremost, we are not (like so many other law firms out there) a "law mill." A law mill is an industry insider term for a law firm that takes on far more clients than they can possibly serve and then "subcontracts" them out to other lawyers of lesser skills and experience levels. In contrast to this unethical practice, we at Palm Desert Criminal Attorney give personal attention to each client and always represent you with an attorney highly skilled in the relevant practice area.
Secondly, we at Palm Desert Criminal Attorney have more than just knowledge of the California Penal, Vehicle, and Health & Safety Codes. We have a deep familiarity with local Palm Springs and Coachella Valley court processes as well. And we even know many of the judges and prosecutors by name and have a good idea what to expect from them, based on their past tendencies. That gives you a great advantage in the courtroom, to say the least.
Third, we have a track record of success that speaks for itself. We have built a reputation that often gains us dismissals and dropped charges where the same prosecutor would likely have felt comfortable pursuing the case against a less experienced defense attorney. We win consistently in the courtroom or by averting the necessity to even step foot in court.
Practice Areas
Attorney David J. Givot and Palm Desert Criminal Attorney offer you a wide range of practice areas that we are highly experienced in.
We give you more in-depth information on many of our practice areas on their own separate pages here on our website, but here is a quick overview of some of our most commonly handled case-types:
- DUI
In California, you can get a DUI either for having a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08% or higher or for being "under the influence" of alcohol or an intoxicating drug while behind the wheel.
Being under the influence is a matter, legally, of having your driving at all impaired so that you cannot drive as safely as a sober would be expected to in the same situation.
Many assume that a DUI cannot be successfully fought. But that is simply not true. We at Palm Desert Criminal Attorney gain dismissals, acquittals, and reduced charges/sentences on DUI cases on a regular basis. We know which defenses work best in each type of DUI case we handle, and we know how to negotiate for a favorable plea deal when necessary.
- Driving Crimes
While DUIs get most of the public attention, there are a number of other common driving crime charges that can threaten your driver's license upon a conviction.
These include: driving on a suspended license (often one suspended for DUI), wet or dry reckless driving, evading a police officer, committing a hit and run, and vehicular manslaughter.
At Palm Desert Criminal Attorney, we will fight to protect your driving record, your license, and your future.
- Drunk in Public
It may be surprising to some that public intoxication is still a criminal offense (a misdemeanor) in the California Penal Code. But it is.
It's not just any kind of public intoxication, however, that is illegal. It must be such as causes one to lose the ability to look out for his/her own safety or to endanger others nearby. You can also be arrested on a charged of drunk in public if you were obstructing a public street or sidewalk.
Attorney David J. Givot understands how to defeat or reduce a charge of public intoxication and will apply his experience in this very specific practice area in your behalf.
- Drug Crimes
Drug crimes in general are among the most common of all California criminal charges. And while any drug crime conviction creates a criminal record and can make it difficult to find gainful employment, there is a wide difference among the specific offenses under this category and the severity with which they are punished.
Being under the influence of a controlled substance or simple possession of a controlled substance are among the least serious drug crimes, and yet, even these can get you significant jail time unless you get into a drug diversion program.
Offenses like possession for sale and sale, transport, or distribution of illegal drugs can get you years in state prison, underscoring all the more the need for solid legal defense.
- Assault & Battery
In California, unlike in some other states, assault is one charge and battery is another one. Battery is any incident wherein someone touched another person while intending to unlawfully inflict physical harm. Assault is simply the attempt to commit an act of battery, but without making physical contact.
At Palm Desert Criminal Attorney, we understand how to defend against these two closely related charges. We can use such defenses as lack of intent, self defense, defense of others, mistaken identity, lack of physical contact, and false accusation to defeat or reduce an assault and/or battery allegation.
- Domestic Violence
In the case of domestic violence, it is the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim that defined the crime. When assault or battery, for example, is committed against a spouse, former spouse, or romantic partner, it will be considered domestic violence and will carry an enhanced penalty.
Common domestic violence charges include: corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant, domestic battery, child abuse, child neglect, elder abuse, making "annoying (harassing) phone calls," and damaging a telephone line.
We at Palm Desert Criminal Attorney understand how common false accusations and misunderstandings are in domestic violence cases. And we know how to build a solid defense for each type of case that falls under this general rubric.
- Theft Crimes
There are a wide variety of different theft crimes, but all of them involve the taking of property not belonging to you without the owner's permission and with intent to keep it or deprive the owner of its use/value.
Petty theft (items valued at or below $950), grand theft (stolen items valued at over $950), grand theft auto, grand theft firearm, shoplifting, burglary, robbery, and a host of different fraud crimes are all examples of common theft crimes.
We can defend against these kinds of charges by showing the property was actually yours or you reasonably believed it to be yours, that you did not intend to commit a theft, by disputing the value of the stolen property, by denying fraudulent intent, and a number of other strategies.
- Juvenile Crimes
On the one hand, the juvenile justice system is much more concerned with "treatment and rehabilitation" than the adult justice system. But a conviction will certainly affect a minor's life for years to come.
We at Palm Desert Criminal Attorney are familiar with the inner workings of California's juvenile court system, and we also know how to fight to prevent a minor from being tried as a adult in certain situations, by securing a reduced or different charge that qualified him/her to be tried in juvenile court.
- Probation Violations
If you have a past criminal conviction for which you are serving probation, one of the worst things that can happen is for your probation to be cancelled and you sent to jail/prison, or for your probation terms to be made stricter or the duration of your probation made longer.
We have much experience in arguing before probation courts, which is a very specialized area of criminal defense.
- Expungements
For many California convictions, it is possible to get an expungement that will clear your record once you have served your probation time.
Qualifying for, applying for, and securing an expungement, however, all require detailed knowledge of this very complex area of law.
We at Palm Desert Criminal Attorney have gotten convictions expunged from many clients' criminal records, helping them get a better job, secure a professional license, and put the past behind them.
Contact Us Today For Immediate Service
At Palm Desert Criminal Attorney, we keep ourselves constantly available and ready to respond to your call for help.
We serve all of Palm Springs, the whole Coachella Valley Region, and other parts of Southern California. Attorney David J. Givot has an immense amount of legal experience and knowledge under his belt and his vision is to put it to work for you.
Contact us anytime 24/7/365 by calling 888-293-0396, and we will give you a free, no-obligation legal consultation and will give immediate attention to your case.
