Alternatives to Conviction or Incarceration

Los Angeles Lawyers Helping with Alternative Sentencing Options

California offers numerous alternative sentencing programs that can provide treatment and rehabilitation services and enable people to avoid the stigma of a criminal conviction, or at least avoid incarceration.

For many people, drug or alcohol diversion programs can solve the underlying problem that led them to commit a crime, which is positive both for the individual and for society.

For non-citizens, the consequences of a criminal conviction can be catastrophic, including threats to their visa status, exclusion from the United States, or even deportation.

The Law Offices of Dennis W. Chang will examine all possible legal strategies to minimize the consequences of criminal charges on your life. Our goal is always to preserve your freedom.

For a free consultation and evaluation of your case, call (213) 553-1122.

For example, in drug cases, it may be possible to obtain a deferred entry of judgment in which the conviction is removed from a person's record provided that they stay clean. If a deferred entry of judgment is not possible in your case, probation might still be an option. Alcohol or drug diversion programs can provide drug or alcohol treatment services in a live-in or outpatient basis.

Restitution may be an option for many property crimes. Electronic monitoring, work furlough, or private jail may provide an alternative to incarceration in the county jail. Expungement, or sealing of a criminal record, is possible for most misdemeanors and some felony crimes.

Not everyone can qualify for these outcomes. The criminal defense attorneys of the Law Offices of Dennis W. Chang understand the rules for these programs and the criteria that judges and prosecutors apply in such cases. If you are an appropriate candidate, we will seek an alternative outcome for you.

For a free initial consultation with the Law Offices of Dennis W. Chang, P.C., call (213) 553-1122 or contact us online.

Our phones are answered 24 hours a day.