Los Angeles Hit and Run Lawyer Blog
Unlike many offenses, a Hit and Run charge may be avoided completely if proper steps are taken soon after an arrest has been made.
When you are arrested for a Los Angeles Hit and Run, you have not yet been found guilty. The arresting officer will submit a report to the District Attorney, or City Attorney’s office. The relevant prosecutor will then review the facts and the evidence and will then make a determination if charges will be filed and a case will be started.
There are certain steps that can be taken after a person has been arrested and before formal charges have been brought that could potentially avoid any charges altogether.
An experienced Los Angeles Hit and Run lawyer is well versed in not only the steps to take to give a case the best possible chances of dismissal, but also knows the right people to contact to start the process.
One of the things a legal professional will do is contact the alleged victim. This would be the person that suffered and injury or property damage as a result of the Hit and Run. The attorney will offer a reimbursement, or restitution to make amends for the injury or damage. If the alleged victim is in agreement to accept restitution or reimbursement, then both parties will enter into a civil compromise. This civil compromise will then be presented to the prosecutor in a hope to alleviate the need to bring a case.
Lets consider an example to illustrate the concept.
Donna was driving home from a friend’s house at night one evening. It was raining hard and it was incredibly windy. Due to the fact that Donna had a hard time seeing anything, she hit a neighbor’s fence when she went to park her car in the driveway. Thinking she would just talk to the neighbor in the next day or two, Donna did not leave any contact information. Eventually the neighbors called the authorities and Donna was arrested for Hit and Run. Donna hired a Los Angeles Hit and Run lawyer, and he immediately contacted the neighbors. The attorney was able to determine the cost of repairing the fence, which Donna readily paid. Once the payment was made and the fence was fixed, the neighbors agreed to enter into a civil compromise stating that all damage was fixed and they were not going to be pursuing any further charges or cases against Donna. The lawyer then used this compromise to show the prosecutor that the case had been resolved, restitution had been made and that bringing charges against Donna would be a waste of time of the court’s resources.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, it is important that you immediately contact a legal professional and take action before formal charges have been brought. A hit and run can have a big impact on your life and your education and career. Take all the steps you can take to ensure the case be dismissed or reduced.