If you're not familiar with the Los Angeles downtown court at 210 West Temple, it's the primary courthouse for most sex crime prosecutions.  The District Attorney's office, renowned for its expertise in handling sex crime cases, is conveniently located across the street from the Hall of Records, serving as the central hub for all district attorneys.

There's a vast building there that's been refurbished, so that's pretty much their power hub as far as most prosecutors are concerned. 

In today's society, with sex crimes and sexual harassment being so much in the public view and targeted by the prosecutors, thousands of cases are being prosecuted in the District Attorney's office, and even the City Attorney's office will prosecute misdemeanor cases in the same building.

Special Prosecutor Assigned in Sex Crime Cases

It's important to understand that these cases are not just legal matters, but also political. The severity of the prosecution often depends on the specific circumstances of the crime and the extent of the damage to the victims.

So, instead of just letting a sex crime offense go through the usual channels in the courthouse, the District Attorney's office will assign a special prosecutor to each sex crime offense that involves a victim. Some sex crime offenses do not involve victims. 

For example, suppose it's a prostitution activity where an undercover police officer catches somebody trying to solicit them to have sex with them or catches somebody they determine is a pimp, procuring women. In that case, pimp, who is procuring women, those cases will just commonly be prosecuted in the general course.

Whereas, suppose there's a specific victim who's been raped, for example, or touched inappropriately, like a sexual battery situation. In that case, the prosecutor on the case will have the opportunity from the beginning to the end.

Their thoroughness is such that even if you're there to request a case extension for further investigation, they won't grant it unless the assigned prosecutor is present in the courtroom to ensure it aligns with their schedule.

These people are tracking cases through the system.  I just had an issue where my client was out on bail from the downtown courthouse for a sex crime severe offense. 

He committed a new offense in a different jurisdiction in Los Angeles County.  The investigating officer on that offense could determine who the prosecutor was and contact her to inform her of the new crime.

She, in turn, called me, indicating that she was going to try and seek to revoke his bail in the open case based on his committing new sex crime-related offenses while he was out on bail.

Retaining an Experienced Sex Crime Defense Lawyer

Given the coordinated and severe nature of sex crime prosecutions in downtown Los Angeles,  it's crucial to have an attorney who is not only familiar with the process but also has a proven track record of handling these types of cases.

Unfortunately, I've seen many attorneys get involved in these cases without understanding the complexity, leading to a disorganized defense and ultimately, their client suffering the consequences.

Then I ended up getting on the case because I was hired. I saw that these attorneys did not know what they were doing and didn't know how to investigate the case properly, didn't know who to talk to about trying to resolve the case, didn't know what mitigating factors to be used to try to get a better resolution in the case for their client.

Therefore, be cautious when selecting your attorney.  You have to ensure that you get someone who knows what they're doing.  Most of these cases are severe if they're in the sex crime-related category, and the deck is stacked against you already.

Don't further stack the deck against yourself by getting an attorney who doesn't know what they're doing and who is not familiar with how to prosecute sex crime cases to get the best results for their client.

So, to me, there's a whole strategy in defending a sex crime case in the downtown courthouse because to give you an idea of how things work, if you or a loved one has a severe sex crime case in downtown Los Angeles and is being prosecuted at 210 West Temple, or even in the other courthouses. Still, that courthouse, in particular, has a distinct hierarchy and structure for handling its cases.

Preparing a Mitigation Package

If you want to resolve the case, the number two in command will typically be the one you negotiate with before the preliminary hearing.  So, I would typically put together a litigation package for her, set an appointment to meet with her face-to-face, and send the mitigation package in advance.

So, she can see all the good things about my client — character letters and other relevant documents that apply to the client's case — and then meet face-to-face.

Then you're just having a good discussion about some of the issues in the case, what the defense believes is a fair resolution of the case. Of course, the prosecutors will examine what they believe is necessary to protect society and punish the defendant for a particular offense.

If you attempt to negotiate the case after the preliminary hearing, they will usually make the offers worse.  However, if you bring some good stuff to light in the preliminary hearing, you might be able to use that to get a better resolution for your client. Still, the head DA will take over at that point, and she will be the one you negotiate with after the preliminary hearing.

So, this is just the iceberg type as far as the nuances surrounding sex crime cases in downtown Los Angeles. The sex crime category has broadened over the last 25 years that I've been practicing, including the internet — child pornography is a big thing that is prosecuted, especially those who are going on the internet.

There are many different investigative tools that law enforcement can use that are very effective, like a SAR exam, a sexual assault exam, DNA testing, and fingerprint testing.  There are various factors depending on the case's specific circumstances.

So, if you have a sex crime in downtown Los Angeles, you've come to the right place.  You've taken the first step.  Take the next step.  Pick up the phone.  Please set up a meeting with me so we can discuss your matter.