Beverly Hills Criminal Defense Lawyer

Beverly Hills Criminal Defense Lawyer

You’ve been arrested in Beverly Hills. Maybe you’re sitting in a holding cell at 464 N. Rexford Drive right now, waiting to see if someone posts bail. Or you just got released and you’re trying to figure out what comes next. Either way, you’re scared – and you should be, because the decisions you make in the next 48 hours will likely determine how this case ends. Not the facts, not the evidence. Your decisions.

Thanks for visiting Spodek Law Group. We’re a second-generation law firm managed by Todd Spodek, with over 40 years of combined experience defending people who find themselves exactly where you are. We’ve represented thousands of clients nationwide – including many who were told their cases were unwinnable. We know what you’re facing because we’ve seen it many, many times before. What follows is what actually happens in your situation, the choices you need to make right now, and what outcomes people like you typically see.

What Just Happened and What’s Next

The Beverly Hills Police Department just booked you. That means they searched you, photographed you, fingerprinted you, collected your personal information, ran your criminal history, and determined your bail amount. You got three free phone calls – who you called matters. If you called family and they’re scrambling to post bail, that’s understandable. If you called a lawyer, you made the right choice. Right now you’re in a holding cell waiting for one of three things. First: someone posts bail and you’re released within hours. Second: the judge releases you on your own recognizance – you promise to show up without paying bail. Third: you get transferred to Los Angeles County Jail. Beverly Hills Jail is just a booking station. You won’t stay there long either way. Your arraignment happens within 48 hours if you’re in custody, 72 hours if arrested on a weekend. They formally read the charges, you enter a plea, the judge reviews bail. This is where having a lawyer matters most – they can argue for lower bail or OR release before you’ve spent days in county lockup. Most people don’t realize our attorneys can do things before arraignment that public defenders can’t, because PDs don’t get assigned until you appear in court. Private lawyers hired immediately can sometimes get charges reduced or dropped before formal filing.

The Critical Decisions You Face

Police want to talk to you. They’re telling you this is your chance to “clear things up” or “explain your side.” They’re lying – not in the sense that they’re breaking rules, but talking to them will not help you. Anything you say can and will be used against you, and according to California law, police are not required to tell you the whole truth during interrogation. Statements you make trying to explain yourself often become the prosecution’s evidence.

Your Fifth Amendment right to remain silent isn’t theoretical – it’s a practical tool that changes outcomes. Say this: “I want to speak to a lawyer.” Repeat it as needed. Do not elaborate, do not try to be polite or cooperative beyond that.

Second decision: hire a lawyer before your arraignment, or wait for the public defender? Most people miss this reality. Private lawyers hired now – before charges are formally filed – can start investigating immediately while evidence is fresh. Surveillance footage gets deleted after 30-90 days. Witnesses forget. Physical evidence disappears. Public defenders are excellent lawyers, but they don’t get assigned until you appear in court, and by then investigative opportunities have closed. We’ve had cases where charges were dropped before filing because we identified exculpatory evidence the prosecution didn’t have yet.

Cost is a real concern. Criminal defense attorneys in California typically charge $1,500-$15,000+ for a retainer. But compare that to the cost of a conviction: lost wages, lost job opportunities, higher insurance rates, professional licenses at risk.

Third decision: post bail or stay in custody? Data shows people out on bail have better case outcomes – they can work with their lawyer, gather evidence, maintain employment, avoid the desperation that leads to bad plea deals. If you can afford the 10% bail bondsman fee, it’s usually worth it.

What Happens in the Next 30-90 Days

At your arraignment, the judge reads the charges and asks how you plead. Your lawyer – if you have one – will argue about bail, review whether the charges are appropriate, and start negotiating with the Los Angeles County District Attorney who prosecutes all Beverly Hills cases. Yes, the LA County DA, not some special Beverly Hills prosecutor. Location doesn’t change who enforces it – Beverly Hills Police Department arrests you, but the same DA’s office that handles cases from South Central handles yours too. Timeline varies by charge severity. Misdemeanors take 3-6 months. Felonies take 6-18 months, sometimes longer if going to trial. You’ll have court appearances every 4-6 weeks – time off work, childcare, transportation. Each appearance is brief, but you might wait hours.

Then there’s discovery. Prosecutors turn over evidence and your lawyer investigates. This is why hiring representation early matters. Prop 36, which took effect in 2025, changed California law in ways that surprise people. What used to be misdemeanor charges like petty theft can now be charged as felonies if you have two prior theft convictions, even if those priors were years ago and were misdemeanors. Prosecutors have more leverage now. Another 2025 change: AB 600 allows courts to recall and modify sentences to align with new laws without DA approval.

What Actually Happens

Over 90% of criminal cases in California are resolved through plea bargains. That means negotiation, not trial. You plead guilty to reduced charges or accept reduced sentencing in exchange for avoiding trial. This isn’t weakness – it’s reality. Trials are risky even when you have a strong defense, because juries are unpredictable and statutory penalties for conviction after trial are often far worse than plea offers. But plea bargains aren’t automatic. Prosecutors offer them when they see problems with their case or when your lawyer demonstrates you’re prepared to go to trial. Having representation that knows how to negotiate matters enormously here. We’ve gotten felonies reduced to misdemeanors, jail time reduced to probation, charges dismissed entirely when prosecutors realize their case won’t survive pretrial motions.

Take a real scenario: DUI on Wilshire Boulevard after dinner. First offense. Breathalyzer shows .09, barely over the .08 limit. They hire our lawyers before arraignment. We challenge the breathalyzer calibration and officer training. Prosecutor sees complications and offers wet reckless instead of DUI. No DUI on record. Different scenario: shoplifting on Rodeo Drive. Store claims $950 stolen. Under Prop 36, with two prior theft convictions – even old ones – it could be charged as a felony. Our attorneys negotiate diversion program. Client completes it. Case dismissed. Third example: domestic violence call. Neighbor reports shouting. Police respond. One party has scratches. Mandatory arrest even though both parties insist it was accidental. We preserve ring doorbell footage showing the injury was accidental. Charges dropped before filing.

These aren’t unusual outcomes. They’re what happens when someone makes the right decisions in those critical first 48 hours – lawyer up immediately, preserve evidence, don’t talk to police without counsel. Diversion programs exist for first-time offenders, but you need representation to negotiate access. Trial is an option when prosecutors have weak cases or stakes are too high, but fewer than 10% of cases go to trial.

The system isn’t designed to be fair – it’s designed to be adversarial. Prosecutors have every incentive to get convictions. Police have every incentive to build cases. Your incentive is different: minimize damage, protect your future, avoid outcomes you can’t come back from. That requires someone who knows this system intimately, who understands how the government builds cases, who has defended thousands of clients in situations exactly like yours. At Spodek Law Group, we’ve handled cases others called unwinnable – many of the cases we’re famous for are the ones other lawyers said couldn’t be won. Our team includes former federal prosecutors who know how LA County DA thinks, how they prioritize cases, what makes them negotiate. We’re selective about who we work with – if we take your case, it’s because we believe we can make a meaningful difference. We’re available 24/7 at 212-300-5196.