Carjacking Defense Lawyers

Legal Defense You Can Rely On

Carjacking refers to taking a car from another person by force or fear. This crime is punishable by imprisonment in state prison for a term of three to nine years, depending on the circumstances of the alleged crime. If there is more than one victim involved (i.e., more than one person in the car), you could face separate charges and additional sentences for each victim.

This is why it is so vital that you speak with an carjacking attorney about the details of your case. At Second Chances Law Group, we work to avoid a conviction by providing experienced legal defense you can count on.

Penalty for Carjacking

Carjacking is also considered a serious felony for the purpose of California’s Three Strikes Law, meaning it will count as a “strike” on your criminal record. You could face increased prison time, and in some cases even a potential life sentence, if during a carjacking you use a firearm, seriously injure someone, or commit the offense on behalf of a gang. Our experienced criminal defense lawyers and legal team work to gather evidence of the prosecution's case against you and poke holes into it.

To prove that you are guilty of this crime, the prosecution must establish the following:

• You took a car (or vehicle) that was not your own
• The vehicle was taken against that person’s will
• You used force or fear to take the vehicle or to prevent that person from resisting
• When you used force or fear to take the vehicle, you intended to deprive the other person of possession of the vehicle either temporarily or permanently
• The vehicle was taken from the immediate presence of a person who either possessed the vehicle or was its passenger

Common Defense Strategies for Carjacking

While the prosecution is working to prove those elements, we are working to build effective defense strategies on your behalf. For example, negating intent: if we can show that you did not intend to take the car when you used force or fear, it may be a successful defense. We can also use consent to show that you had permission to take the vehicle or that your actions did not cause fear.