Conspiracy

Orange County conspiracy lawyer, William Weinberg is an experienced defense attorney who has successfully defended hundreds of clients, including those charged with conspiracy. Mr. Weinberg is a zealous advocate for the clients that he represents and has a track record of proven results. Mr. Weinberg takes the time to individually review each potential client’s case to provide a plan that works best for their circumstances.

What Constitutes a Conspiracy

In California it is a crime to commit conspiracy under Penal Code section 182.

To prove that a person is guilty of this crime, the prosecution must prove that:

1. The accused intended to agree or agreed with another person(s) to commit a crime
2. At the time of the agreement, the accused and another member of the conspiracy intended that one or more of them would commit the alleged crime
3. At least one of the members of the conspiracy committed an overt act(s) with the goal of accomplishing the alleged crime
4. At least one of these acts was committed in California

It is important to note that a person is not guilty of a conspiracy if they simply associate with a member of a conspiracy or if they are present when the conspiracy takes place, as long as they do not intend to commit the offense.

California Laws on Conspiracy

The charge of conspiracy is often alleged only as an addition to other serious charges. When two or more people are accused of committing a crime, the prosecutor may also file conspiracy charges. For example, fraud is often accompanied by a charged for conspiracy if a person did not act alone. In California, it is against the law for two or more people to collaborate to commit any crime. Although conspiracy is often not the main crime being charged in a particular case, it can be prosecuted alone or a person may be found guilty of conspiracy without being found guilty of the underlying offense. For example, a person can be found guilty of conspiring to commit a counterfeiting offense without actually going through with the act of counterfeiting. Depending on the underlying crime perpetrated through the conspiracy, a person may face either felony or misdemeanor charges for conspiracy. The penalty for a conspiracy charge is often related to the penalty for the underlying offense. An experienced conspiracy attorney in Orange County can help you if you have been or believe that you will be charged with either felony or misdemeanor charges for conspiracy.

Quite often, conspiracy charges can be extremely serious. Conspiracy to commit a crime against high-ranking public officials is considered a felony punishable by five to nine years imprisonment. Additionally, in cases of conspiracy to commit murder, the punishment prescribed is the same as that of murder in the first degree.

Legal Defenses

An experienced conspiracy attorney in Orange County can fight these charges with a few different legal defense strategies. A few examples of these legal defenses include: no agreement to participate in the conspiracy; no overt act that constituted a step towards engaging in the conspiracy; and/or if the accused withdrew from the conspiracy.

William Weinberg is a defense attorney with proven results and promises to vigorously defend your rights under the law. He has successfully defended hundreds of clients, including those charged with conspiracy. To reach Orange County conspiracy lawyer, William Weinberg please contact his Irvine office at (949) 474-8008 or by emailing him at bill@williamweinberg.com. He will review your case and provide a confidential consultation, free of charge.

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