The Challenge
An off-duty Sheriff’s Deputy became the subject of a lengthy criminal investigation after he was accused of several domestic violence incidents and shooting a gun inside his house during one of those incidents. At the end of the criminal investigation, we were told that the Sheriff’s Deputy was going to be arrested. We then negotiated with the Detectives and obtained permission to surrender our client at the police station, thus, sparing him the embarrassment of being handcuffed in front of his neighbors or co-workers. The Sheriff’s Deputy was charged with felony corporal injury on a spouse and felony negligent discharge of a firearm in violation of California Penal Code sections 273.5 and 246.3.
Our Strategy
We first coordinated with detectives to allow our client to surrender at the station, avoiding a public arrest in front of his neighbors or colleagues. Once the case reached court, we pushed back against the push for prison by presenting our own independent investigation and evidence. By highlighting specific details that the initial investigation overlooked, we successfully convinced the court that prison was not necessary. Our client remained out of custody and was permitted to serve his entire sentence on house arrest.
The Result
PRISON AVOIDED; HOUSE ARREST GRANTED
Your Case Belongs at the Southwest Justice Center.
Your Defense Belongs Here.
If you were arrested in Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Wildomar, Lake Elsinore, Winchester, or French Valley, your future will likely be decided at the Southwest Justice Center (SWJC) on Auld Road. In these courtrooms, local knowledge is the ultimate advantage. Since 1999, Nic Cocis has been a weekly fixture in the SWJC, appearing before the same judges and negotiating with the same Riverside County prosecutors for over 25 years. We don’t just know the law — we know the specific nuances, procedural quirks, and judicial tendencies of the Southwest District. Whether you are facing a felony or a misdemeanor, you need a firm that treats the Southwest Justice Center as its home turf.
