- Criminal DefenseJuliet Peck graduated from Santa Clara University School of Law in 1994. She is a fixture in the criminal courts of Monterey County. Juliet is known by her colleagues as a tenacious, assertive and creative criminal defense attorney. From 1995 to 2006 she worked as a deputy public defender in Monterey County, where she represented hundreds of clients and was counsel in several high profile cases.
- DUI/DWIOne of the most common charges the average person can face is driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI). Many drivers are shocked to learn that the few drinks they had before heading home will result in their arrest for DUI even though they believe they are not impaired. Unfortunately, that is the first of many shocks because the potential consequences of a conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI) are serious. They begin when the arresting officer issues a notice of suspension of the arrestee’s driving privilege. Quick action is required to delay the implementation of the suspension.
- Sex CrimesThere is a wide array of sexual offenses described in the California Penal Code. Some criminalize non-consensual sexual acts upon another. Others are criminal because the victim is a minor. And the mere possession of child pornography is unlawful.
- FraudWorkers’ Compensation Fraud includes knowingly false claims of injury made by an employee or a false representation of a material fact by an employer to avoid responsibility under the law to provide workers’ compensation benefits to qualifying employees.
- White Collar Crimes“White collar crimes” encompasses a wide variety of nonviolent offenses that are usually financially motivated and committed by a person who occupies a position of trust with the victim. Persons charged with white collar crime may be business or government officials, trustees, care givers, accountants or bookkeepers. Typical white collar crimes include...
- Theft
- MisdemeanorsOur firm handles everything from simple misdemeanors to the most serious and complex felonies. The right defense lawyer is the most important decision you will make.
- EmbezzlementFor over four decades, Michael Lawrence has been recognized as one of the most respected and effective trial attorneys in Monterey County. In 2010, he was the recipient of the Lewis C. Fenton Award, which is the Monterey County Bar Association’s most prestigious award for excellence in trial advocacy. He has successfully handled many high profile cases including representing elected officials accused of theft and embezzlement as well as police officers and other political officials. Michael has aggressively defended thousands of people and tried scores of jury trials ranging from capital murder to simple misdemeanors during a career spanning over forty years.
- Drug CrimesDrug offenses constitute a large proportion of the criminal cases filed in Monterey County. There is an intricate and complicated network of state drug laws that penalize possession, sales, transportation, importation, furnishing, or administration of controlled substances. Convictions can result in years of incarceration, heavy fines, and registration.
- AssaultThe terms “assault” and “battery” are often conjoined but are actually different crimes. Simple assault is defined as an attempt to use force or violence on someone else. (California Penal Code section 240.) Battery is the actual use of force or violence on someone else. (California Penal Code section 242.) Basic assault or battery is a misdemeanor that can be punished by up to six months in county jail and a fine. But these crimes can become serious felonies if there are aggravating circumstances. For example, potential consequences increase dramatically if an assault is committed with a deadly weapon, or against a peace officer or an elderly victim.
- MurderWoman avoids being charged as an accessory to grisly murder. A man violently murdered his wife and then implicated his girlfriend in a plan to dismember and dispose of the wife’s body. The girlfriend claimed she had no idea what the man had done but it was likely the authorities would soon charge her as…
- Identity Theft
- HomicideThe defense of homicide cases require thorough investigation and, above all, experience. The attorneys at the Law Offices of Lawrence & Peck have tried many complicated murder cases including capital murder and have obtained acquittals in some of the county’s most sensational murder cases. In one case in which the prosecutor presented incriminating DNA evidence the jury acquitted the defendant and headlines of the state’s top legal newspaper’s reported, “Underdog Topples Mighty DNA.”
- Restraining OrderThe arrest is the first of many serious consequences of a charge of domestic abuse. A restraining order is often issued prohibiting the accused from having any contact with the victim. If the victim is the spouse or child of the accused the restraining order may ban the accused from his or her own home.
- Forgery
- ManslaughterHomicide, the taking of the life of another, encompasses many offenses that vary in seriousness depending upon the facts. The crime of murder (Penal Code section 187) is regarded as the most serious crime on the books and is punished accordingly. Life sentences are not uncommon and the death penalty is still imposed occasionally even though no one has been executed in California in a decade. Lesser forms of homicide such as voluntary, involuntary and vehicular manslaughter carry lesser but considerable sentences.
- Workers CompensationBusinessman prevails in one of Monterey County’s longest preliminary hearings A highly-regarded manager of a global packaging company was arrested and jailed one morning and eventually charged with more than 100 felony charges of workers compensation fraud in a high publicity case. He contacted Lawrence & Peck and after a prolonged and contentious court battle…