Hit & Run Charges Dismissed: Here, the client was a college student who was facing hit and run charges in Ventura County. Defense attorney Grace Ayers contacted the alleged victim of the accident and obtained a declaration from her, absolving the client of further liability and requesting that the criminal charges be dismissed. After only two court appearances, Ayers was able to have the case dropped entirely and the client’s record remains spotless.

2nd Time DUI, BAC of Three Times Legal Limit, Reduced To “Wet Reckless”: My client was parked outside of a Hollywood club, waiting to be picked up by a friend. The cops started messing with him, and he told them “I’m too drunk to drive, I’m just trying to be respectful.” Nonetheless, the cops arrested him on charges of DRIVING under the influence. The problem with the prosecution’s case: no one saw him driving! To make matters worse, my client had a prior conviction that was some 9 and a half years old. (DUI’s are “priorable” for 10 years. For more, see Multiple DUI Convictions.) The old case had also been reduced to a “wet reckless,” which 999 times out of 1000 means that no way, no how is that second case getting the same kind of leniency. But I maintained my position: if the prosecution punished my client for pulling over and waiting for a ride, what that says to other people is that if you get in the car and determine you are too drunk to drive home, you might as well go ahead and drive – since waiting in your car will have the same results – a DUI. I made a motion to dismiss and was ready to take the case to trial. At the last minute, the prosecution caved and reduced the charges to a “wet reckless,” resulting in zero jail time for my client, reduced fines, and all the other benefits of the reduction.

No Jail For Felony Drug Charges: Here, the client was popped with more than 40 pills of ecstasy and other prescription drugs. At only 19-years-old, he did not have a criminal record prior to this arrest. Nonetheless, with a conviction under Penal Code 11350, the client was looking at up to 4 years in prison, and the Deputy District Attorney assigned to the case was hell-bent on making him do time. But, having worked at the Felony Trials Division of the District Attorney’s Office during law school, attorney Ayers was able to use her contacts and keen negotiation skills to convince the district attorney to give the client community service and allow him to enter a drug treatment program instead. The client did not spend a single day in custody.

Theft Charges Dismissed, Insurance License Preserved: In 2010, Van Nuys attorney Grace Ayers represented a man accused of switching the price tag (with that of a lower priced item) on a backpack for the man’s son, from a big-name establishment. The client worked in the insurance industry and therefore had his insurance license to worry about, along with his freedom, his finances, and his professional reputation. By working with the City Attorney’s office, defense attorney Grace Ayers was able to get the charges reduced to a non-theft related offense, and all the client had to do was a few hours of community service. The client did not spend a single day in jail and his insurance license was protected from disciplinary action by the California Department of Insurance.

Domestic Violence Charges Dismissed: In 2010, I represented a man from the Culver City area who was wrongfully accused of domestic violence against his girlfriend. The client was helping his girlfriend kick her drug addiction and when she came home to him having flushed her stash, the girlfriend freaked out. A fight ensued: voices were raised and a lamp may have been broken, but no one was injured. Nonetheless, nosy neighbors called the police, and domestic violence charges were subsequently filed against my client. The two were still in a relationship with the Client sought representation, and tears rolled down his cheek as he recounted the story behind allegations he was now facing. I knew the prosecution’s only evidence was the statement the girlfriend gave at the time of the fight, which were not only outrageous and unsupported, but were also improvable since the girlfriend was in an out-of-state rehabilitation program. She had no interest in pursuing charges against her boyfriend and was grateful for his dedication to her recovery. I pushed the prosecution to the eve of trial and was ready to proceed when, at the last hour, the City Attorney offered my client a deal whereby he could do 12 anger management classes, one year of probation, and the case would be reduced to an infraction. The client did not spend a single day in jail and his record remains clean.

Successful Appeal in Juvenile Attempted Murder Case: At Spiga & Associates, attorney Grace Ayers worked on the appeal of Jose Ramirez (Case # BA220528), who was convicted of several counts of attempted murder from events that occurred when Jose was only 16-years-old. After his trial, Jose was sentenced as an adult, and faced a minimum of some 120 years in prison, at which time he would become eligible for parole. While doing research on the case, Attorney Ayers discovered the ground-breaking United States Supreme Court case of Graham v. FL, which held that juvenile offenders could not be sentenced to life in prison without in parole and must be given some “meaningful opportunity to obtain release based on demonstrated maturity and rehabilitation.” Under the new law, our client had to be given an opportunity for parole during his natural life, which was an impossibility under his original sentence. The appeal was recently granted and the case was sent back to the lower court to determine an appropriate term that satisfies the Graham rule. In short, because of our appeal, our client Jose Ramirez will have a shot at freedom, the long overdue privilege of meeting his daughter, and a real chance at life.

Traffic Client Saves Thousands: A client out of Beverly Hills was stopped for running a red light at the bustling intersection of San Vicente and Santa Monica Blvd. She had set out to fight the ticket on her own, and put the matter on the court’s calendar. However, due to a family emergency, she was not able to attend the court date, and she was hit with the additional charge of “Failure To Appear,” which carries a fee of nearly $1200 alone. Attorney Grace Ayers was able to get the client traffic school to get rid of the initial charge; she also got the Failure to Appear charge dismissed for a mere $25 fee. The client saved thousands of dollars in court fees and will not have a point on her California driving record upon completion of online traffic school.

Speedy Truck Driver Keeps His License: Attorney Grace Ayers has handled many speeding tickets for her clients and has a high success rate at getting them dismissed or reduced. A traffic violation may not seem like a big deal, but to some, protecting their driving privilege is the only way they can continue to work and provide for their families. For example, a client was cited for going more than 15 miles above the posted speed limit out in the Mojave desert. The problem for this client was that he had a commercial driver’s license, which he would lose if he was convicted of the speeding violation. Attorney Ayers was able to convince the judge to reduce the charge to “coasting,” a no-point violation, and save the client his commercial license and only means of earning a living.

Driver’s License Reinstated Next Day: Attorney Grace Ayers has been successful at restoring the driving privileges of many of her clients faced with license suspension. In one recent case, the client’s license was suspended as a result of one ticket and was about to be re-suspended because of another one, both of which were for minor violations. The problem was that the client had previously missed his court date, and had gained a “Failure to Appear” charge to his ticket, for a fee of more than $1000. The day after being retained, attorney Grace Ayers was able to clear up the suspensions and send the matters to court to be fought. We were able to get one ticket dismissed and the other one is still in court, likely to meet the same fate. Success: no more license suspension, savings of more than $1000 in court fines, and no points on client’s driving record.

Single Mother Saves Thousands: To some, one traffic citation can have devastating consequences, both financially and practically. A client out of the San Fernando Valley was cited for speeding, along with a multitude of other code violations, including illegal window tinting, no front license plate, and not having proof of insurance in the vehicle. At the time, one of her children was locked out of the house, and she was rushing to get home and get him inside. She was looking at fines of nearly $5000 if convicted of all counts, and the points on her license would have made her car insurance rate skyrocket. This would have been devastating for my client, and I was determined to protect her from it. After more than 6 months of fighting the case in court, Attorney Grace Ayers was able to get all of the minor violations dismissed for a total fine of less than $500.