Past Case Results
All attorneys and law firms are ultimately judged on the results they produce for their clients. The best indicator of what a law firm can do for its potential clients is the results that it has achieved for its past clients. The following are some DUI and criminal case result highlights that The Joseph A. Tang Law Firm has achieved in the past for its clients:
Assault With A Deadly Weapon; False Imprisonment
Case Dismissed Immediately Prior To Trial
Charge(s): Assault with a deadly weapon (Pen. Code § 245(a)(1)); False imprisonment x 2 (Pen. Code § 236)
Level of charge(s): Felony
Case notes: The client was charged with striking an individual in the head with a handgun and falsely imprisoning two individuals.
Result: Case dismissed immediately prior to trial. After the client was held to answer at the preliminary hearing and after two years of litigation, Joseph A. Tang persuaded the district attorney to dismiss the case immediately prior to trial.
Homicide
Case Dismissed At Preliminary Hearing (Twice)
Charge(s): Involuntary manslaughter (Pen. Code § 192(b))
Level of charge(s): Felony
Case notes: The client was charged in connection with the death of his/her tenant and dog from carbon monoxide poisoning. The client faced up to four years in state prison if convicted.
Result: Case dismissed. Joseph A. Tang submitted a legal brief at the preliminary hearing detailing how the alleged facts of the case were insufficient to meet the elements of the offense. After a two-hour preliminary hearing, he persuaded the judge to dismiss the case due to insufficient evidence, and the judge agreed. A few months later, the district attorney subsequently refiled the case with the same charge, leading to another submission of a legal brief and a protracted preliminary hearing. He was once again able to convince a different judge at the second preliminary hearing to dismiss the case a second time.
Domestic Violence Battery With Injury
Case Dismissed On Date Of Trial
Charge(s): Corporal injury to spouse or partner (Pen. Code § 273.5)
Case notes: The client was alleged to have assaulted their spouse multiple times during an argument over finances, injuring the partner.
Result: Case dismissed on the date of trial. Joseph A. Tang calls the prosecutor’s bluff after they refuse to dismiss the client’s case despite evidentiary issues with proving their case against the client and sets the matter for a jury trial. On the day that the jury trial was set to begin, the district attorney surrendered and dismissed the case against the client.
Driving Under The Influence
DUI Reduced To A Traffic Infraction
Charge(s): Driving under the influence (Veh. Code § 23152(a)); Driving with a BAC of .08% or greater (Veh. Code § 23152 (b))
Level of charge(s): Misdemeanor
Case notes: The client was stopped for swerving across multiple lanes and later provided a blood sample, which measured well above the legal limit of .08%.
Result: After protracted negotiations, Joseph A. Tang persuades the prosecutor to dismiss all charges in exchange for the client’s no-contest plea to a traffic infraction for talking on a cell phone while driving. The client just pays a small fine.
DMV Admin Per Se (DUI)
Won – One-Year Hard Suspension Prevented (Set Aside)
Exposure: One-year hard driver’s license suspension
Case notes: DMV moved to suspend the client’s license after the client was arrested for DUI and alleged to have refused to provide an implied consent chemical breath test (The client was alleged to have refused to blow into the breath machine after being arrested). As a result, the client faced a one-year hard suspension without the option of a restricted driver’s license.
Result: Suspension prevented and set aside. After a contested hearing on the merits in which Joseph A. Tang cross-examined the arresting officer in person, he persuaded the DMV to set aside the suspension, and the client’s license was reinstated. The client avoided a one-year license suspension and was able to legally drive throughout the proceedings.
Criminal Jury Trial
Domestic Violence Battery With Injury
Jury verdict of NOT GUILTY
Charge(s): Corporal injury to spouse or partner (Pen. Code § 273.5)
Case notes: The client was alleged to have assaulted their spouse with a blunt object, causing injury after threatening the spouse’s life during an argument.
Result: Jury verdict of not guilty. After a four-week jury trial, Joseph A. Tang argued and presented the client’s case and successfully persuaded the jury to find the client not guilty of the charge.
DMV Admin Per Se (DUI)
Won – One-Year Hard Suspension Prevented (Set Aside)
Exposure: One-year hard driver’s license suspension
Case notes: DMV moved to suspend the client’s license after they were arrested for DUI and were alleged to have refused to provide an implied consent chemical breath test. As a result, they faced a one-year hard suspension without the option of a restricted driver’s license.
Result: Suspension prevented and set aside. After a contested hearing on the merits, Joseph A. Tang was able to convince the DMV hearing officer that the client had, in fact, agreed to provide a chemical test when asked by the investigating officer, but for some reason, the officer mistakenly and improperly alleged that the client had refused. Consequently, the DMV set aside the suspension, and the client’s license is reinstated. The client avoided a one-year license suspension and was able to legally drive throughout the proceedings.
Driving Under The Influence
Felony Reduced To Misdemeanor With No Jail
Charge(s): Driving under the influence with injury (Veh. Code § 23153(a)); driving with a BAC of .08% or greater with injury (Veh. Code § 23153 (b)) and excessive BAC enhancement
Level of charge(s): Felony
Case notes: The client was accused of driving a vehicle into a head-on collision with another motorist while under the influence after driving down the wrong side of the freeway at a speed exceeding 50 mph. Both cars were totaled. BAC was alleged to be .18%. The other motorist suffered numerous injuries, including head trauma, a broken pelvis and a broken leg.
Result: After negotiation, Joseph A. Tang persuades the prosecutor to allow the client to plead no contest to a misdemeanor DUI (without injury) with no jail time and 20 days of community service instead.
Criminal Jury Trial
Elder Abuse (Battery)
Jury verdict of NOT GUILTY
Charge(s): Battery on an elderly person or dependent adult (Pen. Code § 243.25); battery (Pen. Code § 242)
Case notes: The client was a private caretaker in a nursing home and was alleged to have beaten an elderly resident who was in her care.
Result: NOT GUILTY. After a four-day jury trial, Joseph A. Tang successfully persuaded the jury to find the client not guilty of all charges.
Driving Under The Influence
DUI Reduced To A Traffic Infraction
Charge(s): Driving under the influence (Veh. Code § 23152(a)); driving with a BAC of .08% or greater (Veh. Code § 23152 (b))
Level of charge(s): Misdemeanor
Case notes: The client was stopped for not having his headlamps illuminated and later provided breath samples measuring .08% and .09%, respectively.
Result: After negotiation, Joseph A. Tang convinces the prosecutor to dismiss all of the client’s DUI charges, and in exchange, the client pleads no contest to a traffic infraction for having tinted windows.
DMV Admin Per Se (DUI)
Won – Four Month Suspension Prevented (Set Aside)
Exposure: Four-month driver’s license suspension
Case notes: DMV moved to suspend the client’s license after they were arrested for DUI with a BAC of .18% – over two times the legal limit.
Result: Suspension prevented and set aside. After a contested hearing on the merits, Joseph A. Tang was able to convince the DMV hearing officer to set aside the suspension, and the client’s license was reinstated.
Domestic Violence Battery With Injury
Case Dismissed
Charge(s): Corporal injury to spouse or partner (Pen. Code § 273.5); child endangerment (Pen. Code § 273a)
Case notes: The client was alleged to have assaulted their dating partner during an argument while their child was present.
Result: Case dismissed. Joseph A. Tang persuades the prosecutor to dismiss all of the client’s charges prior to trial.
Drug Dealing – Reckless Evading
Case Dismissed
Charge(s): Sales, transportation and possession of methamphetamine; reckless evading.
Case notes: The client was alleged to have been dealing methamphetamine and fleeing police in his vehicle.
Result: Case dismissed. Joseph A. Tang persuades the district attorney of the client’s innocence, and the district attorney subsequently agrees to dismiss the case.
Drug Dealing
Case Dismissed At Preliminary Hearing
Charge(s): Possession of methamphetamine for sale (H&S 11378)
Level of charge(s): Felony
Case notes: The client was accused of possessing methamphetamine for sale.
Result: Case dismissed at the preliminary hearing. The client wanted to plead guilty. However, Joseph A. Tang had a hunch about the circumstances of the case. Based on his knowledge and experience, he believed the necessary witnesses might not appear at a preliminary hearing. Therefore, he encouraged and recommended that the client take advantage of his right to a preliminary hearing. Witnesses failed to appear, and the case was subsequently dismissed by the court. The client avoids a felony conviction on his permanent criminal record and becoming a felon.
Victim Advocacy (Domestic Violence)
The Accused’s Criminal Case Closed Before Any Criminal Filing
Anticipated charge(s): Corporal injury to spouse or partner (Pen. Code § 273.5); child endangerment (Pen. Code § 273a)
Case notes: The client’s spouse is arrested after the spouse attacks the client, causing injury. The client calls the police on their spouse, who is subsequently arrested. However, the client later regrets the decision despite the spouse having no excuse or defense for the attack. The client retains The Joseph A. Tang Law Firm to intercede and attempt to divert or prevent a criminal filing against the spouse.
Result: After communications with the investigating officer in the incident on behalf of the client, the district attorney subsequently rejects the client’s spouse’s case for filing on the belief that they will have insufficient evidence to prove the anticipated charge(s) against the client’s spouse.
Driving Under The Influence
Case Dismissed
Charge(s): Driving under the influence (Veh. Code § 23152(a)); driving with a BAC of .08% or greater (Veh. Code § 23152 (b)) and excessive BAC enhancement
Case notes: The client was stopped by the police after being found asleep in a vehicle while the engine was running. The client provided a blood sample, which measured at .18%.
Result: Dismissed. After negotiation, Joseph A. Tang convinces the prosecutor to dismiss all of the client’s charges.
Driving Under The Influence
Jail Time And Longer DUI Program Averted, And Reduction Of One Case To A Wet Reckless
Charge(s): Driving under the influence (Veh. Code § 23152(a)); driving with a BAC of .08% or greater (Veh. Code § 23152 (b))
Case notes: The client was arrested for DUI in Los Angeles County. During the pendency of that case, the client was subsequently arrested for a second DUI in Orange County. A second DUI conviction in California carries minimum mandatory jail time and a longer DUI school punishment, both of which are harsher in Orange County than in Los Angeles County.
Result: After negotiation, Joseph A. Tang persuaded the prosecutor in the Los Angeles County case to allow the client to plead to a reduced charge of wet/reckless driving. On the same day, Joseph A. Tang also persuaded the prosecutor in the Orange County case to allow the client to plead for a first-time DUI despite the probability of a wet/reckless driving conviction. As a result of a loophole related to prior convictions and the timing of the client’s pleas, the client did not have to serve the otherwise mandatory jail time or the additional 15 months of a DUI educational program.
Hit-And-Run
Case Dismissed
Charge(s): Hit-and-run (Veh. Code § 20002)
Case notes: The client was accused of fleeing the scene without stopping or exchanging information with the other driver after rear-ending the other driver’s vehicle.
Result: After negotiation, Joseph A. Tang persuades the district attorney to dismiss the charge during pretrial proceedings. The dismissal was not obtained through civil compromise, which is also no longer legal at the current time.
Driving Under The Influence
Reduced
Charge(s): Driving under the influence (Veh. Code § 23152(a)); driving with a BAC of .08% or greater (Veh. Code § 23152 (b))
Case notes: The client was arrested by police for driving the wrong way down a one-way street and had a BAC of .13%.
Result: Reduced. After negotiation, Joseph A. Tang persuades the prosecutor to reduce the client’s DUI charges to a wet recklessness.
DMV Admin Per Se (DUI)
Won – Four-Month Suspension Prevented (Set Aside)
Exposure: Four-month driver’s license suspension
Case notes: The DMV moved to suspend the client’s license after the client was arrested for hitting another car while DUI.
Result: Suspension prevented and set aside. After a contested hearing on the merits in which the investigating officer’s testimony was taken in person, Joseph A. Tang persuaded the DMV to set aside their suspension.
Identity Theft
Civil Compromise
Charge(s): Identity theft (Pen. Code § 530.5)
Level of charge(s): Felony
Case notes: The degree of financial injury alleged by the alleged victims was in the thousands of dollars range. It is important to note that any identity theft conviction will have severe consequences on a person’s ability to find or retain a job. Thus, it is a priority in these kinds of cases to prevent or mitigate such potential consequences.
Result: After negotiation, and over the objection of the prosecutor, Joseph A. Tang persuades the court to agree to dismiss the charge through a civil compromise. Civil compromise was subsequently completed, and the identity theft charge was dismissed.
Brandishing A Firearm
Case Dismissed (DA’s Diversion)
Charge(s): Brandishing a firearm (Pen. Code § 417(a)(2)(B))
Case notes: The client was alleged to have pointed a loaded handgun while his finger was on the trigger at another motorist during a road rage incident.
Result: After negotiation, Joseph A. Tang persuaded the prosecutor to agree to dismiss the case if the client had no new criminal cases for a year. The client subsequently stayed out of further trouble, and his case was dismissed upon completion of the one-year period. In doing so, the client preserves his Second Amendment rights and avoids a 10-year firearm ban.
Brandishing A Firearm
Case Dismissed (Military Diversion)
Charge(s): Brandishing a firearm (Pen. Code § 417(a)(2)(B))
Case notes: The client was alleged to have displayed a handgun from his car to another motorist during a road rage incident.
Result: Case dismissed through military diversion. The client was a military veteran who valiantly served our country in the combat zone in Iraq. Joseph A. Tang persuaded the judge that the client’s case and circumstances met the statutory requirements for military diversion and that he was suitable and deserving of such diversion. The judge granted the motion for a diversion over the district attorney’s objection, and the client subsequently completed mental disorder treatment through the VA and stayed out of further trouble for the required period of time. The judge subsequently dismissed the client’s case. In doing so, Joseph A. Tang helped preserve the client’s Second Amendment rights, avoiding a 10-year firearm ban.
Driving Under The Influence
Case Dismissed
Charge(s): Driving under the influence (Veh. Code § 23152(a)); driving with a BAC of .08% or greater (Veh. Code § 23152 (b))
Case notes: High blood alcohol content DUI case. The client was an undocumented immigrant receiving immigration benefits under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) at the time. A DUI conviction would have legally precluded the client from receiving DACA benefits any longer and also possibly resulted in deportation.
Result: Reduced. After negotiation with the prosecutor, Joseph A. Tang persuaded the prosecutor to reduce the client’s DUI charges to a lesser misdemeanor violation of “exhibition of speed,” resulting in the client being able to continue to receive immigration benefits under DACA at the time.
Driving Under The Influence
Case Dismissed
Charge(s): Driving under the influence (Veh. Code § 23152(a)); driving with a BAC of .08% or greater (Veh. Code § 23152 (b)) and chemical test refusal enhancement
Case notes: The client was alleged to have prevented a police phlebotomist from pulling his blood and providing an insufficient blood sample after being arrested for DUI with a high blood alcohol content level.
Result: Case dismissed. After a defense investigation was conducted, Joseph A. Tang provided the results of the investigation to the prosecutor and persuaded them to dismiss the client’s case, which they agreed to do.
Unlawful Gun Possession
Case Dismissed
Charge(s): Unlawful gun possession
Case notes: The client was arrested after a routine traffic stop for unlawfully possessing a handgun.
Result: Case dismissed. After negotiation, Joseph A. Tang persuades the prosecutor to dismiss all charges against the client. The client also got the handgun back.
Domestic Violence Battery With Injury
Charge(s): Corporal injury to spouse or partner (Pen. Code § 273.5); child endangerment (Pen. Code § 273a)
Case notes: The client was arrested for choking their spouse while the spouse was holding their daughter and in the presence of their son.
Result: After negotiation, Joseph A. Tang persuades the prosecutor to grant the client pretrial diversion. Upon completion of domestic violence classes and not picking up any new criminal cases, the charges against the client were dismissed.
Driving Under The Influence
Reduced To “Exhibition Of Speed”
Charge(s): Driving under the influence (Veh. Code § 23152(a)); driving with a BAC of .08% or greater (Veh. Code § 23152 (b))
Case notes: The client was arrested at a DUI checkpoint by police for DUI and driving at or above the legal limit.
Result: Reduced. After negotiation, Joseph A. Tang gets the client’s DUI charges reduced to an “exhibition of speed” (Veh. Code § 23109(c)).
Admin Per Se (DUI)
Won – Two-Year Hard Suspension Prevented (Set Aside)
Exposure: Two-year driver’s license hard suspension
Case notes: The client was arrested for DUI and was alleged to have refused to provide an implied consent chemical breath test. Since the client previously suffered an APS suspension within 10 years, the client was facing a two-year hard suspension of his license without the possibility of a restricted license.
Result: Suspension prevented and set aside. After a contested hearing on the merits of the investigating officer’s live testimony, Joseph A. Tang persuaded the DMV to set aside their suspension, and the client’s license was reinstated. The client never loses a day on the road from suspension.
Drug Dealing
Case Dismissed (Deferred Entry Of Judgment)
Charge(s): Felony narcotics possession for sale, felony narcotics transportation
Level of charge(s): Felony
Case notes: The client was arrested by undercover police attempting to sell 80 tabs of hydrocodone (A/K/A Norco, Vicodin).
Result: After negotiation, Joseph A. Tang persuaded the prosecutor to dismiss the drug transportation charge, downgrade the possession for sale charge and allow the client to do a Deferred Entry of Judgment (DEJ). The charge and entire case against the client were subsequently dismissed upon the client’s successful compliance with all terms of DEJ.
Driving On A Suspended License (DUI)
Reduced To Infraction
Charge(s): Driving on a suspended license (Veh. Code § 14601.2) and prior conviction for the same offense
Case notes: The client faced mandatory jail time for a second conviction. Additionally, the client was/is unable to obtain a valid driver’s license in the future for other unrelated reasons.
Result: After negotiation, Joseph A. Tang persuades the prosecution to drop the client’s charge and strike the prior conviction. The client then pleads to just an infraction for unlicensed driving. Jail time avoided; no jail time or community labor.
Driving Under The Influence
Reduced To Wet Reckless Driving
Charge(s): Driving under the influence (Veh. Code § 23152(a)); driving with a BAC of .08% or greater (Veh. Code § 23152 (b))
Case notes: The client was arrested by police for driving erratically and had a BAC of .12%.
Result: Reduced. After negotiation, Joseph A. Tang persuades the prosecutor to reduce the client’s DUI charges to a wet recklessness.
Domestic Violence Battery With Injury
Case Dismissed (Pretrial Diversion)
Charge(s): Corporal injury to spouse or partner (Pen. Code § 273.5)
Case notes: The client was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend outside of his home, which was witnessed by a neighbor who called 911.
Result: After negotiation, Joseph A. Tang persuaded the prosecutor to grant the client pretrial diversion. Upon completion of anger management classes, the charges against the client were dismissed.
Domestic Violence Battery With Injury
Case Dismissed
Charge(s): Corporal injury to spouse or partner (Pen. Code § 273.5)
Case notes: The client was accused of assaulting the children’s other parent with a knife, cutting that parent and causing injury.
Result: Dismissed. After negotiation, Joseph A. Tang gets the client’s charges dismissed.
Domestic Violence Battery With Injury
Case Dismissed
Charge(s): Corporal injury to spouse or partner (Pen. Code § 273.5)
Case notes: The client was alleged to have assaulted their spouse and dumped a pot of cold water on the spouse during a heated argument.
Result: Dismissed. After negotiation, Joseph A. Tang gets the client’s case dismissed.
Hit-And-Run
Case Dismissed
Charge(s): Hit-and-run (Veh. Code § 20002); driving without a license (Veh. Code § 12500)
Case notes: The client was accused of fleeing the scene of a car accident without stopping or exchanging information with the other driver after broadsiding the other driver’s vehicle.
Result: After negotiation, Joseph A. Tang persuades the prosecutor to allow the client to plead guilty to driving without a valid license as a traffic infraction in exchange for dismissing hit and run. The dismissal of the hit-and-run charge was not obtained through civil compromise.
Hit-And-Run
Case Dismissed (Civil Compromise)
Charge(s): Hit-and-run (Veh. Code § 20002)
Case notes: The client was alleged to have collided with another vehicle on the highway at a high speed and then driven off instead of stopping to exchange insurance information.
Result: Case dismissed. The court agrees with Joseph A. Tang’s request to dismiss the case pursuant to civil compromise, after successfully negotiating with the complaining witness to request that the charges be dropped and the case be dismissed. Please be advised, however, that civil compromise for hit-and-run cases is no longer legal but was legal at the time of this case.
Domestic Violence Battery With Injury
Case Dismissed
Charge(s): Corporal injury to spouse or partner (Pen. Code § 273.5)
Case notes: The client was alleged to have assaulted their spouse during an argument.
Result: Case dismissed. Joseph A. Tang convinces the district attorney of the client’s innocence, and the district attorney subsequently agrees to dismiss the case.
*Disclaimer: Case outcomes depend on a wide variety of factors. Thus, past results displayed are not a guarantee of future results, even if the facts and evidence of the case may appear to be identical or similar to yours.