Animal at Large Lawyer California
Has Your Pet Been Impounded and Have You Been Cited For Animal At Large? Do Not Face This Charge Alone! Let WEBER LAW Help You Today!
While it is fun to own a pet, animals can have a mind of their own. Pets can even become a member of the family in some cases. In California, there are laws that you must follow when you own an animal. Not following those laws can have serious consequences, even if it was an accident.
California Animal At Large Citation and Penalties
What does Animal at Large mean?
If any person owning or having custody or control of a mischievous animal, knowing its propensities, willfully suffers it to go at large, or keeps it without ordinary care, and the animal, while so at large, or while not kept with ordinary care, kills or causes serious bodily injury to any human being who has taken all the precautions that the circumstances permitted, or which a reasonable person would ordinarily take in the same situation, is guilty of having an animal at large.
A mischievous animal is an animal that the owner knows could be dangerous. Whether it be a wild animal being kept as a pet, like a monkey, or a traditionally domesticated animal such as a dog, having an animal at large, who has vicious tendencies or is not safe to have around people who are not the owner, could have dire consequences.
There are different punishments depending on what the injuries the person suffers are. An example that most people think of when they hear about an animal at large is a dog getting out of a backyard and biting someone on the street. Other examples could be (a) a farmer’s cow getting out of the fenced pasture where it was being kept, (b) a person driving a car hitting the cow as it is in the road, and (c) the person driving the car dies from injuries sustained during the accident.
As the definition of the crime can range so widely, it is important to have knowledgeable legal counsel who is familiar with the law and knows how to navigate the criminal justice system.
What is the Punishment?
If the animal kills a person while they are at large, the owner can be charged with a felony which is punishable by imprisonment ranging from 16 months to 3 years, a fine of up to $10,000.00, or both.
If the animal injures a person while they are at large, the owner can be charged with either a felony or a misdemeanor, depending on the severity of the injuries obtained. A misdemeanor is punishable by up to 6 months imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000.00, or both.
As the punishment can vary it is in your best interest to have an attorney who can advocate for you for the lowest sentence possible.
Even as a Defendant, you still have Rights! Make sure yours were not violated!
Even as an individual facing criminal charges, you have rights, and it is important to know these rights and make sure that they were not violated in any way when you were arrested or charged. Without extensive knowledge of your rights when it comes to police searches, Miranda rights, and your rights when it comes to arrest, it is extremely difficult to get a dismissal, or reduction. Do not try and fight these charges on your own; Weber Law is ready to help you today.
Contact Weber Law immediately if you’ve been cited on an animal at large charge. We offer a free confidential case evaluation – serving Los Angeles and the surrounding areas.
"He did everything he could to solve my case. There was no moment where I felt like I was alone. He went to his full extent to help me lower my charges. Great lawyer.”
ROGER | WEBER LAW CLIENT
How Can You Fight A Charge Of Animal at Large And How Can WEBER LAW Help You?
ItIf you have been cited for animal at large in California, there are a few ways Weber Law can fight for you. Whether it is negotiating to lower the charge to a lesser crime, reducing your fine amount, making sure the charge doesn’t go on your record to ensure you can keep your pet, ensuring you keep your right to own animals in the future or defending you at trial, Weber Law will work for you every step of the way. By looking at potential evidence such as your pet’s inoculation and veterinary care record, ways to potentially limit your animal’s exposure to being impounded in the future, and not knowing that your animal had vicious tendencies, Weber law can work on your case to achieve the best result attainable. At Weber Law we are experienced in defending these types of charges, winning these types of cases, and getting your pet back home to you. If you or anyone you know has been cited for animal at large in the state of California, call Weber Law today for a consultation.
CA Penal Code § 399, Mischievous animal causing death or serious bodily injury; negligence of owner or person having custody or control; punishment
A Los Angeles, California Criminal Defense Attorney Can Help You
Weber Law will aggressively fight for your rights. Contact us today!
We believe that justice is an idea that can triumph only when living people make it so. We are dedicated to justice. We wish to run a business that is at once profitable while allowing us to promote the rights of our fellow community members. We will stand for the poor when they are in need and their cause is just. We will work for any responsible business. We will represent all races, creeds, religions, sexes, sexual orientations, and backgrounds.
Office Address:
80 South Lake Ave. Ste. 590, Pasadena, California 91101