Oakland Solicitation Lawyer

Defense for Solicitation Charges in CA

Have you been charged with the solicitation of a crime in Oakland? The Law Office of Nabiel C. Ahmed can help. With More than 15 years of legal experience and a dedication to providing aggressive defensive strategies, you can trust our Oakland solicitation attorney to fight for you. Solicitation charges can be brought against a defendant even if no crime has been committed and rely heavily on intent, so it is essential to have a dedicated advocate in your corner.

Understanding California Law on Solicitation

Solicitation is defined as the facilitation, or intent to facilitate, a crime by requesting, demanding, or encouraging another individual to engage in unlawful actions. The intended crime does not need to have been committed in order for an individual to be charged with solicitation. The most common solicitation charge is the solicitation of prostitution.

• Elements required to convict a defendant for a solicitation charge include:
• Defendant requested, encouraged, or commanded another individual to commit a crime
• The intent of the defendant was for the crime to be committed

Defending a solicitation charge requires challenging whether or not the defendant communicated a request to commit a crime, or whether or not the defendant actually intended for a crime to be committed. Challenging intent often involves challenging the credibility of a witness who may have misinterpreted a communication from the defendant as solicitation to commit a crime. Additionally, another common defense to solicitation is entrapment, where the defense argues that the defendant would not have solicited a crime if it were not for the encouragement of a law enforcement officer.

Consequences of a Solicitation Conviction

The penalties for a conviction of criminal solicitation vary according to the crime for which the defendant was accused of soliciting. For example, the solicitation of a felony crime will carry much more severe penalties than the solicitation of a misdemeanor crime. Defendants will typically face a lesser degree of the same penalties of the solicited crime itself. In certain solicitation cases, including solicitation to engage in sexual activity with a minor, California law requires convicted defendants to register as sex offenders.

Let Us Evaluate Your Case 

Our Oakland solicitation attorneys offers confidential consultations to all prospective clients, during which time we will assess the details of your case to advise you on your best legal options. During this time, we will also discuss flexible payment arrangements should you choose to work with us. Our top priority is protecting your rights and pursuing a positive outcome for your case.