Forgery Attorney in Long Beach

Are You Facing Charges for Forgery?

Attorney Leonard Matsuk has over 40 years of experience practicing law in Long Beach and the surrounding areas. This experience has allowed him to know the local court system, judges, prosecutors and courtroom personnel. There are many lawyers, lacking this first-hand knowledge, that have never tried a case before a jury.

Forgery is the intention to commit fraud by knowingly altering, creating or using a document. It means that an individual meant to deceive another for his own gain or at another's expense. It is a type of theft crime. Forgery can be acts such as signing someone's name without authorization, knowingly passing a bad check or knowingly cashing a forged check, even if you didn't write it. It can include forgery on loan documents, wills, real estate documents and others.

Penalties for Forgery Charges

Forgery charges can, depending of the circumstances, be successfully defended by showing lack of intent to defraud on the part of the defendant. They can also be defended by proving that the document would not have defrauded another out of any rights, even if it had been accepted as genuine. A good lawyer will investigate the facts thoroughly to see that the police investigation was done correctly and that your arrest was handled per the letter of the law.

A person will either be charged with a misdemeanor or felony in a forgery case. They will have to spend up to one year in a county jail if convicted of misdemeanor forgery charges. When convicted of felony charges, the individual may have to serve up to 3 years in a state prison. Fines from $1000 up to $10,000 will have to be paid. With the penalties you will be facing, obtaining the services of an experienced lawyer may bring you the outcome you need in your case.