Practice Areas

• Accessory After the Fact
• Arson
• Assault & Battery
• Battery on a Peace Officer
• Assault with a Firearm
• Battery
• Assault with a Deadly Weapon
• Bail Review & Reduction
• Carrying a Concealed Weapon
• Child Endangerment
• Conspiracy
• Criminal Threats
• Domestic Violence
• Driving with A Suspended License
• Drug Possession
• Marijuana Possession for Sales
• Drug Possession for Personal Use
• Drug Possession for Sale
• DUI Defense
• I've been arrested for DUI. What happens to my Driver's License?
• DUI Under 21
• The 'Rising Blood Alcohol' Defense
• Attacking the Breath Test
• The "No Driving" Defense
• I've been arrested & cited for DUI? What happens next?
• Attacking the Blood Test
• Elder Abuse
• Embezzlement
• Expungements
• Hit and Run
• Housing Violations
• Juvenile Defense
• License Defense
• Nursing License Defense
• Murder
• Police Misconduct Litigation
• Pre-Filing Investigations
• Professional & Vocational License Defense
• Prostitution
• Public Intoxication
• Sex Crimes
• Indecent Exposure
• Solicitation of Prostitution
• Rape
• Theft Charges
• Robbery
• Purse Snatching
• Burglary
• Petty Theft
• Embezzlement
• Identity Theft
• Three Strikes Law
• Vacating Convictions
• Deportable Offenses: Vacating Your Guilty Plea to Avoid Deportation
• Vandalism
• Vehicular Manslaughter
• Warrant Recall
• Weapons Charges
• Witness Intimidation

What role does ADHD play when it comes to crime?

While just five percent of children and five percent of adults suffer from ADHD, studies show that twenty-one to forty-five percent of individuals in jail suffer from ADHD.

Some other interesting studies concluded that:

• About forty-six percent of women imprisoned in Rhode Island had ADHD symptoms as children.

• Fifty percent of males in Iceland prisons had ADHD symptoms as children.

• ADHD - followed by alcoholism abuse - was the greatest predictor of violent crime offenders.

• Violent crimes committed by individuals with ADHD were likely to be "reactive" and spontaneous acts rather than premeditated offenses.

• Many individuals in jails with ADHD were never officially diagnosed with ADHD and, in turn, did not receive the proper treatment for this medical condition.

Additionally, having ADHD in their youth puts these individuals at greater risk for doing poorly in school, which can lead to leaving school altogether. Dropping out of school can then put these individuals at greater risk for getting involved with drugs, alcohol, gangs, and related negative behavior.

Can an ADHD diagnosis reduce criminal charges against you?

While an ADHD diagnosis will not dismiss a defendant's charge or qualify a defendant as incompetent to stand trial, it may reduce the severity of a particular sentence. As intent is a major consideration in criminal trials, the fact that a person with ADHD acts in an impulsive manner can show that there is a lack of criminal intent. Thus, the criminal charges may be reduced accordingly as well.

Have you or someone you know been arrested for a California crime? Contact McGregor & Ernenwein to obtain a completely free consultation with one of our experienced Torrance criminal defense attorneys.