Our Buena Park domestic violence criminal defense lawyers were surprised to see a news report about an apparently high-risk service of an arrest warrant. The Orange County Register reported Jan. 12 on the arrest of Thuan Minh Lam, 34, on suspicion of arson. Authorities believe Lam set a car on fire Dec. 31 in Huntington Beach for reasons related to domestic violence, although they gave no details. The Huntington Beach SWAT team was involved because Lam's criminal background suggested that he may have been dangerous. Lam was arrested without incident and his Cowan Heights home was searched. He was taken to the Huntington Beach jail, where he is being held on $250,000 bail.
Public records suggest Lam has a history of domestic violence, the newspaper said. Someone with Lam's name and birth date pleaded guilty in 2003 to one felony count of stalking about one misdemeanor count of disobeying a domestic violence court order. He was sentenced to five years of probation, but later apparently violated that probation and spent two years in prison. On New Year's Eve, Lam is accused of setting a white Acura on fire in the 7800 block of MacDonald Drive in Huntington Beach. No one was hurt in that fire, but the car was destroyed. A roommate at the home where Lam lived said he was surprised that anyone who lived there was in serious criminal trouble. In addition to making Lam's arrest, police detained three other residents for reasons not stated.
As Pomona domestic violence criminal defense attorneys, we're surprised the police felt that Lam was dangerous enough to warrant a SWAT team. Arson is considered a violent crime under California law, but the arson Lam is accused of was nearly two weeks old before he was arrested. That makes it unlikely that Lam was still upset, if indeed he was ever upset, about the events of the day of the arson. In fact, judging by the roommate's description of the police visit -- he said he was making oatmeal at the time -- it was entirely unexpected. Unfortunately, it's not unusual for police officers to make this kind of disproportionate response in domestic violence cases. When officers respond without knowing all the facts, or believe false accusations from accusers with an agenda, they can change defendants' lives with wrongful charges.
At Howard Law, P.C., we represent clients who are defending themselves against charges of domestic violence. Our clients are both men and women of all incomes and backgrounds, who are facing charges such as domestic battery or domestic assault. In most cases, domestic violence cases between adults are a question of one person's word against another, which means the defendant's credibility is very, very important. Our Westminster domestic violence criminal defense lawyers make sure credibility is on our clients' side, using physical evidence, phone records and other objective evidence to show which side is telling the truth. We also defend clients from related charges, such as violating a protective order or probation violations.
If you're accused of domestic violence, you could be facing a protective order that limits your contact with your home and family, jail or prison and more. Howard Law, P.C. can help. To learn more about us or set up a free, confidential case evaluation, send us a message through our website or call us toll-free at 1-800-872-5925.
