Long Beach Criminal Defense Attorney

Practice Areas

Long Beach Criminal Defense Attorney

Homicide

In no other type of case is it more critical to find an aggressive and experienced attorney to represent you or a loved one than in a homicide case. It is critical to find an attorney who has successfully defended clients charged with murder and other homicide cases many times before.

Long Beach attorney, Matthew Kaestner, is a board certified criminal law specialist who has been winning murder cases for twenty-five years. He has vast experience in the preparation and trial of gang homicides, self defense cases, and cases of wrongful identification. He will personally handle all aspects of the case from preparation to trial. He can be contacted directly at (562) 437-0200.

Mr. Kaestner has substantial experience trying murder cases to juries, his most recent acquittal at trial coming on March 17, 2015. (People v. Rafael C., Case No. BA417858-04.) In just the last 5 years he has obtained voluntary manslaughter verdicts twice. Since 2003, Mr. Kaestner has obtained outright dismissals without trial on 7 murder cases.

The depth and breadth of Mr. Kaestner's dedication to defending murder cases is best illustrated by his work in defending Juan Herrera. In September of 2006, Mr. Kaestner obtained an outright dimissal of murder charges against Juan Herrera. Mr. Herrera had been convicted of first degree murder in Long Beach in 1999. Mr. Kaestner began representing Mr. Herrera 2 years after Mr. Herrera lost his trial and appeal using other attorneys. Mr. Kaestner re-investigated the case to prove Mr. Herrera was innocent.

Mr. Herrera's original trial attorney had failed to investigate the case competently. Mr. Kaestner obtained orders from the California Court of Appeal forcing the trial judge to listen to Mr. Kaestner's evidence that Juan Herrera was innocent and that his trial attorney was incompetent. After serving six years of a sentence of 85 years to life, Mr. Herrera's conviction was overturned in December of 2005.

Mr. Kaestner thereafter prepared the case for re-trial twice until the prosecution finally gave in and dismissed the case in September of 2006. Mr. Herrera is now a free man. Mr. Kaestner's work for Mr. Herrera has resulted in the case being recognized on the National Registry of Exonerations. [Read more]

In October of 2005, Mr. Kaestner received a not guilty verdict at a jury trial in Los Angeles on a first degree murder charge in the case of People v. David Treto. The prosecution alleged that Mr. Treto was a gang member and the trigger man. The jury took only four hours to vote not guilty after a trial that took over two weeks.

In April of 2012, attorney Kaestner defended a young man charged with first degree murder for shooting his roommate with a shot gun at point blank range. The client had confessed on tape to the police. Attorney Kaestner persuaded the jury that his client acted in "imperfect" self defense. The client suffered only a manslaughter conviction and a six year sentence instead of the 50 years to life he faced. (People v. Kyle J., Case no. KA095828.)

If you or a loved one is charged with murder or other form of homicide and want an attorney with a proven track record of winning homicide cases, call Long Beach Criminal Law Specialist Matthew G. Kaestner directly at (562) 437-0200.