Practice Areas · 03
Criminal Defense
From investigation through jury verdict — a defense at every stage, by an attorney who has tried cases to verdict, including homicide.
A charge is not a conviction. The prosecution carries the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt — and what happens in the first days of a case often shapes everything after.
This office has years of jury trial experience, from petty thefts to homicides — and prosecutors know which defense attorneys try cases. It changes how they negotiate. That is the leverage behind every stage of this practice: quiet pre-filing advocacy that can prevent charges, suppression motions that gut a weak case, and, when it counts, twelve jurors.
Every case gets the time and attention it needs to fight for your rights — we seek justice for every client, at every level of charge. And a word about right now: be polite, and do not discuss your case with law enforcement until you have counsel. That applies whether you are innocent, overcharged, or somewhere in between.
Criminal Defense
How we can help.
Infractions, Misdemeanors & Felonies
From arraignment through trial — charges at every level, including strike offenses. Every case gets the attention it needs; we seek justice for every client.
Murder & Serious Violent Felonies
Homicide and other high-stakes felony charges, defended by an attorney who has taken murder cases to jury verdict.
Pen. Code § 187Sex Crimes
Charges where reputation, liberty, and lifetime registration are all on the line — investigated and defended with the discretion and rigor they demand.
Robbery & Theft Crimes
From shoplifting allegations to robbery and complex financial charges.
DUI — Alcohol or Drugs
Both the court case and the DMV: after a DUI arrest you generally have only 10 days to request the DMV hearing that protects your license.
Veh. Code § 23152Domestic Violence Charges
Defense where criminal court, protective orders, and family court consequences intersect — a crossover this office knows from both sides.
Pre-Filing Intervention
Representation while a case is still under investigation — sometimes the best outcome is the charge that never gets filed.
Record Relief: Expungement, Sealing & Registry
Petitions for dismissal, sealing and destruction of arrest records, felony reductions, and petitions for removal from the tiered sex offender registry — clearing the path a case leaves behind.
Pen. Code § 1203.4Pen. Code § 851.91Pen. Code § 290.5The Process
What to expect.
Call first
Before talking to anyone. Early counsel protects rights that can't be recovered later.
Arraignment & release
Entry of plea, and the fight over custody status and conditions.
Investigation & motions
Independent investigation, discovery, and motions — including suppression of unlawfully obtained evidence.
Resolution or trial
A negotiated result worth taking, or a jury trial by an attorney who has been to verdict.
Questions
Asked often.
Should I talk to the police?
Identify yourself, be polite — and decline to discuss the case until you have an attorney. This is true whether or not you did anything wrong; well-meaning statements are regularly used against people.
What's the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony?
Chiefly the range of punishment and the long-term consequences. Some California offenses — "wobblers" — can be charged either way, which makes early advocacy about charge level especially valuable.
Can my record be cleared?
Often, yes. California allows petitions for dismissal (Pen. Code § 1203.4), sealing and destruction of arrest records (§ 851.91), and — under the tiered registry system — petitions for termination of sex offender registration (§ 290.5). Eligibility depends on the offense, the sentence, and where you are now; record relief is often more available than people assume.
How are your fees structured?
Criminal defense matters are handled on flat fees — you know the cost before the work begins, set out clearly in writing.
Charged, or under investigation?
Call before you talk to anyone. The consultation is confidential.