Criminal defense — from arraignment to resolution

How a case moves

• Arrest and release. Cited out, bailed out, or held. Each county sets its own bail schedule — the same charge can carry very different numbers depending on where you were arrested.
• Arraignment. The first court date. Charges are read, a plea is entered, bail and release conditions are set. This is the point at which having a lawyer already involved changes the most.
• Discovery and pretrial. We get the reports, the video, the recordings and the records, and go looking for what is missing or wrong. Most of the real work happens here.
• Motions. To suppress evidence from an unlawful search or stop, to compel discovery the prosecution has not turned over, or to dismiss for insufficient evidence.
• Resolution or trial. Dismissal, reduction, diversion, a negotiated plea, or a jury trial.

Misdemeanor or felony

Misdemeanors carry up to a year in county jail. Felonies carry more, and under California's realignment many are served in county jail rather than state prison. A large category — wobblers — can be charged either way, which means the charging decision is partly a negotiation, and reducing a felony to a misdemeanor is often a realistic goal even when dismissal is not.

What we handle

• DUI and DUI causing injury — see our DUI page
• Drug possession, under the influence, and sales charges
• Theft, shoplifting, burglary and receiving stolen property
• Assault, battery and domestic violence
• Probation violations — see our probation page
• Warrants, failures to appear, and bench warrant recalls
• Post-conviction relief — see record clearing

What actually helps your case

Beyond that: get us the paperwork early. The citation, the report number, the bail paperwork, any bodycam you were given. The earlier we are in, the more of the case is still moving.

This page is general information about California law, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney–client relationship. Penalties and procedures vary by county, by judge and by the facts of your case. Talk to us about yours.