How to choose an attorney in Amador City.
I'm Chris Parkhurst, Esq., and I've been defending criminal cases in Northern California since 1999. My State Bar number is 203402. You work with us directly rather than with an intake team.
Amador City has about 200 at the 2020 census, the least populous city in California. In a place this size the question isn't really which firm has the biggest advertising budget — it's who has actually stood in the Jackson courtroom your case is going to. In my opinion that's the thing to ask any attorney before you hire them.
Where a Amador City case is heard.
Amador Superior Court, 500 Argonaut Ln, Jackson, CA 95642. (209) 257-2600
Amador County has one courthouse, so there's no question of which building or which division. Your case is filed by the Amador County District Attorney, 708 Court St, Suite 202, Jackson, CA 95642. (209) 223-6444
That charging decision happens after the arrest, not during it. The District Attorney can file what you were arrested for, file something else, reduce it, or decline it. That gap is where the most can usually be done, and it's the stretch most people spend waiting.
For the wider picture, see criminal defense in Amador County.
Who arrested you, and where it happened.
Amador City is the least populous incorporated city in California — 200 residents at the 2020 census, across about three tenths of a square mile. It was settled in 1853 and incorporated in 1915, and it sits directly on State Route 49.
It has no police department. The Amador County Sheriff patrols it, so an arrest here produces a Sheriff's report rather than a city one.
Being this small has a practical consequence worth knowing: most stops in Amador City are highway stops, made by a deputy or by the CHP working Route 49, rather than the kind of call-out policing you get in a larger town.
Which agency arrested you is the first thing worth knowing
Amador County Sheriff's Office — 700 Court St, Jackson, CA 95642. (209) 223-6500
The California Highway Patrol also works the highways through this part of the county, and a CHP stop produces different paperwork than a local one. The report drives the case — who wrote it, what equipment they used, whether body-worn footage exists. So when you call, tell me who arrested you.
What I defend in Amador City.
DUI defense
A California DUI is two cases: the criminal one in Jackson, and a separate DMV proceeding with a 10-day deadline nobody at the roadside will remind you about. See DUI defense.
Domestic violence
An arrest usually brings a criminal protective order before your first appearance, and it can keep you out of your own home. See domestic violence defense.
Everything else
Drug charges, theft and property crimes, violent crimes, weapons charges, white collar allegations, juvenile matters and record clearing. See all practice areas.
Why Amador City clients call me.
I know Amador County's court
Amador City cases are filed by the Amador County District Attorney and heard at Amador Superior Court in Jackson. I appear there.
I know the agencies that make arrests here
There's no city department here, so it's the Sheriff or the CHP. Which one it was tells me straight away what kind of report exists and what to look for in it.
Getting to me from Amador City
My offices are in Sacramento at 701 E Street and in Roseville at 970 Reserve Drive, Suite 116. In many cases I appear for you and you don't have to make the trip at all.
Around Amador City.
I defend cases across Amador County and nine other Northern California counties. Other places I serve in this county:
What a conviction can cost.
A conviction reaches past the sentence. County jail or state prison depending on the charge, fines, probation conditions, and restitution are the immediate part. The longer part is a permanent record that shows up in professional licensing, employment background checks, housing applications, firearm rights and immigration status.
What any of that means for you depends on the charge and on your history. Call and I'll tell you what you're actually facing.
Amador City questions I hear most.
Does Amador City have its own police department?
No. It's the smallest incorporated city in California, and the Amador County Sheriff's Office patrols it. An arrest here produces a Sheriff's report.
Where is my case heard?
At Amador Superior Court, 500 Argonaut Ln, Jackson, CA 95642. (209) 257-2600 Amador County has a single courthouse. More on how that court and that District Attorney work: Amador County.
Who would have stopped me on Highway 49?
Either an Amador County Sheriff's deputy or the CHP. They keep different records and write reports differently, so tell me which it was when you call.
Where would I be booked?
The Amador County Jail, 700 Court St, Jackson, CA 95642. (209) 223-6522 If you're trying to help someone who is in custody, this walks through what to do first.
Call before your first court date
Have your citation or booking paperwork with you if you can. One of my favorite aspects of my job is the opportunity I have every day to meet people who are scared and to give them peace of mind. I treat my clients the way I would want an attorney to treat my mother, if she met with one.
Call (916) 277-8299. The consultation is free.
