Choosing the best criminal defense attorney in Auburn.
If you are looking for an Auburn criminal defense law firm, start with the question that matters most: who will actually be handling your case? I am Chris Parkhurst, Esq. I have defended criminal cases in Placer County since 1999, and my State Bar number is 203402. You work with us directly rather than with an intake team or a call center.
What that means in practice is straightforward. I read your file before I tell you what I think of it, I explain what it actually supports, and I give you the realistic range of outcomes rather than the encouraging end of it. For the detail on the charge itself, see criminal defense. To find out what happens next in your case, call.
Where a Auburn case is heard.
Auburn is the Placer County seat, so the court that hears your case is here rather than somewhere else. That is unusual in this county and it is the one thing that makes a Auburn case simpler than most.
Your case is filed by the Placer County District Attorney and heard at the Placer County Superior Court. How that office charges cases, what it does with diversion, and what happens between arrest and arraignment are set at county level rather than city level. I have set all of that out on the Placer County page.
Who arrested you, and where it happened.
Auburn Police Department. 1215 Lincoln Way, Auburn, CA 95603. (530) 823-4237.
- California Highway Patrol. Interstate 80 and Highway 49, both of which pass through the city.
- Placer County Sheriff. the surrounding foothill communities and the unincorporated areas immediately outside the city.
Auburn is small but carries a great deal of through traffic, because Interstate 80 and Highway 49 both pass through it. Most arrests are traffic stops on those two routes or late-night calls out of Old Town Auburn. The city is also the county seat, so the courthouse, the District Attorney's office and the main jail are all here, which is unusual among the cities I cover.
What I defend in Auburn.
I defend the full range of charges arising out of Auburn.
- DUI in Auburn. Interstate 80 and Highway 49 carry heavy through traffic, and most Auburn DUI stops come off one or the other.
- Criminal defense in Auburn. Defended across Placer County.
- Domestic violence. Defended across Placer County.
- Violent crimes. Defended across Placer County.
- Drug crimes. Defended across Placer County.
- Theft and property. Defended across Placer County.
- Weapons charges. Defended across Placer County.
- Sex crimes. Defended across Placer County.
- Homicide. Defended across Placer County.
- White collar. Defended across Placer County.
- Juvenile defense. Defended across Placer County.
- Licence and DMV. Defended across Placer County.
- Expungement. Defended across Placer County.
If your charge is not listed, call me. I defend all criminal charges in Placer County, and working out what you are actually facing is the first useful thing that happens.
Why Auburn clients call me.
I know Placer County's courts
Auburn is the county seat, so the Placer County Superior Court, the District Attorney's office and the main jail are all in the city. I have been appearing in Placer County courts since 1999.
I know the agencies that make arrests here
Auburn PD covers the city, the Sheriff covers the unincorporated areas that start almost immediately outside it, and the CHP covers Interstate 80 and Highway 49. The boundary matters and it is not signposted.
Getting to me from Auburn
My office is in Roseville, about twenty-five minutes down Interstate 80. For an Auburn case that is convenient, because the court is at your end rather than mine.
Whether hiring an attorney is worth it depends on what you are facing. On a first misdemeanour with no record, there are people who reasonably handle it themselves. Where there is a felony, a prior, a professional licence or an immigration question, the consequences compound in ways that are difficult to undo. Call me and I will tell you honestly which situation you are in, and what representation would cost.
Areas I serve around Auburn.
Auburn is compact, and the unincorporated edge begins quickly.
- Old Town Auburn. the historic centre, with the licensed premises that generate most late-night calls.
- Lincoln Way. the main commercial corridor, running past the police department itself.
- Highway 49 corridor. the route south toward the foothill communities, and a common stop location.
- North Auburn. largely unincorporated, where the Sheriff responds rather than Auburn PD.
What a conviction can cost.
Which of these apply depends on the charge and on your record, not on the city you were arrested in.
- Custody. County jail or state prison, depending on the offence and whether it is charged as a misdemeanour or a felony.
- Probation conditions. Programmes, testing, search terms and reporting, often for years.
- A permanent record. Public and searchable, and it appears in background checks long after the sentence ends.
- Professional licensing. Boards reach their own conclusions, on their own timelines, independently of the court.
- Firearm rights. A lifetime prohibition on a felony, and a ten-year one on several misdemeanours.
- Immigration. Some convictions carry consequences far more serious than the sentence. This needs looking at before a plea.
- Employment and housing. The consequence most people feel longest, and the one discussed least in court.
What your exposure actually is depends on the count charged. That is a conversation, not a webpage.
Auburn questions I hear most.
Is the Placer County courthouse in Auburn?
Yes. Auburn is the county seat, so the court, the District Attorney's office and the main jail are all here. Placer County also operates a courthouse in Roseville, and which one your case is heard in depends on the matter. See Placer County.
I was stopped on Interstate 80 through Auburn.
On the freeway it is usually the California Highway Patrol rather than Auburn PD. They are separate agencies with separate records and separate footage retention, which matters in a DUI case particularly. See DUI defence.
Is a case in Auburn different from one in Roseville?
Same county, same District Attorney and the same law. The practical differences are which courthouse you attend and which agency made the arrest. See Roseville.
Do I have to appear in court myself?
For most misdemeanours an attorney can appear on your behalf. Felonies generally require your presence.
What does a criminal defence lawyer cost?
It depends on the charge, whether it is a misdemeanour or a felony, and whether the case is likely to resolve or be tried. Call and I will tell you what representation in your situation would cost before you commit to anything. For the general picture, see what a criminal defence lawyer costs in California.
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