Why nobody publishes a price
You've probably noticed that almost no criminal defense website will tell you what anything costs. I understand why that's frustrating. You're trying to work out whether you can afford this at all, and every site you open wants you to call first.
Here's the honest reason. The same charge can be two completely different amounts of work. A first-offense DUI that resolves at the first appearance and a first-offense DUI that goes to a contested hearing on the traffic stop are the same words on the paperwork and nowhere near the same case. Quote a number without reading the file and you're either guessing high to protect yourself or guessing low and revisiting it later. Neither is fair to you.
What I can do is explain exactly how the pricing works, so when you do call — me or anyone else — you know what you're being quoted and whether it's reasonable.
How criminal defense fees actually work
Unlike most areas of law, criminal defense usually runs on a flat fee retainer. That's a fixed price for a defined case or a defined task, regardless of how many hours it ends up taking.
This matters more than it sounds. An hourly meter means every phone call you make costs you money, which is a terrible arrangement for someone who's frightened and has questions. A flat fee means you can call.
The important word is defined. A flat fee always covers a specific scope — most often representation through a particular stage of the case. So the question to ask isn't just "how much." It's:
- What stage does this take me through? Pre-filing? Arraignment? Pre-trial? Through trial?
- What happens if it goes further than that? There should be a clear answer, agreed now, not later.
- What's not included?
Get the answers in writing before you pay anything. From me or from anyone else.
What actually changes the price
Two people can walk into the same office with the same charge and get different quotes, and there's usually a real reason. These are the factors that move it:
How far the case is likely to run
A case that resolves early costs less than one that goes to a contested hearing, and a lot less than one that goes to trial. Most cases resolve through negotiation — but "most" isn't "all," and the fee reflects the realistic path.
Misdemeanor or felony
Felonies involve more appearances, more procedure, and more exposure. They cost more because they are more work.
Your record
Priors change both the exposure and the strategy. A third DUI is not a first DUI with a bigger number attached — it's a different case.
Whether there's a parallel proceeding
A DUI is really two cases: the criminal one and the DMV one. They run separately, on different deadlines, under different rules. Ask whether a quote covers both, because that's a common place for surprises.
How many appearances it needs
Some matters need you in court repeatedly. Some I can appear for on your behalf. That difference shows up in the fee.
Whether the case can be handled before charges are filed
The window between arrest and filing is the cheapest and most useful time to work a case, and the one most people spend waiting. Sometimes work done there means the case is smaller — or never gets filed at all.
How to compare two quotes properly
If you're getting quotes from more than one attorney — and you should — the number by itself tells you almost nothing. Compare these instead:
- Scope. Through what stage? A cheaper quote covering less is not cheaper.
- Who appears. Is the person quoting you the person standing next to you in court? At some firms it isn't.
- What happens if it escalates. Agreed now, or "we'll discuss it then"?
- Whether the DMV case is included, if it's a DUI.
- Whether it's in writing.
And be careful with certainty. Nobody can tell you how your case ends before they've read the file, and an attorney willing to guarantee you an outcome is telling you something about how they practice.
Is it worth paying for an attorney at all?
This is the question underneath all the others, so let me answer it properly rather than just saying yes.
What an attorney does that you can't do yourself: read a police report the way the prosecution will read it, know what this particular DA's office does with this particular charge, spot whether the stop or the search was lawful, know which programs exist in this county and who qualifies, and negotiate from a position of knowing what the file will and won't support. That last one is most of it. Most cases resolve through negotiation, and your leverage comes from someone knowing precisely where the case is weak.
What's actually at stake is usually bigger than the case itself — custody, your driver's license, your record, firearm rights, immigration status, a professional license, your job. Those consequences run on their own tracks and don't wait for the criminal case to finish. A resolution that looks fine on the criminal side can quietly cost you one of them.
The honest version: for a minor infraction with no record and no collateral exposure, you may genuinely not need private counsel. And if you can't afford an attorney, you're entitled to a public defender — they're often very good and they're frequently overloaded, which are both true at once.
What I'd say is this: find out what you're facing before you decide. That conversation is free, and if the honest answer is that you don't need me, I'll tell you.
What I charge
Flat fee, for a defined scope, agreed in writing before you pay anything.
I keep my overhead low, and I've been doing this since 1999 — which means I can generally tell early what a case is likely to involve, and price it accordingly rather than padding for the unknown.
For your actual number I need to know the charge, your record, which court it's in, and roughly what happened. That's a phone call, and it costs nothing.
Call (916) 277-8299. Have your citation or booking paperwork handy if you have it, and the name of the agency that arrested you.
Common questions
Do you offer free consultations?
Yes. Telling you what you're facing and what it's likely to involve costs you nothing, and you're talking to an attorney, not an intake line.
Do you offer payment plans?
Ask me on the call. What's workable depends on the case and the scope, and I'd rather give you a real answer than a general one.
Is a more expensive attorney better?
Not automatically, and not by itself. Price tracks the scope of work, the seriousness of the charge, and how far the case is likely to run. What actually matters is whether the person quoting you knows this court, handles criminal defense as their main work, and will be the one appearing. Compare those before you compare numbers.
What if I can't afford a private attorney?
You're entitled to a public defender. They're often very good lawyers carrying very heavy caseloads. Call anyway and find out what you're facing — knowing that is useful whichever way you go.
Does the fee cover the DMV hearing in a DUI case?
Ask specifically, of me or anyone else. The DMV proceeding is separate from the criminal case with its own deadline, and whether it's included is a common source of surprises.
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If this is your situation right now, the page that covers it in detail is Sacramento criminal defense attorney. Or call (916) 277-8299 and I will tell you what you are facing.