Choosing the best criminal defense attorney in Chico.
If you are looking for a Chico 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 Butte 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 Chico case is heard.
Chico has its own police department. It does not have its own criminal court. That surprises people, and it is the single most useful thing to understand early.
Your case is filed by the Butte County District Attorney and heard at the Butte County Superior Court, in Oroville. The same court, the same prosecutor's office and the same charging practices apply as they would to a case out of Oroville. The police department changes from city to city. The court does not.
Practically, that means your court date is in Oroville, not in Chico, and it means Butte County's charging practices are the ones that matter. Those are set out on the Butte County page.
Who arrested you, and where it happened.
Chico Police Department. 1460 Humboldt Rd, Chico, CA 95928. (530) 897-4900.
- Chico State University Police. the campus, which has its own sworn force and a student conduct process running separately from the criminal case.
- California Highway Patrol. Highway 99 and Highway 32.
- Butte County Sheriff. the unincorporated areas and the foothill communities east of the city.
Chico is a university city, and the area around downtown and the Chico State campus produces the clear majority of its arrests, particularly on weekends and at the start of the academic year. Whether the arresting agency was Chico PD or university police matters, because a campus case also triggers a student conduct process that runs faster than the criminal one. Highway 99 produces the traffic stops.
What I defend in Chico.
I defend the full range of charges arising out of Chico.
- DUI. Downtown and the campus area account for most of them, and students face a conduct process as well.
- Criminal defense. Defended across Butte County.
- Domestic violence. Defended across Butte County.
- Violent crimes. Defended across Butte County.
- Drug crimes. Defended across Butte County.
- Theft and property. Defended across Butte County.
- Weapons charges. Defended across Butte County.
- Sex crimes. Defended across Butte County.
- Homicide. Defended across Butte County.
- White collar. Defended across Butte County.
- Juvenile defense. Cases involving people under 18 run through a different system entirely.
- Licence and DMV. Defended across Butte County.
- Expungement. Defended across Butte County.
If your charge is not listed, call me. I defend all criminal charges in Butte County, and working out what you are actually facing is the first useful thing that happens.
Why Chico clients call me.
I know Butte County's courts
Chico is the largest city in Butte County, but the county seat is Oroville, so that is where the court and the District Attorney's office are. I have been appearing in Butte County since 1999.
I know the agencies that make arrests here
Chico PD and Chico State University Police are separate agencies with separate records. A campus arrest also starts a university conduct process that will not wait for the criminal case to finish.
Getting to me from Chico
My offices are in Sacramento and Roseville, and Chico is at the northern edge of the area I cover. For most misdemeanours an attorney can appear without you making the drive to Oroville.
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 Chico.
Chico is the largest city in Butte County, though not the county seat.
- Downtown Chico. the bar district adjoining the campus, and the source of most late-night arrests.
- Chico State campus. its own police jurisdiction, with a separate conduct process.
- The Esplanade and Mangrove Avenue. the main north-south corridors.
- Highway 99 corridor. where the CHP rather than Chico PD makes most stops.
Nearby, I also cover Oroville, Paradise, Marysville.
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.
Chico questions I hear most.
Is there a criminal court in Chico?
No. Chico is the largest city in Butte County but the county seat is Oroville, so the court and the District Attorney's office are there. Your court date will be in Oroville. See Butte County.
I was arrested by university police. Is that different from Chico PD?
They are separate agencies with separate records. The criminal case is filed by the Butte County District Attorney and heard in Oroville either way. What changes is that a campus arrest usually also starts a student conduct process, which applies its own standard and moves on its own timetable.
Will a charge affect my place at Chico State?
It can, through the student conduct process rather than through the court. That process is separate and does not wait for the criminal case. If you are a student, say so on the first call.
Do I have to appear in court myself?
For most misdemeanours an attorney can appear on your behalf, which matters here given the drive to Oroville. 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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