Choosing the best criminal defense attorney in Citrus Heights.
If you are looking for a Citrus Heights 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 Sacramento 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 Citrus Heights case is heard.
Citrus Heights 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 Sacramento County District Attorney and heard at the Sacramento County Superior Court, in Sacramento. The same court, the same prosecutor's office and the same charging practices apply as they would to a case out of Antelope. The police department changes from city to city. The court does not.
Practically, that means your court date is in Sacramento, not in Citrus Heights, and it means Sacramento County's charging practices are the ones that matter. Those are set out on the Sacramento County page.
Who arrested you, and where it happened.
Citrus Heights Police Department. 6315 Fountain Square Dr, Citrus Heights, CA 95621. (916) 727-5500.
- California Highway Patrol. Interstate 80 and the Antelope Road and Greenback Lane interchanges.
- Sacramento County Sheriff. the unincorporated areas immediately north and east, where the city boundary is not obvious on the ground.
Citrus Heights arrests concentrate along Sunrise Boulevard, Auburn Boulevard and Greenback Lane, which are the three corridors carrying most of the city's traffic and most of its retail. The area around the former Sunrise Mall site generates its own share of theft allegations. Interstate 80 adds the CHP stops.
What I defend in Citrus Heights.
I defend the full range of charges arising out of Citrus Heights.
- DUI. Defended across Sacramento County.
- Criminal defense. Defended across Sacramento County.
- Domestic violence. Defended across Sacramento County.
- Violent crimes. Defended across Sacramento County.
- Drug crimes. Defended across Sacramento County.
- Theft and property. The Sunrise corridor retail produces a steady share of these, most of them wobblers worth reducing.
- Weapons charges. Defended across Sacramento County.
- Sex crimes. Defended across Sacramento County.
- Homicide. Defended across Sacramento County.
- White collar. Defended across Sacramento County.
- Juvenile defense. Defended across Sacramento County.
- Licence and DMV. Defended across Sacramento County.
- Expungement. Defended across Sacramento County.
If your charge is not listed, call me. I defend all criminal charges in Sacramento County, and working out what you are actually facing is the first useful thing that happens.
Why Citrus Heights clients call me.
I know Sacramento County's courts
Citrus Heights cases are filed and heard in Sacramento under the Sacramento County District Attorney's practices. I have been appearing in those courts since 1999.
I know the agencies that make arrests here
Citrus Heights PD, the Sheriff and the CHP all make arrests within a few miles here, and the city boundary is not obvious on the ground. Which agency wrote the report changes what records exist and who I have to ask.
Getting to me from Citrus Heights
There is no office in Citrus Heights. Cases run out of Sacramento, which is where the court is, or out of Roseville, which is closer for some clients.
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 Citrus Heights.
Citrus Heights borders unincorporated county on two sides, so the responding agency is not always the city's.
- Sunrise Boulevard corridor. the main commercial spine, and where most retail theft allegations in the city originate.
- Auburn Boulevard. the older north-south route, with a distinct late-night pattern.
- Greenback Lane. the main east-west corridor, connecting to Interstate 80 and to Orangevale.
- Sylvan Old Auburn Road. residential, and bordering unincorporated pockets where the Sheriff responds instead.
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.
Citrus Heights questions I hear most.
Is there a criminal court in Citrus Heights?
No. Citrus Heights has its own police department but no criminal court. Cases are filed by the Sacramento County District Attorney and heard in Sacramento. See Sacramento County.
I was arrested near the city limits. Which agency was it?
That is worth establishing carefully, because Citrus Heights borders unincorporated county on two sides and the boundary is not obvious. Citrus Heights PD, the Sacramento County Sheriff and the CHP all operate within a few miles here, and they keep records differently.
I was accused of shoplifting on Sunrise Boulevard.
Most retail theft is charged as petty theft or as a wobbler, and value drives the grading. Loss figures from retailers are often given at full retail rather than at cost, and where the figure sits near a threshold it is worth testing. See theft and property crimes.
Do I have to appear in court myself?
For most misdemeanours an attorney can appear for you. Felonies generally require your presence. It depends on the charge, so ask early.
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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