Choosing the best criminal defense attorney in Davis.
If you are looking for a Davis 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 Yolo 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 Davis case is heard.
Davis 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 Yolo County District Attorney and heard at the Superior Court of California, County of Yolo, in Woodland. The same court, the same prosecutor's office and the same charging practices apply as they would to a case out of Woodland. The police department changes from city to city. The court does not.
Practically, that means your court date is in Woodland, not in Davis, and it means Yolo County's charging practices are the ones that matter. Those are set out on the Yolo County page.
Who arrested you, and where it happened.
Davis Police Department. 2600 5th St, Davis, CA 95618. (530) 747-5400.
- UC Davis Police Department. the campus, which has its own sworn force, its own records and a student conduct process that runs separately from the criminal case.
- California Highway Patrol. Interstate 80 and the Richards Boulevard and Mace Boulevard interchanges.
Davis is a university city, and that shapes almost everything about enforcement here. A large share of arrests involve students, and whether the arresting agency was Davis PD or UC Davis campus police matters a great deal, because a campus case also triggers a student conduct process that moves faster than the criminal one. Downtown Davis around G Street produces most late-night calls, and Interstate 80 produces the traffic stops.
What I defend in Davis.
I defend the full range of charges arising out of Davis.
- DUI. Downtown and the Interstate 80 interchanges account for most of them, and students face a conduct process as well.
- Criminal defense. Defended across Yolo County.
- Domestic violence. Defended across Yolo County.
- Violent crimes. Defended across Yolo County.
- Drug crimes. Defended across Yolo County.
- Theft and property. Defended across Yolo County.
- Weapons charges. Defended across Yolo County.
- Sex crimes. Defended across Yolo County.
- Homicide. Defended across Yolo County.
- White collar. Defended across Yolo County.
- Juvenile defense. Cases involving students under 18 run through a different system with different terminology.
- Licence and DMV. Defended across Yolo County.
- Expungement. Defended across Yolo County.
If your charge is not listed, call me. I defend all criminal charges in Yolo County, and working out what you are actually facing is the first useful thing that happens.
Why Davis clients call me.
I know Yolo County's courts
Davis cases are filed by the Yolo County District Attorney and heard in Woodland, not in Davis. I have been appearing in Yolo County courts since 1999.
I know the agencies that make arrests here
Davis PD and UC Davis police are separate agencies with separate records. On campus it is usually the latter, and a campus arrest also starts a university conduct process that will not wait for the criminal case.
Getting to me from Davis
There is no Davis office. Cases run out of Sacramento, about fifteen minutes east on Interstate 80, and the court itself is in Woodland.
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 Davis.
Davis is compact, and the campus is a separate jurisdiction inside it.
- Downtown and G Street. the bar and restaurant district, and the source of most late-night arrests.
- UC Davis campus. its own police jurisdiction, with a separate conduct process running alongside.
- Richards Boulevard. the main Interstate 80 access point and a common stop location.
- South Davis and Mace Ranch. residential, on the eastern and southern edges.
Nearby, I also cover Woodland, West Sacramento, Sacramento.
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.
Davis questions I hear most.
Is there a criminal court in Davis?
No. Davis has its own police department but no criminal court. Cases are filed by the Yolo County District Attorney and heard in Woodland. See Yolo County for how that court works.
I was arrested by UC Davis police. Is that different from Davis PD?
They are separate agencies with separate records systems. The criminal case is still filed by the Yolo County District Attorney and heard in Woodland either way. What changes is that a campus arrest usually also starts a student conduct process, which runs on its own timetable and often faster than the criminal case.
Will a charge affect my place at the university?
It can, through the student conduct process rather than through the court. That process is separate, applies its own standard, and does not wait for the criminal case to finish. If you are a student, say so on the first call, because it changes what has to happen first.
I was stopped on Interstate 80 near Davis.
On the freeway it is usually the California Highway Patrol. They keep separate records and separate footage from Davis PD, which matters most in DUI cases. See DUI defence.
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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