The window before charges are filed.
Between an arrest and a charge there is a gap, and most people spend it waiting to find out what happens. The El Dorado County District Attorney decides what to actually file — and that can be what you were arrested for, something different, something reduced, or nothing at all.
That gap is where the most can usually be done, and it closes quietly. Call (916) 277-8299 before it does.
How to choose a criminal defense attorney in El Dorado County.
I'm Chris Parkhurst, Esq., State Bar number 203402, and I've been defending criminal defense cases in Northern California since 1999. You work with us directly rather than with an intake team.
In my opinion the question worth asking any attorney here is simply whether they have actually appeared in this county's courthouse, and how recently. Knowing how this court runs its criminal calendar and how this District Attorney's office evaluates cases is county-level knowledge. You earn it by being there.
What you're actually facing.
Criminal charges in California range from misdemeanours punishable by county jail to felonies carrying state prison. What you're facing depends on the section charged, your record, and the facts in the report.
I'm not going to set out penalty ranges here, because the range that applies to you depends on facts I'd need to read. For the charge itself, see the practice areas.
Who arrested you matters.
El Dorado runs from the foothills all the way up to the Nevada line, and that geography has a practical consequence: South Lake Tahoe is nearly two hours from the county seat in Placerville. A Tahoe arrest is still an El Dorado County case, and the drive is part of what you're arranging when you deal with it.
These agencies work inside El Dorado County:
- Placerville Police Department
- South Lake Tahoe Police Department
- El Dorado County Sheriff's Office
- California Highway Patrol — working U.S. 50 and State Route 49
The report drives the case. Who wrote it, what equipment they used, whether body-worn footage exists and how the stop was documented all vary by agency, even though the courtroom does not. So when you call, tell me who arrested you.
Where your case is heard.
El Dorado County Superior Court, 495 Main St, Placerville, CA 95667. (530) 621-6426
Prosecuted by the El Dorado County District Attorney, 778 Pacific St, Placerville, CA 95667. (530) 621-6472
Someone arrested here is generally booked into the El Dorado County Jail, 300 Forni Rd, Placerville, CA 95667. (530) 621-6000
For the wider county picture, see El Dorado County. Cities I serve here:
How I handle a El Dorado County case.
- Read the file. The police report, the arrest records, the witness statements — early, while charging decisions are still open.
- Test the case. Whether the stop or search was lawful, whether every element is actually supported, and whether there are constitutional problems worth a motion.
- Investigate. Obtaining surveillance and body-worn footage before it's overwritten, and checking the report against what the physical evidence shows.
- Negotiate. Working directly with El Dorado County deputy district attorneys. Most cases resolve here, and the leverage comes from knowing exactly what the file supports.
- Trial where the offer isn't reasonable.
Questions I get every week.
Where is my El Dorado County case heard?
At El Dorado County Superior Court, 495 Main St, Placerville, CA 95667. (530) 621-6426 More on how that court and that District Attorney work: El Dorado County.
Who prosecutes cases in El Dorado County?
The El Dorado County District Attorney, 778 Pacific St, Placerville, CA 95667. (530) 621-6472 That office decides what to actually charge after the arrest, which is not always what you were arrested for. More on how that court and that District Attorney work: El Dorado County.
Where would I be booked?
The El Dorado County Jail, 300 Forni Rd, Placerville, CA 95667. (530) 621-6000 If you're trying to help someone who is in custody, this walks through what to do first.
Do I have to appear in court myself?
In many cases I appear for you and you don't have to be there. Whether that applies depends on the charge and what the court requires, so ask me about your specific case rather than assuming either way. El Dorado County has the detail on how the court runs its calendar.
What will it cost?
It depends on the charge, whether it resolves before filing and whether it goes to trial. I quote a flat fee for a defined scope, agreed in writing before you pay anything. The consultation is free. I've written more on how criminal defense fees actually work.
Get started.
Being arrested is one of the more frightening things that happens to people, and the waiting afterwards is often worse than the arrest itself. In my experience things are rarely as bad as they feel in that first week.
I treat my clients the way I would want an attorney to treat my mother, if she met with one. My Roseville office is at 970 Reserve Drive, Suite 116. Call me and meet me personally. You'll see what I mean.
Call (916) 277-8299. The consultation is free.
