Choosing the best criminal defense attorney in Fairfield.
If you are looking for a Fairfield 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 Solano 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 Fairfield case is heard.
Fairfield is the Solano County seat, so the court that hears your case is here rather than somewhere else. That is unusual in this county and it is the one thing that makes a Fairfield case simpler than most.
Your case is filed by the Solano County District Attorney and heard at the Solano County criminal court in Fairfield. How that office charges cases, what it does with diversion, and what happens between arrest and arraignment are set at county level rather than city level. I have set all of that out on the Solano County page.
Who arrested you, and where it happened.
Fairfield Police Department. 1000 Webster St, Fairfield, CA 94533. (707) 428-7300.
- California Highway Patrol. Interstate 80 and Highway 12, which cross in the city and carry very heavy Bay Area traffic.
- Solano County Sheriff. the unincorporated county and the Suisun Valley area.
- Travis Air Force Base security forces. the base to the east, which has its own jurisdiction.
Fairfield sits on Interstate 80 between Sacramento and the Bay Area, and that traffic defines its enforcement pattern: a large share of arrests here are freeway stops involving people travelling through. The city is also the county seat, so the criminal court and the District Attorney's office are here. Travis Air Force Base to the east adds a service population with its own separate consequences.
What I defend in Fairfield.
I defend the full range of charges arising out of Fairfield.
- DUI in Fairfield. Interstate 80 accounts for most Fairfield DUI stops, and many involve people driving between Sacramento and the Bay Area.
- Criminal defense. Defended across Solano County.
- Domestic violence. Defended across Solano County.
- Violent crimes. Defended across Solano County.
- Drug crimes. Defended across Solano County.
- Theft and property. Defended across Solano County.
- Weapons charges. Defended across Solano County.
- Sex crimes. Defended across Solano County.
- Homicide. Defended across Solano County.
- White collar. Defended across Solano County.
- Juvenile defense. Defended across Solano County.
- Licence and DMV. Defended across Solano County.
- Expungement. Defended across Solano County.
If your charge is not listed, call me. I defend all criminal charges in Solano County, and working out what you are actually facing is the first useful thing that happens.
Why Fairfield clients call me.
I know Solano County's courts
Fairfield is the county seat, so the Solano County criminal court and the District Attorney's office are both in the city. I have been appearing in Solano County since 1999.
I know the agencies that make arrests here
Fairfield PD covers the city, the CHP covers Interstate 80 and Highway 12, the Sheriff covers Suisun Valley, and Travis has its own security forces. That is four jurisdictions in a small area.
Getting to me from Fairfield
My offices are in Sacramento and Roseville, about forty minutes east on Interstate 80. For a Fairfield case the court is at your end.
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 Fairfield.
Fairfield is the county seat and sits on the main Bay Area route.
- Downtown and Texas Street. the civic centre, near the court and the police department.
- Interstate 80 corridor. the busiest enforcement area, and CHP rather than Fairfield PD.
- Suisun Valley. unincorporated and Sheriff-policed, with a winery event pattern.
- Toward Travis Air Force Base. a separate jurisdiction with its own security forces.
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.
Fairfield questions I hear most.
Is the Solano County criminal court in Fairfield?
Yes. Fairfield is the county seat, so the criminal court and the District Attorney's office are both here, and cases from Vacaville, Vallejo and Dixon are heard here too. See Solano County.
I was stopped on Interstate 80 passing through.
On the freeway it is the California Highway Patrol rather than Fairfield PD, and a large share of arrests here involve people travelling between Sacramento and the Bay Area rather than living locally. For most misdemeanours an attorney can appear so you do not have to return.
I am stationed at Travis. Does a civilian charge affect my service?
It can, separately from the criminal case and on its own timetable. A civilian conviction can trigger administrative or disciplinary consequences independent of what the court does. If you are serving, say so on the first call.
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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