How to choose an attorney in Jackson.
I'm Chris Parkhurst, Esq., and I've been defending criminal cases in Northern California since 1999. My State Bar number is 203402. You work with us directly rather than with an intake team.
Jackson has about 5,019 at the 2020 census. In a place this size the question isn't really which firm has the biggest advertising budget — it's who has actually stood in the Jackson courtroom your case is going to. In my opinion that's the thing to ask any attorney before you hire them.
Where a Jackson case is heard.
Amador Superior Court, 500 Argonaut Ln, Jackson, CA 95642. (209) 257-2600
Amador County has one courthouse, so there's no question of which building or which division. Your case is filed by the Amador County District Attorney, 708 Court St, Suite 202, Jackson, CA 95642. (209) 223-6444
That charging decision happens after the arrest, not during it. The District Attorney can file what you were arrested for, file something else, reduce it, or decline it. That gap is where the most can usually be done, and it's the stretch most people spend waiting.
For the wider picture, see criminal defense in Amador County.
Who arrested you, and where it happened.
Jackson is the Amador County seat, and it's unusually concentrated even for a county seat. Amador Superior Court, the District Attorney, the Sheriff's Office and the county jail are all here, within a few streets of each other.
State Route 49 and State Route 88 meet in Jackson, which is why a lot of the county's traffic stops happen in and around town. SR 88 carries traffic up toward Kirkwood and over Carson Pass; SR 49 runs the length of the gold country.
Because everything sits in one place, a Jackson case moves through a single building. There's no question of which courthouse or which division — there is only the one.
Which agency arrested you is the first thing worth knowing
Jackson Police Department — 33 Broadway, Suite D, Jackson, CA 95642. (209) 223-1771
The California Highway Patrol also works the highways through this part of the county, and a CHP stop produces different paperwork than a local one. The report drives the case — who wrote it, what equipment they used, whether body-worn footage exists. So when you call, tell me who arrested you.
What I defend in Jackson.
DUI defense
A California DUI is two cases: the criminal one in Jackson, and a separate DMV proceeding with a 10-day deadline nobody at the roadside will remind you about. See DUI defense.
Domestic violence
An arrest usually brings a criminal protective order before your first appearance, and it can keep you out of your own home. See domestic violence defense.
Everything else
Drug charges, theft and property crimes, violent crimes, weapons charges, white collar allegations, juvenile matters and record clearing. See all practice areas.
Why Jackson clients call me.
I know Amador County's court
Jackson cases are filed by the Amador County District Attorney and heard at Amador Superior Court, both of them in town. I appear there.
I know the agencies that make arrests here
Jackson PD is a small department. Small departments have their own patterns — equipment, body-camera practice, how much detail goes into a report. Knowing them is how you find what a report doesn't say.
Getting to me from Jackson
My offices are in Sacramento at 701 E Street and in Roseville at 970 Reserve Drive, Suite 116. In many cases I appear for you and you don't have to make the trip at all.
Around Jackson.
I defend cases across Amador County and nine other Northern California counties. Other places I serve in this county:
What a conviction can cost.
A conviction reaches past the sentence. County jail or state prison depending on the charge, fines, probation conditions, and restitution are the immediate part. The longer part is a permanent record that shows up in professional licensing, employment background checks, housing applications, firearm rights and immigration status.
What any of that means for you depends on the charge and on your history. Call and I'll tell you what you're actually facing.
Jackson questions I hear most.
Where is the courthouse in Jackson?
Amador Superior Court, 500 Argonaut Ln, Jackson, CA 95642. (209) 257-2600 It's the only courthouse in Amador County, so every criminal case in the county is heard there. More on how that court and that District Attorney work: Amador County.
Who prosecutes my Jackson case?
The Amador County District Attorney, 708 Court St, Suite 202, Jackson, CA 95642. (209) 223-6444 That office decides what to charge after the arrest, which isn't always what you were arrested for. More on how that court and that District Attorney work: Amador County.
Where would I be booked?
The Amador County Jail, 700 Court St, Jackson, CA 95642. (209) 223-6522 It shares an address with the Sheriff's Office. 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, so ask me about your specific case rather than assuming either way.
Call before your first court date
Have your citation or booking paperwork with you if you can. One of my favorite aspects of my job is the opportunity I have every day to meet people who are scared and to give them peace of mind. I treat my clients the way I would want an attorney to treat my mother, if she met with one.
Call (916) 277-8299. The consultation is free.
