Choosing the best criminal defense attorney in Oroville.
If you are looking for an Oroville 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 Butte 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 Oroville case is heard.
Oroville is the Butte 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 Oroville case simpler than most.
Your case is filed by the Butte County District Attorney and heard at the Butte County Superior Court. 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 Butte County page.
Who arrested you, and where it happened.
City of Oroville Police Department. 2055 Lincoln St, Oroville, CA 95966. (530) 538-2448.
- California Highway Patrol. Highway 70 and Highway 162.
- Butte County Sheriff. the large unincorporated county, the lake area and the foothill communities.
Oroville is a small city carrying the machinery of a whole county, because the courthouse, the District Attorney's office and the county jail are all here. Local arrests concentrate on Highway 70, in the downtown area and around Oro Dam Boulevard. The county around it is very large and rural, and almost all of it is Sheriff territory.
What I defend in Oroville.
I defend the full range of charges arising out of Oroville.
- DUI. Defended across Butte County.
- Criminal defense. Defended across Butte County.
- Domestic violence. Defended across Butte County.
- Violent crimes. Defended across Butte County.
- Drug crimes. Defended across Butte County.
- Theft and property. Defended across Butte County.
- Weapons charges. Defended across Butte County.
- Sex crimes. Defended across Butte County.
- Homicide. Defended across Butte County.
- White collar. Defended across Butte County.
- Juvenile defense. Defended across Butte County.
- Licence and DMV. Defended across Butte County.
- Expungement. Defended across Butte County.
If your charge is not listed, call me. I defend all criminal charges in Butte County, and working out what you are actually facing is the first useful thing that happens.
Why Oroville clients call me.
I know Butte County's courts
Oroville is the county seat, so the Butte County Superior Court, the District Attorney's office and the jail are all in the city. Cases from Chico and Paradise come here too. I have been appearing in Butte County since 1999.
I know the agencies that make arrests here
Oroville PD covers the city, which is compact. Almost everything beyond it is the Butte County Sheriff, covering a very large rural area, and Highway 70 is the CHP.
Getting to me from Oroville
My offices are in Sacramento and Roseville. Oroville is at the northern edge of the area I cover, and for most misdemeanours an attorney can appear without you travelling.
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 Oroville.
Oroville is small, and the surrounding county is large and rural.
- Historic Downtown. the old centre, near the courthouse and the District Attorney's office.
- Oro Dam Boulevard. the main commercial corridor through the city.
- Highway 70 corridor. the main route north and south, and where most traffic stops originate.
- Lake Oroville and the foothills. Sheriff territory, with a seasonal recreation pattern.
Nearby, I also cover Chico, Paradise, Marysville.
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.
Oroville questions I hear most.
Is the Butte County courthouse in Oroville?
Yes. Oroville is the county seat, so the court, the District Attorney's office and the county jail are all here, and cases from Chico and Paradise are heard here as well. See Butte County.
I was arrested out at Lake Oroville.
That is likely a Butte County Sheriff arrest rather than Oroville PD, and the lake area has its own seasonal enforcement pattern. The case is still filed by the same District Attorney and heard in the same courthouse.
Why is my Chico case being heard in Oroville?
Because Oroville is the county seat, and the criminal court for the whole of Butte County is here. Chico is larger but has no criminal court. See Chico.
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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