Placer County criminal defense attorney.

If you are looking for a Placer County criminal defense attorney, start with the question that matters most: who will actually be handling your case? I am Chris Parkhurst, Esq. I have been defending cases in Placer 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.

When you're facing criminal charges in Placer County, you want someone who knows these courts. I've been defending criminal cases here since 1999, in both the Roseville courthouse and the Historic Auburn Courthouse, representing people charged with offences throughout the county including Roseville, Rocklin, Auburn and Lincoln.

My Roseville office is at 970 Reserve Drive, minutes from the Justice Center, and I have a second office in Sacramento at 701 E Street. I know the courthouses, the District Attorney's office and the agencies that work the Interstate 80 and State Route 65 corridors. Call (916) 277-8299 for a free case evaluation.

Placer County Superior Court sits in two locations, and which one takes your case depends on the charge and the calendar rather than on where you live.

• Placer County Superior Court of Roseville
  10820 Justice Center Drive, Roseville, CA 95678. (916) 408-6000. The south county courthouse, and the busier of the two.
• Historic Auburn Courthouse
  101 Maple Street, Auburn, CA 95603. (530) 745-2000. In the county seat, alongside the jail.

The Placer County District Attorney is at 10810 Justice Center Drive in Roseville, immediately next to the Roseville courthouse. The county built a justice campus, so the office deciding what you're charged with and the courtroom where you answer it are on the same block.

Knowing how these two courthouses split their work, how this District Attorney's office evaluates cases, and how local judges handle sentencing is county-level knowledge. You earn it by being there.

Criminal charges in Placer County are violations of California state law punishable by jail, prison, fines or other penalties, ranging from misdemeanours to serious felonies. The Placer County District Attorney's Office prosecutes felony cases and most misdemeanours originating in the county, with cases heard at one of the two courthouses.

Arrests here commonly follow traffic stops on Interstate 80 and State Route 65, DUI enforcement along those corridors, domestic disputes, retail theft allegations around Roseville's shopping districts, and drug possession stops. Which agency responds depends entirely on where you were: city police inside the four incorporated cities, the Sheriff in unincorporated areas, and the CHP on the freeways.

The consequences of a conviction reach well past the immediate sentence. They create a permanent record that affects employment, housing, professional licences, immigration status and your ability to move on. The District Attorney's Office prosecutes these cases seriously, and that's worth understanding before your first appearance.

I defend all criminal charges in Placer County, including:

• DUI — first offence through felony DUI, chemical test refusals, and the separate DMV licence proceeding. The I-80 and SR-65 corridors mean many Placer DUIs arrive with CHP paperwork.
• Domestic violence — including Penal Code 273.5, domestic battery, and protective order violations. An arrest usually brings a protective order before your first appearance.
• Drug crimes — possession, possession for sale, transportation, and diversion eligibility.
• Theft and property crimes — petty theft through burglary and robbery. Roseville's retail density means retail theft allegations are common here.
• Violent crimes — assault, battery, assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats.
• Weapons charges — concealed carry, felon in possession, and firearm rights restoration.
• White collar — fraud, embezzlement, forgery, identity theft.
• Juvenile defense — and record clearing for old convictions.

Knowledge of Placer County courts

I appear in both the Roseville and Auburn courthouses and have since 1999. Knowing how the two split their calendars, how this District Attorney's office evaluates cases, and what local judges do at sentencing is county-level knowledge, and you earn it by being there rather than by reading about it.

Experience with Placer County law enforcement

I regularly handle cases involving arrests by Roseville PD, Rocklin PD, Auburn PD, Lincoln PD, the Placer County Sheriff's Office and the CHP. Different agencies use different equipment, keep different body-camera practices and write reports differently. Knowing which is which is how you find the weaknesses in a report.

Understanding Placer County

Placer runs from Roseville's suburban south end up through Auburn and into the foothills. It's a county where most people I represent have jobs, families and community ties here, and those things matter in negotiation and at sentencing.

Accessible to Placer residents

My Roseville office at 970 Reserve Drive, Suite 116 is minutes from the Justice Center and straightforward to reach from I-80 or SR-65. If Sacramento is easier for you, my other office is at 701 E Street.

1. Immediate case assessment. I read the police report, arrest records and witness statements early, to find the weaknesses before the District Attorney finalises charging decisions.
2. Testing the case. Motions to suppress evidence from an unlawful stop or search, questioning witness credibility, testing whether every element of the charge is actually supported, and identifying constitutional problems.
3. Evidence investigation. Obtaining surveillance and body-worn footage before it's overwritten, interviewing witnesses, and checking agency reports against what the physical evidence shows.
4. Negotiation. Working directly with Placer County deputy district attorneys on charge reductions and alternative resolutions. Most criminal cases resolve this way, and the leverage comes from knowing precisely what the file will and won't support.
5. Trial readiness. Where the offer isn't reasonable, taking the case to trial at the Roseville or Auburn courthouse.
6. Personal attention. You work directly with our attorneys, who stay personally familiar with every aspect of your case.

I've been licensed in California since 1999, license #203402, with a J.D. from U.C. Hastings and a B.A. from U.C. Davis. I treat my clients the way I'd want an attorney to treat my mother, if she met with one.

Don't face criminal charges alone. Whether you were arrested in Roseville, Rocklin, Auburn, Lincoln or anywhere in Placer County, call (916) 277-8299 for a free, confidential case evaluation.

Have your citation or booking paperwork ready and the name of the agency that arrested you. My Roseville office is at 970 Reserve Drive, Suite 116; my Sacramento office is at 701 E Street.