Choosing the best criminal defense attorney in Placerville.
If you are looking for a Placerville 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 El Dorado 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 Placerville case is heard.
Placerville is the El Dorado 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 Placerville case simpler than most.
Your case is filed by the El Dorado County District Attorney and heard at the El Dorado 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 El Dorado County page.
Who arrested you, and where it happened.
Placerville Police Department. 730 Main St, Placerville, CA 95667. (530) 642-5210.
- California Highway Patrol. Highway 50, the main route through the county and the source of most local traffic stops.
- El Dorado County Sheriff. the foothill communities and the large unincorporated area surrounding the city.
Placerville is small but it is the county seat, so the courthouse and the District Attorney's office are here, and Highway 50 carries heavy through traffic on the way to Tahoe. Most arrests are traffic stops on Highway 50 or late-night calls out of Historic Main Street. The county around the city is large, rural and Sheriff-policed.
What I defend in Placerville.
I defend the full range of charges arising out of Placerville.
- DUI. Highway 50 carries heavy Tahoe traffic, and most Placerville DUI stops come off it.
- Criminal defense. Defended across El Dorado County.
- Domestic violence. Defended across El Dorado County.
- Violent crimes. Defended across El Dorado County.
- Drug crimes. Defended across El Dorado County.
- Theft and property. Defended across El Dorado County.
- Weapons charges. Defended across El Dorado County.
- Sex crimes. Defended across El Dorado County.
- Homicide. Defended across El Dorado County.
- White collar. Defended across El Dorado County.
- Juvenile defense. Defended across El Dorado County.
- Licence and DMV. Defended across El Dorado County.
- Expungement. Defended across El Dorado County.
If your charge is not listed, call me. I defend all criminal charges in El Dorado County, and working out what you are actually facing is the first useful thing that happens.
Why Placerville clients call me.
I know El Dorado County's courts
Placerville is the county seat, so the El Dorado County Superior Court and the District Attorney's office are both in the city. I have been appearing in El Dorado County since 1999.
I know the agencies that make arrests here
Placerville PD covers the city itself, which is small. Almost everything outside it is the El Dorado County Sheriff, and Highway 50 is the CHP.
Getting to me from Placerville
My office is in Sacramento, about forty-five minutes down Highway 50. For a Placerville 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 Placerville.
Placerville is surrounded by a large rural unincorporated county.
- Historic Main Street. the old centre, and where most late-night calls originate.
- Highway 50 corridor. heavy through traffic toward Tahoe, and the busiest enforcement area.
- Broadway and Placerville Drive. the main commercial approach to the city.
- Surrounding foothill county. Sheriff territory, and a long way from anywhere.
Nearby, I also cover El Dorado Hills, South Lake Tahoe, Folsom.
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.
Placerville questions I hear most.
Is the El Dorado County courthouse in Placerville?
Yes. Placerville is the county seat, so the court and the District Attorney's office are both here. El Dorado County also handles matters in South Lake Tahoe, which is a considerable distance away over the mountains. See El Dorado County.
I was stopped on Highway 50 heading to Tahoe.
On the highway it is usually the California Highway Patrol rather than Placerville PD. Highway 50 carries heavy weekend traffic and enforcement reflects that. See DUI defence.
I was arrested outside the city in the county.
That is likely an El Dorado County Sheriff arrest. The case is still filed by the same District Attorney and heard in Placerville, but the report comes from a different agency covering a very large rural area.
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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