How to choose an attorney in Plymouth.
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.
Plymouth has about about 1,000. 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 Plymouth 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.
Plymouth doesn't run its own police department. It contracts with the Amador County Sheriff for patrol coverage — a set number of patrol hours each week, plus response to calls around the clock.
That's the single most useful thing to know about a Plymouth arrest. The report comes from a Sheriff's deputy, not a city officer — different agency, different paperwork, different body-camera practice, even though the courthouse in Jackson is the same one.
Plymouth sits at the northern end of Highway 49 in the county, and it's the gateway to the Shenandoah Valley wine appellation. Tasting rooms bring visitors, visitors drive back out on the same two-lane roads, and that shapes what kind of enforcement happens around here.
Which agency arrested you is the first thing worth knowing
Amador County Sheriff's Office — 700 Court St, Jackson, CA 95642. (209) 223-6500
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 Plymouth.
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 Plymouth clients call me.
I know Amador County's court
Plymouth cases are filed by the Amador County District Attorney and heard at Amador Superior Court in Jackson. I appear there.
I know the agencies that make arrests here
A Plymouth arrest is a Sheriff's arrest. I regularly handle cases involving the Amador County Sheriff's Office, and knowing whose report I'm reading is the first thing that matters.
Getting to me from Plymouth
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 Plymouth.
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.
Plymouth questions I hear most.
Does Plymouth have its own police?
No. Plymouth contracts with the Amador County Sheriff's Office for patrol coverage. If you were arrested in Plymouth, a Sheriff's deputy almost certainly wrote the report.
Where is my case heard?
At Amador Superior Court, 500 Argonaut Ln, Jackson, CA 95642. (209) 257-2600 There's one courthouse in the county.
I was stopped driving back from a tasting room. What now?
A DUI in California is two cases — the criminal one in Jackson, and a separate DMV proceeding with a 10-day deadline that nobody at the roadside will remind you about. Call before that clock runs out. See DUI defense.
Where would I be booked?
The Amador County Jail, 700 Court St, Jackson, CA 95642. (209) 223-6522 If you're trying to help someone who is in custody, this walks through what to do first.
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.
