Choosing the best domestic violence attorney in Sacramento.
If you are looking for a domestic violence attorney in Sacramento, 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 Sacramento 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 domestic violence defense. To find out what happens next in your case, call.
Domestic violence charges I defend.
These are the domestic violence matters I handle for clients in Sacramento and across Sacramento County.
- Domestic battery. Penal Code 243(e)(1), which requires no visible injury at all.
- Corporal injury on a spouse or partner. Penal Code 273.5, the principal charge in this area.
- Violating a protective order. A separate offence, committed by contact even where the protected person initiated it.
- Criminal threats. Words alone can support it, and it is a strike as a felony.
- Stalking. Often charged from messages sent after a separation.
- Child endangerment. Added where children were present, whether or not they were involved.
- Firearm consequences. A ten-year state prohibition and a separate lifetime federal one.
- Record relief afterwards. What is available once the case is over, and what a dismissal does not reach.
If your charge is not listed, call me. Working out what you are actually facing is the first useful thing that happens.
What I look at first.
What I examine first in a domestic violence case out of Sacramento:
- The recorded call, and what was said before anyone had time to reflect
- Body camera footage, against what the report describes
- Whether the injuries match the account given
- Whether self-defence applies, and who the primary aggressor actually was
- Whether each added count is supported or was attached to the first
- Whether a protective order is in place, and exactly what it prohibits
None of that happens on its own. It happens because somebody asked for it early, while it still existed.
Who arrested you in Sacramento.
Sacramento Police Department. 5770 Freeport Blvd #200, Sacramento, CA 95822. (916) 808-5471.
- Sacramento County Sheriff. the unincorporated county surrounding the city, and the Main Jail where people are booked.
- California Highway Patrol. Interstate 5, Highway 50, Interstate 80 and Highway 99, which all meet in or beside the city.
- Sacramento Regional Transit police. the light rail system and the stations along it.
- Sacramento State and UC Davis Medical Center forces. their respective campuses, each with its own jurisdiction.
Sacramento is the largest city in the region and the county seat, so both the volume of cases and the machinery that handles them are concentrated here. Four major routes meet in or beside the city, and the CHP writes a large share of the traffic reports as a result. Midtown and the K Street corridor produce most of the late-night calls, the light rail system has its own transit police, and two campuses add their own forces. Which of those agencies made the arrest is the first thing worth establishing, because they do not keep records the same way.
Where a Sacramento case is heard.
A domestic violence case arising in Sacramento is prosecuted by the Sacramento County District Attorney at 901 G St, Sacramento, CA 95814 and heard in Sacramento County. The date and location printed on your citation or release paperwork is the authority rather than anything on this page.
Gordon D. Schaber Sacramento County Courthouse
720 9th St, Sacramento, CA 95814. (916) 874-5522
How this office charges cases and what happens between arrest and arraignment is set at county level. See Sacramento County.
Areas I serve around Sacramento.
Sacramento is large, and the city boundary meets unincorporated county on several sides.
- Downtown and the court district. where the courts, the District Attorney's office, the Main Jail and my office all sit.
- Midtown and the K Street corridor. the main bar and restaurant district, and the source of most late-night arrests.
- Oak Park and Land Park. residential neighbourhoods south of the centre, policed by Sacramento PD.
- Natomas and North Sacramento. north of the river, with the Interstate 5 and Interstate 80 corridors running through.
- Arden-Arcade and the unincorporated ring. Sheriff territory rather than city police, and the boundary is not obvious.
I also cover Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, West Sacramento.
Sacramento questions I hear most.
Can the alleged victim drop the charges?
No. The decision to prosecute belongs to the District Attorney. These cases are regularly pursued with an uncooperative complainant, using the recorded call, the body camera footage and what was said at the scene.
Will I lose my right to own a firearm?
A domestic violence misdemeanour carries a ten-year prohibition under California law and a lifetime prohibition under federal law. If your work requires a firearm this is usually the most important issue in the case. See weapons charges.
Is the 52-week programme mandatory?
Where probation is granted on a domestic violence conviction, Penal Code 1203.097 makes a 52-week batterer's intervention programme a mandatory condition. It cannot be waived by agreement.
Is there a criminal court in Sacramento?
Yes — Sacramento is the county seat, so the court is here.
Do I have to appear in court myself?
For most misdemeanours an attorney can appear on your behalf. Felonies generally require your presence. Which applies depends on the charge, so it is worth asking early rather than assuming.
What does defending a domestic violence case in Sacramento 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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