Choosing the best sex crimes attorney in Sacramento.
If you are looking for a sex crimes 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 sex crime defense. To find out what happens next in your case, call.
Sex crimes charges I defend.
These are the sex crimes matters I handle for clients in Sacramento and across Sacramento County.
- Sexual battery. A wobbler, with the felony form turning on restraint or incapacity.
- Indecent exposure. A misdemeanour on a first offence that still carries a registration obligation.
- Unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. Charged on age alone. Consent is not a defence.
- Rape. Turning on the absence of consent and the specific circumstance charged.
- Lewd acts with a child. Among the most serious charges in California law.
- Possession of child pornography. Frequently arising from a forensic examination of a device.
- Sex offender registration. The tiered obligation, and the single most important issue in most of these cases.
- Contact with a minor online. Frequently charged from sting operations, where intent is the contested question.
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 sex crimes case out of Sacramento:
- When the allegation was first made, to whom, and in what words
- How the account has developed since, and what records sit around it
- Whether any pretext call or message exchange was obtained
- What a forensic examination of a device actually shows
- Whether the count charged carries registration, and at which tier
- Whether each element is supported or assumed
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 sex crimes 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.
Does every sex offence conviction require registration?
No. Registration under Penal Code 290 applies to listed offences under a tiered system, and some offences in this area carry none. Which tier applies is determined by what the case resolves to, which is why that question drives the whole defence.
I have been contacted by a detective but not arrested. What should I do?
Decline the interview and call a lawyer. That period is when most of the evidence in these cases is gathered. Declining to be interviewed is not an admission and cannot be used as one.
Can I contact the complainant to clear it up?
No. It is the single most damaging thing available to do. Contact supports a charge under Penal Code 136.1, it is treated as consciousness of guilt regardless of what was said, and it is recorded.
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 sex crimes 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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