Choosing the best criminal defense attorney in Vallejo.
If you are looking for a Vallejo 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 Solano 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 Vallejo case is heard.
Vallejo has its own police department. It does not have its own criminal court. That surprises people, and it is the single most useful thing to understand early.
Your case is filed by the Solano County District Attorney and heard at the Solano County criminal court in Fairfield, in Fairfield. The same court, the same prosecutor's office and the same charging practices apply as they would to a case out of Fairfield. The police department changes from city to city. The court does not.
Practically, that means your court date is in Fairfield, not in Vallejo, and it means Solano County's charging practices are the ones that matter. Those are set out on the Solano County page.
Who arrested you, and where it happened.
Vallejo Police Department. 111 Amador St, Vallejo, CA 94590. (707) 648-4321.
- California Highway Patrol. Interstate 80, Highway 37 and the Carquinez Bridge approaches.
- Solano County Sheriff. the unincorporated areas north of the city.
- California Maritime Academy police. the campus on the waterfront.
Vallejo is the largest city in Solano County and sits at the southern corner of it, at the point where Interstate 80 crosses the Carquinez Strait toward the Bay Area. It is the furthest of the cities I cover from Sacramento, and its cases are heard in Fairfield rather than locally. Arrests concentrate along the Sonoma Boulevard and Tennessee Street corridors, on the waterfront, and on the freeway approaches.
What I defend in Vallejo.
I defend the full range of charges arising out of Vallejo.
- DUI. Defended across Solano County.
- Criminal defense. Defended across Solano County.
- Domestic violence. Defended across Solano County.
- Violent crimes. Defended across Solano County.
- Drug crimes. Defended across Solano County.
- Theft and property. Defended across Solano County.
- Weapons charges. Defended across Solano County.
- Sex crimes. Defended across Solano County.
- Homicide. Defended across Solano County.
- White collar. Defended across Solano County.
- Juvenile defense. Defended across Solano County.
- Licence and DMV. Defended across Solano County.
- Expungement. Defended across Solano County.
If your charge is not listed, call me. I defend all criminal charges in Solano County, and working out what you are actually facing is the first useful thing that happens.
Why Vallejo clients call me.
I know Solano County's courts
Vallejo cases are filed by the Solano County District Attorney and heard in Fairfield, about half an hour north east. Vallejo is larger than Fairfield but is not the county seat. I have been appearing in Solano County since 1999.
I know the agencies that make arrests here
Vallejo PD covers the city, the CHP covers Interstate 80 and the bridge approaches, and the Maritime Academy has its own campus force. Which one arrested you changes where the records are.
Getting to me from Vallejo
My offices are in Sacramento and Roseville, and Vallejo is the furthest city I cover. For most misdemeanours an attorney can appear so you are not travelling to Fairfield repeatedly.
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 Vallejo.
Vallejo is the largest city in Solano County, at its southern corner.
- Sonoma Boulevard. the main north-south commercial corridor and the busiest enforcement area.
- Downtown and the waterfront. the ferry terminal area and the historic centre.
- Tennessee Street. the main east-west route through the city.
- Interstate 80 and the Carquinez approaches. CHP territory rather than Vallejo PD.
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.
Vallejo questions I hear most.
Is there a criminal court in Vallejo?
No. Vallejo is the largest city in Solano County but the county seat is Fairfield, so the criminal court and the District Attorney's office are there. Your court date will be in Fairfield. See Solano County.
Why is my case heard in Fairfield when Vallejo is bigger?
Because the criminal court follows the county seat rather than the largest city. Fairfield is the Solano County seat, so cases from across the county are heard there. See Fairfield.
I was stopped on the Carquinez Bridge approach.
On the freeway and the bridge approaches it is the California Highway Patrol rather than Vallejo PD. They keep separate records and separate footage. See DUI defence.
Do I have to appear in court myself?
For most misdemeanours an attorney can appear on your behalf, which matters given the distance to Fairfield. 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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