Choosing the best criminal defense attorney in Woodland.
If you are looking for a Woodland 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 Yolo 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 Woodland case is heard.
Woodland is the Yolo 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 Woodland case simpler than most.
Your case is filed by the Yolo County District Attorney and heard at the Superior Court of California, County of Yolo. 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 Yolo County page.
Who arrested you, and where it happened.
Woodland Police Department. 1000 Lincoln Ave, Woodland, CA 95695. (530) 661-7800.
- California Highway Patrol. Interstate 5 and Highway 113, both of which pass the city.
- Yolo County Sheriff. the surrounding agricultural areas and the unincorporated county.
Woodland is the county seat, so the courthouse, the District Attorney's office and the county jail are all here. Arrests concentrate around Main Street and the East Street corridor, with Interstate 5 producing the traffic stops. The surrounding land is agricultural and unincorporated, where the Sheriff responds rather than Woodland PD.
What I defend in Woodland.
I defend the full range of charges arising out of Woodland.
- DUI. Defended across Yolo County.
- Criminal defense. Defended across Yolo County.
- Domestic violence. Defended across Yolo County.
- Violent crimes. Defended across Yolo County.
- Drug crimes. Defended across Yolo County.
- Theft and property. Defended across Yolo County.
- Weapons charges. Defended across Yolo County.
- Sex crimes. Defended across Yolo County.
- Homicide. Defended across Yolo County.
- White collar. Defended across Yolo County.
- Juvenile defense. Defended across Yolo County.
- Licence and DMV. Defended across Yolo County.
- Expungement. Defended across Yolo County.
If your charge is not listed, call me. I defend all criminal charges in Yolo County, and working out what you are actually facing is the first useful thing that happens.
Why Woodland clients call me.
I know Yolo County's courts
Woodland is the county seat, so the Yolo County Superior Court, the District Attorney's office and the jail are all in the city. I have been appearing here since 1999.
I know the agencies that make arrests here
Woodland PD covers the city, the Sheriff covers the agricultural county around it, and the CHP covers Interstate 5 and Highway 113. The city boundary is not obvious once you are out on the county roads.
Getting to me from Woodland
My office is in Sacramento, about twenty-five minutes east. For a Woodland case the court is at your end rather than mine.
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 Woodland.
Woodland is surrounded by unincorporated agricultural county.
- Historic Main Street. the old centre, and where most late-night calls in the city originate.
- East Street corridor. the main north-south route through the city.
- County Road 102. the main link toward Davis and the southern county.
- Surrounding agricultural county. Sheriff territory rather than Woodland PD.
Nearby, I also cover Davis, West Sacramento, Sacramento.
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.
Woodland questions I hear most.
Is the Yolo County courthouse in Woodland?
Yes. Woodland is the county seat, so the court, the District Attorney's office and the county jail are all here. Cases from Davis, West Sacramento and the rest of the county are heard here too. See Yolo County.
I was arrested outside the city on a county road.
That is likely a Yolo County Sheriff arrest rather than Woodland PD. The case is still filed by the same District Attorney and heard in the same court, but the report comes from a different agency with a different records system.
Is a Yolo County case different from a Sacramento one?
In practice, yes. Yolo is a much smaller office with different filing tendencies and different diversion practice, even though the law is identical. See Yolo County and Sacramento County.
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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