Criminal Defense and DUI Lawyers & Attorneys Fresno, CA

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Fresno

Our Fresno Office is located at:

Law Offices of David S. Chesley, Inc.
Fresno Criminal Defense Attorneys and DUI Lawyers

5588 North Palm Avenue
Fresno, CA 93704
(559) 365-7055

Fresno Criminal Defense Lawyer

Located near the geographical center of California, the City of Fresno is also the county seat of Fresno County. Its recorded history began with Native American inhabitants who were known to trade with coastal tribes nearby. The city was formed in 1856 after the California Gold Rush. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Fresno developed a diverse population that represented many different ethnic groups and nationalities. Its population quadrupled between the 1960 and 2000 censuses. Today, the city has a diverse economy, and employment is strong in the education and military sectors.

If you have been accused of criminal misconduct in the area, you should contact a Fresno criminal defense attorney as soon as you can. At the Law Offices of David S. Chesley, we will evaluate your case at no cost to you and advise you as to your legal options. Call us to schedule your free consultation with a criminal defense attorney in Fresno.

Here are some links to helpful local resources:

Fresno Police Department
2323 Mariposa Street
Fresno, CA 93721
Telephone: (559) 621-7000

Fresno City Hall
2600 Fresno Street
Fresno, CA 93721
Telephone: (559) 621-2489

Crime in Fresno
Compared with the national average and state average, Fresno has a high crime rate. Neighborhood Scout reports that Freno has more property crimes, violent crimes and crimes per square mile than either California or the United States as a whole. In spite of this, there are still areas of Fresno that are safer than others. Neighborhood Scout reports that the safest areas of Fresno are at:

E Copper Avenue and N Maple Avenue
Burness and Ivesta
N Cedar Avenue and E Omaha Avenue
N Fowler Avenue and E Shields Avenue
E Ashlan Avenue and N Maroa Avenue
W Alluvial Avenue and N Marks Avenue
E Cole Avenue and N Millbrook Avenue
Locans and Lone Star
N Winery Avenue and E Shea Drive
E Teague Avenue and N Willow Avenue

Fresno Court Houses

Fresno County Superior Court1100 Van Ness Avenue
Fresno, CA 93724
Telephone: (559) 457-2000

B.F. Sisk Courthouse
1130 O Street
Fresno, CA 93721
Telephone: (559) 457-2000

The Collateral Consequences of a Domestic Violence Conviction
There are a lot of misconceptions about domestic violence. Thanks to TV dramas, many people think that domestic violence only occurs when someone is violently beaten. This is not the case. There are many, many criminal offenses that can be classified as domestic violence when the victim is a family member, intimate partner, or former romantic partner. Threats, harassment, verbal abuse, misdemeanor assault and battery, or even disorderly conduct can all result in a domestic violence conviction on a person’s criminal record. A domestic violence conviction can affect your life in many ways. Even if you are convicted of a low level misdemeanor offense, the collateral consequences of a conviction could affect your life for years to come. It is important to understand these consequences before you enter into any time of plea agreement.

Loss of Gun Rights
In 1993, Congress passed the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. The Brady Law enacted many restrictions on gun ownership in order to reduce gun violence in the United states. One of the strictest restrictions was placed on anyone who is convicted of a domestic violence offense. Once convicted, a person loses his or her gun ownership rights for the rest of their life. There is no time limit, and convicts cannot apply for reinstate the way one can after a felony conviction. The ban is permanent. Unless the conviction is overturned on appeal, the ban will be in place for life. Moreover, “domestic violence” is defined under federal law. This means that you could plead guilty to a charge that is not considered “domestic violence” under state law, but still lose your gun ownership rights, but it is considered a domestic violence offense under federal law. The provisions of the Brady Law are strict and permanent. Be sure you consult with a lawyer before pleading guilty to any offense involving a family member – even if it is not designated as domestic violence under state law.

Loss of Parental Rights
Any accusations of domestic violence are taken very seriously by the family court. Even if you are not convicted, a child custody judge can make rulings based on allegations of domestic violence. The family court will want to know the details of any incident that resulted in police involvement, arrest, or any amount of violence. Your parental rights can be affected – or even lost – without a formal conviction on your record. Child custody rulings are based on the best interest of the child. This means that judges have more latitude about what evidence they may consider in acting in the child’s best interest. The best way to mitigate the damage of any allegations of domestic violence is to hire an experienced defense lawyer to mitigate the damage of such accusations as soon as possible.

Loss of Employment or Security Clearance
A domestic violence conviction can also affect your employment. Even if your employer does not take action, you might find that your professional licensure or security clearance is in jeopardy. This, in turn, can force an employer to suspend or terminate your employment until you become eligible to work again. This is another in which a domestic violence defense lawyer can mitigate damage by acting quickly.

Experienced Fresno Defense Attorneys For All Criminal Charges
The best criminal defense attorneys in Fresno are right here at The Law Offices of David S. Chesley. Our experienced legal team serves clients in Clovis, Sanger, Selma, Kerman, Reedley, Kingsburg, Friant, Parlier, Fowler, Shaver Lake and throughout Fresno County. Our defense lawyers also have years of experience defending clients on all types of criminal charges. Call our Fresno offices at (559) 365-7055 to schedule your case review. Don’t wait to get legal advice. Your constitutional rights are in jeopardy even before criminal charges are filed. The sooner you have an experienced California criminal defense lawyer fighting on your side, the better protected you will be from a wrongful conviction and the collateral consequences that can follow.

Recent Results

Our client faced multiple serious charges in Los Angeles County, including Penal Code § 211 (Robbery), § 245(a)(1) (Assault with a Deadly Weapon), and § 245(a)(4) (Assault with Force Likely to Cause Great Bodily Injury). Unlike a co-defendant represented by another firm who pled to a felony conviction with a "strike," our legal team pursued a different strategy. Through the submission of a comprehensive mitigation package to the District Attorney, we successfully negotiated a complete dismissal of all charges.
Our client faced serious charges under Penal Code section 211 for alleged felony robbery involving force and fear in Riverside County (Murrieta Court) . The prosecution argued that probation was not appropriate due to our client’s prior felony convictions in San Bernardino County, including a previous robbery in April 2021 and grand theft in November 2019. Despite the severity of these allegations, our legal team successfully demonstrated insufficient evidence during the preliminary hearing. As a result, all charges were dismissed. This outcome allowed our client to move forward without the burden of a new conviction.
Multiple defendants each facing 7 years charged with smuggling prescription drugs into California from Mexico our client was the only defendant who received NO JAIL TIME!
Client facing 5 years for possession of deadly weapon we negotiated a plea for NO JAIL TIME!
Client facing 3 life terms for multiple felony counts of Child Molestation and Sodomy with child we proved the charges were fabricated by victims mother DISMISSAL of all charges at preliminary hearing!
Strike case: Client charged with possession of methamphetamine facing 25 years we filed a Romero Motion which was granted case REDUCED TO MISDEMEANOR!
Client's estranged girlfriend alleged Client broke into her room and choked her facing 14 years in State Prison we won at trial JURY ACQUITTAL.
Police allegedly discovered 3 bags of marijuana in client's glove box faced 6 years we filed a 1538.5 motion to suppress resulting in DISMISSAL of all charges!

What our clients say Client Testimonials

I am truly pleased with my experience with the Law Offices Of David S Chesley. They answered all my questions and provided me with great advice and legal services. My case resolved quickly. Thank you!
Rodrigo L.

I left court yesterday with my last case being wrapped up. Two court appearances and that’s it. He represented me in a couple of different cases and was impressive to say the least. Always a phone call or text message away. Confident and aggressive when he needed to be. Calming and thorough when meeting with me. Attorney Chesley did exactly what he said he would and I got the results I needed. He seemed to know all the right people at the Temple Street courthouse. You can always get in contact with him quickly and he is a great lawyer. I highly recommend his legal services.
Ricardo Esteves

My brother was given a very caring attorney that was assigned to his case and we had very helpful case managers throughout the process. I strongly recommend David Chesley to anyone who is in trouble. I called in to get help on my brothers case and right away I liked their service. My brothers charges were eventually dismissed after the attorney got him into a program, now he could go on without the trouble of having anything on his record
Erica Geller

I retained Mr. Chesley and his firm and from the beginning they were extremely professional both in communicating the status of my case to me, explaining the situation as a whole, and just downright taking care of business. It was money well spent for a job well done. Thanks again to David and Melissa others that worked on my case. I recommend this firm to anyone in need of legal representation. Don’t just accept things the courts force on you, call this firm and protect yourself.
Elizabeth F.

I contacted Mr. Chesley and his firm because some unfortunate events had left me in a jam. Detectives were demanding I testify or be prosecuted for a crime I didn’t commit. (I wasn’t involved or even at the scene of the alleged crime when it supposedly took place.) Mr. Chesley explained to me that he had been through similar situations with his clients before and understood exactly what was going on. His response to what took place was nothing short of amazing. No matter how small my concern, Mr. Chesley addressed it in a timely manner. He advocated for what is right and empathized with me in dealing with the Court system. After meeting with the supervising D.A. and providing alibi evidence he was able to get me out the situation. I’m very grateful to have found him.
Leon Hanley

I hired David Chesley for my criminal defense in 2012. he was recommended to us for is success results and his low fees. David is very smart and his professional legal advice was honest & much appreciated during these stressful time. David’s knowledge, advice, and communication about what we were to expect was reassuring and beneficial to me. He charged me a reasonable flat rate and didn’t charge me any surprise fees. In my case David Chesley was able to negotiate with the prosecution attorney for the best result I could hope for. He had success at getting my criminal charges dismissed with the judges approval. You will not be disappointed if you hire The Law Offices of David S. Chesley.
Britanny Givens

David is very professional, yet very casual. Although it is typically not easy to speak straight up with an attorney, he is very easy to talk to. He replied to my questions quickly and was available all hours. Not only did he get my case resolved with a dismissal, he went above and beyond and got me an expungement without me even requesting it. He never beats around the bush and tells you like it is. At the same time is willing to work overtime to get the results you request. I would use David’s services again in the future.
Andrew A.

very satisfied being a client with the Law Offices of David Chesley.. Negin represented both my husband and I and got both our cases dis issued… Negin was on top of our cases she really cares and did everything she said she would do!!! thanks a lot Negin
Rita K.

I don’t write many reviews, however this time I had to share my admiration and appreciation for this firm. Attorney Negin Akhavan is definitely a person you want representing you in any criminal legal battle. She is the clear definition of the frace “is not what you know, but who you know ” she is not only knowledgeable, she also has the relationships with the right people. I couldn’t be happier with the results she was able to provide.

Thank you Negin.
Gabriel V.

An old felony charge came up, so I hired David and his team in June, and he got me a release on my own cognition on a felony charge in July which has never happened to me, and got it dismissed in October. He was responsive when I called and always kept me updated. Got my case dismissed, was easy to work and handled everything for me. He did an excellent job. I highly recommend David Chesley for any criminal defense.
Jason Corona

They really helped me out in a timely manner. I had a drug charge from 16 years ago and they dealt with it quickly. I can’t recommend them enough. If you have a criminal charges check them out they are awesome.
Santiago L.