Criminal Defense and DUI Lawyers & Attorneys Burbank, CA

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Burbank

Our Burbank Office is located at:

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

3500 West Olive Avenue, Suite 300
Burbank, CA 91505
(818) 459-3883

Burbank Criminal Defense Attorney Page

Have You Been Charged with a Crime in Burbank?

If you or a loved one are being investigated for a crime, or you’ve already been charged, there’s no time to waste: Hire an experienced Burbank criminal defense attorney today.

With more than 50 years in criminal litigation, David Chesley and his team have an outstanding track record defending Burbank criminal defendants. Mr. Chesley has had favorable outcomes in 90% of his court cases.

While Mr. Chesley and his team of experienced criminal defense lawyers and former prosecutors are experts in the courtroom, they are also equally good at understanding what you’re going through—the worry and fear you and your family are dealing with. Mr. Chesley and his team will help you at every stage of the process. Along the way, they will give you the personal dedication and engagement you need so that you never feel like you’re going through this alone.

Local Burbank Resources

Burbank Police Department
200 N 3rd St
Burbank, CA 91502
(818) 238-3000

Burbank City Hall
275 E Olive Ave.
Burbank, CA 91502
(818) 238-5851

Burbank Courthouse
300 E Olive Ave
Burbank, CA 91502
(818) 260-8498

Miracles in Action Addiction Treatment Center
290 E Verdugo Ave #105
Burbank, CA 91502
(818) 210-3954

Driving Under the Influence, Public Intoxication, and Related Offenses in Burbank

The City of Burbank includes enforcement of “driving under the influence” (DUI) as one of its highest priorities for the city’s police force, with regular DUI checkpoints and other efforts. The Burbank police force is also aggressive in related charges such as public intoxication.

As a member of the California DUI Lawyers Association and the National College for DUI Defense, Mr. Chesley is a certified expert in DUI defense, and it shows: Ninety-five percent (95%) of his DUI clients receive no jail time.

Don’t delay. It’s important to act quickly after you’ve been arrested for a DUI. For example, if you file a request for a hearing within 10 days of your arrest, you can challenge your driver’s license suspension. However, if you fail to request that hearing, your license will be automatically suspended. And that automatic suspension is in addition to any suspension you might receive following a DUI conviction.

DUI penalties. California DUI convictions carry severe penalties, including fines, community service, probation, and prison. DUI convictions also may require you to participate in alcohol programs, install an ignition lock device in your car, or pay restitution to victims of an alcohol-related crash.

Drunk in public. Burbank police have also been charging people with “public intoxication,” which is a sort of legal catchall for alcohol-related public behavior. While this seems like it might be a comparatively minor charge, its penalties are no joke: You can still be sentenced to up to six months in county jail and have to pay fines.

Car Theft Crimes

Burbank Police are increasingly concerned about the rising number of car thefts, injury-related collisions, and other vehicle code violations occurring within the Burbank area. However, it’s important to understand how California law distinguishes between different car-theft related crimes—because they’re not all the same.

Carjacking. California law defines carjacking as taking a car from someone in current possession of the car by force or fear. A carjacking is a felony crime with a possible prison sentence of three to nine years.

Joyriding. If you’ve been accused of stealing a car (without the owner being present), then you may face a charge of either joyriding or theft of a car. For a joyriding charge, the prosecutor must prove that you took the car and intended to keep it permanently or temporarily. A theft conviction requires a higher bar for conviction: The prosecutor must prove that you intended to permanently deprive the owner of the car.

Grand theft auto. And what transforms a car theft into “grand theft auto” is not about how you were alleged to have stolen the car; instead it relates to the car’s value. If someone steals a car worth less than $950, then it is considered “petty theft,” while stealing a car worth more than $950 is “grand theft auto.”

Choosing a defense attorney is important in defending a car theft case because both joyriding and auto theft cases can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony—which can mean a much longer prison term. Prior convictions and other factors can also result in enhanced penalties which would substantially increase a prison term.

Additionally, Burbank has seen a rise of thefts from cars—breaking into a car to steal money or valuable item (e.g., a laptop). While California law considers theft from a car to be a form of burglary, similar to breaking into a home or place of business, these thefts, too, are known as “wobbler crimes.” To describe a crime as a wobbler means that it is up to a prosecutor to decide whether the crime should be charged as a misdemeanor or felony.

Hiring an expert criminal defense attorney can make a crucial difference in wobbler cases. By providing evidence and legal argument, a defense attorney may be able to sway a prosecutor on how to charge you with the alleged crime. That decision will impact the possible punishments you could face and affect what evidence is needed for a conviction.

Types of Burbank Criminal Cases Mr. Chesley Defends:

Driving Under the Influence
Public intoxication
Burglary
Robbery
Grand Theft Auto, Car Theft and Theft from a Vehicle
Forgery and passing of counterfeit currency
Shoplifting
Narcotics Possession and Distribution
Domestic Violence and Related Restraining Orders
Property crimes (e.g., vandalism)
White-Collar Crimes
Murder
Rape, Sexual Assault, and Aggravated Assault

Why You Should Choose the Law Office of David Chesley:

Whether you face a petty theft or a major crime, you need the best criminal defense attorney.

Mr. Chesley and his team of Burbank criminal defense lawyers are among the nation’s best, with ratings of “Preeminent” by Martindale Hubbell and “Superb” by Avvo. Mr. Chesley is one of the National Trial Lawyers Association’s Top 100 and the American Society of Legal Advocates (ASLA) ‘s Top 100 in the nation. The American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys rated him as in the Top 10 in the Nation for Client Satisfaction. He has an Avvo “Five Star” Clients Choice Award and an “A+” rating by the Better Business Bureau.

National media have also featured Mr. Chesley’s firm, including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, FOX News, CNN, NBC News, and more.

Mr. Chesley and his team are available to you, 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, for a free consultation and case evaluation. Contact them today at (818) 459-3883.

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.