Criminal Defense and DUI Lawyers & Attorneys Sacramento, CA

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Sacramento

Our Sacramento Office is located at:

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

770 L Street, Suite 950
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 248-4717

Sacramento Criminal Defense Attorney

Sacramento officially became a city on February 27, 1850. In 2010, this city had a population of 466,488 with an estimated 2019 population of 513,625. It’s known for its growing contemporary culture and has been dubbed the most “hipster city” in America. Sacramento was also the first U.S. city with the City of Trees designation by the Arbor Day Foundation in 1978, which gives it one of its nicknames. Although upon its inception, it was known as the “City of Plains,” it now has several different thriving tree varieties. Here you will find cottonwood, elm eucalyptus, fruit, and palm trees. Several celebrities are from Sacramento, including Eddie Murphy, Molly Ringwald, Sam Elliot, Colin Hanks, Henry Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and the Jabbawockeez.

Helpful city resources:

Sacramento Police Department
5303 Franklin Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95820
(916) 264-5471

Sacramento City Hall
915 I St.
Sacramento, CA 95814
(619) 590-3431

Sacramento Central Library
828 I St.
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 264-2700

Attractions Around Sacramento, CA

California State Railroad Museum
125 I St.
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 445-7387

Crocker Art Museum
216 O St.
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 808-7000

California State Capitol Museum
1315 10th St.
Room B-27
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 324-0333

Sacramento Zoo
3930 W Land Park Dr.
Sacramento, CA 95822
(916) 808-5888

Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum
1200 Front St.
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 483-8818

William Land Regional Park
3800 W Land Park Dr.
Sacramento, CA 95822
(916) 808-6060

Crime in Sacramento

Property crimes are much more rampant in Sacramento than violent crimes. However, like many other California cities, theft and assault remain the top two reasons for arrest. The areas of the city with the most criminal activity include:

Brighton/Perkins
Richards Blvd/Jibbom St.
Armadale Way/Deer Lake Dr.
Del Paso Heights
Ben Ali
North Sacramento
El Camino Ave./Altos Ave.
El Camino Ave./Truxel Rd.

Local Criminal Courts:

Gordon D. Schaber Sacramento County Courthouse
720 9th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 874-5522

Lorenzo Patiño Hall of Justice
651 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 874-6936

Local court rules typically apply in each legal jurisdiction, with distinctions specific to each state and federal court. For instance, in many jurisdictions, only limited prosecutors have the ability to negotiate and authorize plea bargains. When you hire a Sacramento criminal defense attorney from the Law Offices of David S. Chesley, they can go directly to the correct district attorney the first time. They know how to get results and have the experience to know what plea deal may be possible in each specific court.

Defenses to California Criminal Charges

There are numerous statutes within the California penal code. Each statute applies a different type of criminal activity. There are too many potential crimes to count that range in severity between murder and shoplifting. However, each of these offenses shares a common factor; you can beat a criminal charge at trial under the right circumstances. Winning your criminal case begins with building a solid defense.

A defense is a legal principle that a defendant and their Sacramento criminal defense attorney establish their case around. Depending on the charges you face, several different defenses might apply. Some defenses might apply to any charge, and others are particular to one criminal charge.

Is Self-Defense a Valid Defense?

Defending yourself from a brutal attack is one of the most common defenses for any violent criminal charges, such as those for assault or murder. While hurting another person is usually against the law, you aren’t obligated to let someone hurt you. California law allows you to defend yourself if threatened with violence or if you are attacked. However, you must have a reasonable belief that you will be hurt. Your response must also be relative to the threat; you can’t commit murder in response to being punched or spit on.

These laws also apply to the defense of another person. If someone you love or even a stranger is in imminent danger of harm, you have the right to defend them as you would defend yourself. In addition, you have the right to defend your property. You may only use as much force as required to dissuade the wrongdoer, but you can’t use deadly force to protect your property.

The Statute of Limitations Defense

The statute of limitations is a valuable defense that might apply to any criminal charge. The statute of limitations is the time limit in which the prosecutor has to file criminal charges. If the state allows the deadline to expire, they can’t ever file that particular criminal charge.

However, the statute of limitations is varies depending on the type of crime. For minor offenses and traffic violations, it might only be one year. On the other hand, serious crimes like murder don’t have a statute of limitations. For example, a prosecutor could bring murder charges decades after the alleged crime occurs. There isn’t much a court can do if the statute of limitations expires. As such, it is a powerful defense. Most California prosecutors are very aware of the statute of limitations for each crime. Violations of the statute of limitations aren’t commonplace, but they do happen. Your Sacramento criminal defense attorney will carefully assess your case to determine if this defense or any others might be appropriate.

Need Legal Help? Reach Out to a Skilled Sacramento Criminal Defense Attorney Today

When it comes to criminal charges, there are no one size fits all defenses. Your defense should be carefully selected to support the facts of your case. To maximize the best defense, it is critical that your attorney makes the right strategic decisions before a trial. Our Sacramento criminal defense lawyers are experienced litigators that understand the elements of a winning defense. To find out the right defense for your charges or get answers to your questions, reach out to the Law Offices of David S. Chesley to schedule a criminal defense consultation right away. You can reach our Sacramento office at (916) 248-4717. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can help.

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.