Criminal Defense and DUI Lawyers & Attorneys Santa Ana, CA

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Santa Ana

Our Santa Ana Office is located at:

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

2700 N Main St, Suite 420
Santa Ana, CA 92705
(714) 224-1123

Santa Ana Criminal Defense Attorneys

Do You Need a Santa Ana Criminal Defense Attorney or DUI Lawyer? How to Find the Best Santa Ana Defense Lawyer.

Criminal defense is more than a job for the attorneys of The Law Offices of David S. Chesley—it’s an art form. When individuals are arrested or charged with a crime, they can go into panic mode. They all too often settle for a good defense lawyer instead of hiring an outstanding defense lawyer.

Here are some tips to help you find the best defense team available to you when you’ve been accused of a crime in Santa Ana.

Experience
Attending law school and passing the California Bar Exam is great, but ornate frames and degree certificates don’t speak to an attorney’s criminal defense experience. A good defense lawyer will have defended cases like yours with demonstrable success. A great defense lawyer will have spent some time on the other side of the aisle, learning the ins and outs of prosecution strategies.

The attorneys at The Law Offices of David S. Chesley have worked as judges, prosecutors, and police officers before ultimately deciding their true passions lay in criminal defense. This enables the legal team to anticipate the arguments against our clients, and it also informs our advice on when it’s a good idea to accept a plea deal.

Local Affiliations
It’s not uncommon to see good defense attorneys volunteering in the community or joining multiple local Bar Association groups. A great defense attorney, though, will have relationships in the community and the courthouses.

Our team has been in the local courthouses for years, and we have working relationships with those who work on the other side. This means that our attorneys are respected and taken seriously—our lawyers understand that a bad relationship with a judge can be unfairly detrimental to clients facing severe punishments.

Communication
Poor communication is one of the most common complaints lawyers receive from their clients. This is never truer than when the client is facing criminal prosecution, and they and their loved ones are fraught with worry over the future. A good lawyer will return your phone calls. A great criminal defense attorney will stay in constant communication with you and help you understand and navigate the legal process.

The attorneys at the Law Offices of David S. Chesley are real people who treat their clients compassionately and respectfully. We believe that you have rights in the justice system and that you deserve to know what’s going on with your case.

The Types of Santa Ana Criminal Defense Cases We Handle

Our firm handles a wide range of criminal defense cases for the citizens of Santa Ana. These cases vary in severity of penalties, but no matter how big or how small, our defense lawyers will tirelessly defend you or your loved one. Some examples of our cases include:

Intoxication Offenses, including DUI, public intoxication, disturbing the peace, driving with a suspended license
Violent Offenses, including domestic violence, assault and battery, assault with a deadly weapon, firearms crimes, assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, kidnapping, elder abuse, and child abuse
Drug Charges, including distributing, manufacturing, possession, trafficking, paraphernalia, and possession with intent to sell
Theft, including bribery, carjacking, embezzlement, identity theft, forgery, and fraud
Sex Crimes, including prostitution, solicitation of prostitution, lewd acts, and sexual assault and battery
Murder, including first and second-degree murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, and gang-related murder

If you’ve been accused of a crime in Santa Ana, you need to hire a criminal defense attorney ASAP. The sooner you have someone on your side, fighting for your rights, the better your odds are.

Santa Ana DUIs are Some of Our Most Frequently Handled Cases

Most know that flash of terror you get when you see those red and blue lights pulsing in your rearview mirror on the I-5. This is especially true if you’ve just left a happy hour near the Historic District or a networking event downtown after imbibing a little too much.

If you’ve been arrested for a DUI in Santa Ana, the first thing you need to do is call an experienced DUI attorney.

Understanding That Santa Ana DUI Cases Aren’t One-Size-Fits-All

Primarily, California Penal Code 23152 dictates the parameters of DUI convictions for any intoxicating substance that could impair your ability to operate a moving vehicle. Arrests can be made based on any combination of the following:

Alcohol
Marijuana
Illegal Drugs
Prescription Drugs

Santa Ana Court Resources:

CENTRAL JUSTICE CENTER
700 Civic Center Drive West
Santa Ana, CA 92701

COMMUNITY COURT
909 N. Main St.
Santa Ana, CA 92701

CIVIL COMPLEX CENTER
751 West Santa Ana Blvd
Santa Ana, CA 92701

DEPARTMENT CJ1
ORANGE COUNTY MEN’S JAIL
550 N Flower St.
Santa Ana, CA 92703

SUPERIOR COURT SERVICE CENTER
27573 Puerta Real
Mission Viejo, CA 92691

Consequences of DUI Convictions in Santa Ana

For DUI, the penalties will vary depending on your prior history of DUI and whether your impaired driving caused injury to another. For first-time DUIs without injury, the penalty is a misdemeanor, and your license will be revoked for 6-10 months. You could face six months of jail time and up to a $1,000 fine. In contrast, after your fourth DUI conviction, you’ll receive a felony DUI. Your license will be revoked for four years, and you’ll face up to three years in state prison.

In DUI cases, the prosecutor may assert aggravating factors that could elevate the charge to a more serious offense. It’s critically important that your defense attorney knows how the law works and how the system works. David S. Chesley has assembled a team of lawyers who are vastly experienced in DUI defense, and 95% of his DUI clients experience no jail time.

Why Our Defense Lawyers Makes the Difference

The legal team at the Law Offices of David S. Chesley is unmatched when it comes to experience in the criminal court systems of Santa Ana, and with over 25 top-rated Avvo lawyers, your case is in the best hands. If you’ve been arrested or charged with a crime, contact us immediately. We answer our phones 24/7, so give us a call at 800-755-5174 today.

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.