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Our Oakland criminal defense attorneys fight felony, misdemeanor, and infraction charges throughout Alameda County and the Bay Area in pursuit of the best possible outcome. Our local law office is located at:
1901 Harrison St., ste. 1100
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 347-1500
Surrounding areas we serve include Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Dublin, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Newark, Piedmont, Pleasanton, San Leandro, Union City, and more.
Expert Oakland criminal attorneys
As former prosecutors and police officers, our legal team has a strong advantage negotiating and litigating charge reductions and dismissals for our clients. We defend against all criminal charges, common ones being:
- Assault and battery (PC 242)
- Domestic violence
- Drug crimes, including drug possession (HS 11350)
- Driving under the influence
- Embezzlement (PC 503)
- Fraud, including credit card fraud
- Hit and run (VC 20002)
- Juvenile crimes
- Lewd conduct criminal offenses
- Probation violations
- Sex crimes
- Theft crimes
- Violent crimes
- White collar crimes
Other legal services we offer include bail reduction hearings, expungement of criminal records, and restoration of firearm rights. In addition, our DUI lawyers represent clients in both criminal court and at the DMV hearing to try to save their driver’s license.
Oakland jail
People arrested by the Oakland Police Department are typically booked at the Santa Rita Jail, located at:
5325 Broder Blvd.
Dublin, CA 94568
(925) 551-6500
Search for inmate information here.
Oakland courts
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office presses criminal charges throughout Oakland. Cases are heard in one of the following two courts:
Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse
661 Washington Street
Oakland, California 94607
(510) 627-4700
René C. Davidson Courthouse
1225 Fallon Street
Oakland, California 94612
510-891-6000
Search for case information here.
Criminal court process
Once people get arrested and booked, they are usually given the option to bail out. Some may even be released on their own recognizance (OR) without paying anything. (High-risk defendants such as murder suspects typically remain incarcerated pending the outcome of the case.)
Defendants who get released on bail or OR are required to show up to their future court appearances. (Depending on the case, the defendant’s attorney may appear on their behalf.) Judges issue bench warrants for no-shows, which then make them vulnerable to being arrested at any time.
In order to get the bench warrant recalled, the defendant would need to request a court hearing and appear personally (unless the judge allows his/her attorney to appear instead). And even then, the judge has full discretion over whether the defendant may remain out-of-custody for the rest of the case.
Public defenders are assigned to criminal defendants who cannot afford private lawyers.
Once the arraignment is over and the defendant is formally charged, the pretrial phase of the case begins. Most of the time, cases never reach trial at all. The defense attorney and prosecutor agree to a plea bargain, usually where the charges get reduced or dismissed.
Note that defendants facing felony offense charges may have a preliminary hearing prior to trial. This is where the judge determines whether the state has enough evidence to continue prosecuting the case. The state usually wins prelims since the burden of proof is low. But they are a good opportunity for the defense to see the state’s prosecution strategy in action. (Note that defendants indicted by grand jury are not eligible for prelims.)
Should the defendant get convicted, he/she will then be sentenced. Some defendants may be able to avoid incarceration if they get put on probation. But they would need to follow all the terms of probation or risk being remanded to jail.
Call our criminal defense law firm for legal advice. We offer free consultations on your criminal case.
Have you been accused of a crime? Our Oakland criminal defense lawyers have years of experience, graduated from top law schools, and achieved a successful track record outsmarting the criminal justice system.
In addition to serving Oakland, we create attorney-client relationships throughout southern, central, and northern California, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, the East Bay, Contra Costa County, Richmond, San Jose, Walnut Creek, and more. Our trial lawyers’ practice areas include personal injury in addition to criminal law and DUI defense.
Call our phone number or fill out our contact form today for your free case evaluation. We offer discount rates and payment plans. Disclaimer: Past case results and client testimonials do not guarantee future results.