The RegistryPractice Area · Statewide
Find Criminal Defense Attorneys in California
Counsel for the accused: from arraignment through trial and record clearance. This is the statewide record for criminal defense in California: every attorney on the State Bar of California's official roll whose published practice reaches this area, shown in neutral directory order.
Californians search this field under many names · criminal defense lawyer, criminal defense attorney, criminal lawyer, felony defense lawyer, misdemeanor attorney · and the registry answers all of them from the same source. Below: the governing deadline with its citation, what to weigh as you read the record, the questions Californians ask with the code sections that answer them, and criminal defense coverage county by county, from Del Norte to San Diego.
The clock & the craft
Most misdemeanors: one year to charge; most felonies: three years.
Cal. Penal Code §§ 799–802
Charging deadlines scale with the offense: crimes punishable by death or life imprisonment, and embezzlement of public money, may be prosecuted at any time (Cal. Penal Code § 799). After arrest, arraignment must generally occur within 48 hours (Cal. Penal Code § 825).
Reading the roster
For criminal charges, the useful questions are concrete: how often the attorney appears in the specific courthouse where your case is set, their experience with the charged offense, who will actually stand up in court with you, and how fees are structured (criminal defense is typically flat-fee by stage of case). Move fast: early representation matters at arraignment and bail, and pre-filing intervention can sometimes shape charging decisions.
Criminal Defense · statewide roster
15,163 attorneys on the official State Bar of California roll list criminal defense among their practice areas, with an address of record in 58 of California's 58 counties.
14,548 of them hold an active licence; the remainder are recorded as inactive and are not currently eligible to practise.
The largest county rosters are Los Angeles (4,155), San Diego (1,514), Orange (1,258), San Francisco (989) and Sacramento (789).
291 hold a State Bar Certified Legal Specialist designation, a certification issued by the State Bar's Board of Legal Specialization, and not a rating or a ranking.
568 are recorded as taking client work in a language other than English.
Criminal Defense matters in California
The matters this field covers, as Californians search for them. Each attorney's own profile states which of these they take.
- felony charges
- misdemeanor charges
- drug possession and sales charges
- theft, burglary and robbery charges
- assault and battery charges
- weapons and gun charges
- domestic violence charges
- homicide and murder charges
- sex crime charges
- fraud and white-collar charges
- gang-related charges
- arson charges
- warrants and bail
- probation violations
- expungement and record sealing
- juvenile matters
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Criminal Defense questions, cited
How long can California wait to file criminal charges?
It depends on the offense. Most misdemeanors must be charged within one year (Cal. Penal Code § 802) and most felonies within three years (Cal. Penal Code § 801). Offenses punishable by eight or more years run six years (§ 800), and crimes punishable by death or life imprisonment have no limitations period (§ 799). Certain sex offenses and fraud offenses follow special discovery-based rules.
What happens at an arraignment in California?
The court formally states the charges, advises you of your rights, takes your plea, and addresses release, bail, own-recognizance release, or conditions. Cal. Penal Code § 825 requires that a person in custody be arraigned within 48 hours of arrest, excluding Sundays and holidays. It is also where counsel is appointed for defendants who cannot afford an attorney.
Can I get a conviction expunged in California?
Many convictions can be dismissed under Cal. Penal Code § 1203.4 after probation ends: the plea is withdrawn and the case dismissed, though the conviction still counts for some purposes (licensing disclosures, priors). Since 2023, Cal. Penal Code § 1203.425 also provides automatic record relief for many older non-serious convictions, and arrest records that ended without conviction can be sealed under § 851.91.
Do I have to talk to police if I am being investigated?
No. The Fifth Amendment and California law let you decline to answer questions, and anything volunteered can be used against you. You may state that you are exercising your right to remain silent and want an attorney; questioning of a person in custody must then stop under Miranda v. Arizona (1966) 384 U.S. 436. Providing identification during a lawful stop is a separate, narrower obligation.
What is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony in California?
Chiefly the maximum punishment: misdemeanors carry up to a year in county jail (Cal. Penal Code § 19), while felonies are punishable by imprisonment (Cal. Penal Code § 17). Many offenses are "wobblers" that can be charged or later reduced either way under Penal Code § 17(b), a frequent target of defense motions, since reduction restores rights and narrows collateral consequences.
Legal information, not legal advice.
From the answer files
Criminal Defense in all 58 counties
Criminal Defense by city
Adjacent shelves of the law
Full Criminal Defense rosters, by surname
If cost is the concern
Court self-help, legal-aid organizations and attorney-stated fee options, with source links. No account or case submission is needed to use them.
Read the record. Then decide.
Describe your matter once, review the verified records, and place the call; the choice is always yours.
Find Your Counsel278,688 attorneys · 58 counties · Official State Bar records