Criminal cases arising in Palo Alto are prosecuted by the Santa Clara County District Attorney and heard in Santa Clara County Superior Court, most often at the Palo Alto Courthouse. Which courthouse hears your case depends on where the arrest happened, and that choice affects the calendar you are on, the prosecutors who appear, and how pretrial motions are handled. You can look up the courthouses we appear in on our courts directory.
The Window Before Charges Are Filed
Most people contact us after an arrest but before anything has been filed, and that is the most useful moment to bring in a defense lawyer. In the gap between arrest and arraignment there is often room to gather records, put context in front of the filing deputy and argue that a case should be charged as a lesser offense or not filed at all. Once a complaint is on file, those conversations get harder.
Charges We Defend in Palo Alto
We handle the full range of misdemeanor and felony matters for clients whose cases are heard in Santa Clara County. You can browse the charges we write about most often on our Bay Area practice area pages, or read more about how cases move through Santa Clara County.
If Your Case Has Already Closed
A conviction from years ago can still be costing you a job, a professional license or a tenancy. California offers several routes to clean that up, including expungement, felony reduction, certificates of rehabilitation and motions to vacate. If your Palo Alto case is long finished and still following you, it is worth a conversation.
Talk to a Palo Alto Criminal Defense Lawyer
Tell us what happened and we will tell you what the process looks like from here. Consultations are confidential, and we have bilingual attorneys and staff. Get in touch to arrange one.
