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Our San Francisco criminal defense attorneys fight to get criminal charges reduced or dismissed in felony, misdemeanor, and infraction cases throughout the Bay Area. Our San Francisco office is located at:
1390 Market Street Ste. 200
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 333-0300
Surrounding areas we serve include Oakland, Berkeley, Fremont, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Hayward, Sunnyvale, Vallejo, San Leandro, Redwood City, Sausalito, Emeryville, San Mateo, Alameda, San Francisco County, and more.
Expert San Francisco DUI and criminal defense
Our San Francisco criminal defense lawyers include former prosecutors and law enforcement officers, so we know how the District Attorney operates. Now we use their tactics against them in pursuit of the best possible outcome for our clients. We handle every type of criminal case, including:
- Assault and battery (PC 242)
- Bail hearings
- Criminal record expungements
- Domestic violence
- Drug crimes
- DUI (driving under the influence)
- Embezzlement (PC 503)
- Parole-violation hearings
- Probation-violation hearings
- Sex crimes
- Theft crimes
- Violent crimes
- White collar crimes
Our San Francisco DUI defense attorneys also appear at our clients’ DMV hearings in a zealous effort to save their driver’s licenses.
San Francisco jails
People arrested in San Francisco are initially booked at the Intake and Release Center of the San Francisco County Jail, located at:
425 – 7th Street
San Fransisco, CA 94103
(415) 554-7225
This is also the address of County Jail #2, where some inmates remain if they are not released. Otherwise, some are transferred to County Jail #2 Annex:
850 Bryant Street, 7th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 575-4401
And some inmates are transferred to County Jail #3:
1 Moreland Dr
San Bruno, CA 94066
(650) 266-7500
Search for inmate information here.
San Francisco court
Criminal cases are heard San Francisco Superior Court’s Hall of Justice building at:
850 Bryant Street, 7th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 575-4401
Search for case information here.
Criminal justice system process
It is typical for people arrested in San Francisco to get released, either by posting bail or on their own recognizance. If the bail amount is high, defendants may consider hiring a bail bondsman. The bondman fee is usually 15% of the entire bail amount.
Once defendants get released from jail, they must make sure to attend all required court appearances. (If they hire an attorney, they may be able to skip some appearances such as the arraignment as long as the attorney shows up.) If no one shows up, the judge will issue a bench warrant.
Once a defendant has a bench warrant, he/she can be arrested without notice. In order to get the bench warrant recalled, the defendant would need to file a motion with the court called a motion to quash. Then the court would hold a hearing, where the defendant (or his/her attorney) would ask the judge to withdraw the warrant. Judges are usually agreeable to recalling warrants if the defendant does not have a history of missing appearances.
Public defenders are assigned to defendants who cannot pay for their own lawyer.
A vast minority of cases end up going to trial. In most cases, the prosecutor agrees to reduce or drop the charges as part of a plea bargain. But it may take several back-and-forth conversations between the defense attorney and prosecutor before an acceptable agreement is reached. Sometimes, plea agreements are made in the courtroom hallway right before the trial is set to start.
If the defendant pleads guilty to a crime – or if he/she is found guilty following a trial – the judge will hold a sentencing hearing. In some cases, the defendant may be eligible to go on probation. And as long as the defendant follows all the probationary terms, he/she may be able to avoid going to jail. Common terms include paying all fines and restitution in full, completing a community service requirement, finishing rehab, abstaining from drugs and alcohol, and avoiding further arrests.
Call our law firm for legal advice. Our law office offers free consultations.
Our California criminal defense attorneys have years of experience getting criminal offense charges lessened or dropped. We create attorney-client relationships throughout southern, central, and northern California, including Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Santa Clara, Solano, San Mateo County, San Jose, Contra Costa, and more. Our practice areas include personal injury in addition to criminal law and DUI/DWI, and we appear in both state and United States federal courts.
Disclaimer: Past results and client testimonials do not guarantee future results.