The RegistrySan Joaquin Valley · California

Criminal Defense Lawyers in Modesto, California

Looking for a criminal defense lawyer near you in Modesto? Explore the Stanislaus County record for criminal defense attorneys on the State Bar of California's official roll and review each profile for yourself.

Stanislaus County Superior Court hears the county's calendars in downtown Modesto, with a new courthouse project underway; food processing and agriculture dominate the local economy and its employment and injury caseload. For criminal defense cases, venue ordinarily lies with the Stanislaus County Superior Court, Modesto · which is why counsel who appear there regularly read the local calendar better than any brochure.

Before comparing counsel, note the clock. Under Cal. Penal Code §§ 799–802, the governing period is most misdemeanors: one year to charge; most felonies: three years. 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).

This page is the Modesto chapter of the registry's statewide record · Criminal Defense Attorneys in California collects every county and city.

The clock & the court

Statute of limitations

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).

Court of record · Stanislaus County

Superior Court of California, County of Stanislaus.

Main courthouse: Main Courthouse, 800 11th Street, Modesto, CA 95354

For Modesto: Stanislaus County Superior Court, Modesto.

Court website · Self-help center · Source: The court's official website, read 2026-09-27. Venue depends on the case; legal information, not legal advice.

Criminal Defense · Modesto roster

132 active attorneys with an address of record in Modesto list criminal defense among their practice areas on the registry, out of 456 active attorneys whose address of record is in Modesto.

By count, the practice areas most often listed by Modesto attorneys are criminal defense (132), estate planning (78), business law (76), litigation (60) and real estate (59). A count of listings, not a measure of skill.

None of the 456 has yet claimed and verified their record here; every listing is the official record as published.

For 42 of the 456 active attorneys in Modesto, the registry holds a firm website published in a language other than English; by count, Spanish (42), Persian (20), Punjabi (11) and Hindi (10). That describes the website, not the attorney's own ability; an attorney's profile says when they have confirmed a language themselves.

Reading the roster in Modesto. 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.

Address of record in Modesto