Indexed from official State Bar of California records · Identity verification · Updated regularly

The RegistryCounty Record · California

Criminal Defense Attorneys in San Francisco County, California

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

Venue matters. Criminal defense cases from San Francisco County are ordinarily heard at the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. The state's only consolidated city and county, and the seat of the California Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the State Bar of California.

Deadlines shape these cases before merits do · 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).

This page is the San Francisco County chapter of the registry's statewide record · Criminal Defense Attorneys in California collects all 58 counties.

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

Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco.

County seat: San Francisco

Main courthouse: Civic Center Courthouse, 400 McAllister Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

Help with forms without a lawyer: the court's self-help center (source: The court's official website, read 2026-09-27).

Official court information, locations, and filing rules: sf.courts.ca.gov

Criminal Defense · San Francisco County roster

1,040 attorneys on the official State Bar of California roll list criminal defense among their practice areas with an address of record in San Francisco County.

1,004 of them hold an active licence; the remainder are recorded as inactive and are not currently eligible to practise.

The roster concentrates in San Francisco (1,038), Oakland (1) and SAN FRANCISCO (1).

18 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.

For 77, the registry records a language other than English, almost always from a firm website published in that language; that describes the website, not an attorney's own ability.

Admission years on this roster run from 1962 to 2026.

The employers most represented here are San Francisco District Attorney's Office (59), San Francisco Public Defender's Office (41) and San Francisco Public Defender (34).

The full San Francisco County roster · 1,003 attorneys with an active license and a criminal defense practice area: is listed by surname in the 5 sections below.

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In the last 30 days attorneys have read 11 filed matters on the registry.

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Legal information, not legal advice

Criminal Defense matters in San Francisco County

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

From the answer files

Can I get a conviction expunged in California?Cal. Penal Code § 1203.4How long does California have to file criminal charges?Cal. Penal Code §§ 799–802How much does a criminal defense lawyer cost in California?Cal. Penal Code § 987

Every criminal defense attorney in San Francisco County, by surname

Abel – Davis204 attorneysDawson – Howard194 attorneysHuang – Michaels203 attorneysMickels – Schwartz198 attorneysScoble – Zwerin204 attorneys

Criminal Defense by city in San Francisco County

Criminal Defense in San FranciscoSan Francisco County

Related counsel in San Francisco County

Civil Rights Attorneys in San Francisco County42 U.S.C. § 1983 / Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1Immigration Lawyers in San Francisco County8 C.F.R. § 1003.38All practice areas in San Francisco CountyCounty record

Criminal Defense in nearby counties

Criminal Defense in Marin County138 attorneysCriminal Defense in Contra Costa County326 attorneysCriminal Defense in Alameda County653 attorneysCriminal Defense in San Mateo County193 attorneysCriminal Defense Attorneys in CaliforniaStatewide record

Source: Cal. Penal Code §§ 799–802 · State Bar of California licensee records · Checked: · Maintained by the California Attorney Registry from official State Bar of California records. Legal information, not legal advice.

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