Every crime in California is defined by a specific code section. Our attorneys explain the law, penalties and best defense strategies for every major crime in California.
Crimes by Code
Every crime in California is defined by a specific code section. Our attorneys explain the law, penalties and best defense strategies for every major crime in California.
California DUI
DUI arrests don't always lead to convictions in court. Police officer mistakes, faulty breathalyzers and crime lab errors may get your charges reduced or dismissed. Visit our California DUI page to learn more.
Post Conviction
A criminal record can affect job, immigration, licensing and even housing opportunities. In this section, we offer solutions for clearing up your prior record.
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Please note: Our firm only handles criminal and DUI cases, and only in California. We do not handle any of the following cases:
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You were just cited for speeding on a rural California road by a CHP officer. Can this be right?
Isn’t the CHP just responsible for overseeing California’s major highways?
The California Highway Patrol can generally exercise its law enforcement authority anywhere in the State of California. The CHP has primary patrol jurisdiction over the following:
Some of the primary tasks/responsibilities of the CHP are to:
According to California law, any member of the Department of the California Highway Patrol is a peace officer whose authority extends to any place in the State of California.2
The CHP also has primary patrol jurisdiction over roads and streets outside city limits and all California state routes, including state:
In addition to the above, law enforcement personnel of the CHP can generally assist local police and county agencies to patrol major city streets.4
In 1995, the California State Police (CSP) merged with the then California Highway Patrol to form today’s CHP.5
In exercising its jurisdiction, members of the CHP perform several important functions throughout California. Some of these include:
There are generally three main types of peace officers in California. These include:
A deputy sheriff typically works for a County Sheriff’s Department. Note that the State of California is comprised of numerous different counties.
If a particular community within the state has not been incorporated into a specific city (for example, it is unincorporated), the county in which that community is situated helps with law enforcement efforts. The County Sheriff’s Department is the agency within that community that performs these efforts.
Further, some cities within a county may contract with the County Sheriff’s Department to help with law enforcement services.
Unlike a highway patrol officer or a sheriff’s deputy, a police officer generally works for a particular city. For example, a member of the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) works for the City of San Francisco.
A member of a city’s police department helps with law enforcement efforts within that city.
Please keep in mind, though, that despite the above distinctions, all of the above peace officers can exercise their general police powers anywhere in California.7
For example, a member of the SFPD can arrest someone in southern California if he/she witnesses the person commit a crime.
The California Highway Patrol is headed and directed by a commissioner who is then supported by a:
The CHP is headquartered in Sacramento and consists of:
You can find your nearest CHP area office by clicking here.
To report suspicious activity, please dial 911.
If you observe suspicious activity and it does not pose an immediate threat of harm, you can report the act by clicking here and:
A former Los Angeles prosecutor, attorney Neil Shouse graduated with honors from UC Berkeley and Harvard Law School (and completed additional graduate studies at MIT). He has been featured on CNN, Good Morning America, Dr Phil, The Today Show and Court TV. Mr Shouse has been recognized by the National Trial Lawyers as one of the Top 100 Criminal and Top 100 Civil Attorneys.