"Each case is the most important case in the world to the individual client"
My cases have ranged from a Death Penalty case (which I handled successfully), to nearly fifty “Three Strikes” cases, 1,100 felony cases, and over 2,500 misdemeanor cases of every conceivable type.
Recently, I negotiated a plea in a case where my client was charged with kidnapping, and I obtained a sentence of time already served of only ninety days. In another case, I won a Not Guilty verdict in a case with a mandatory sentence of “Life Without Possibility of Parole,” and my client was set free.
Our office in North Beach
As a defense lawyer in San Francisco, I have handled virtually every type of criminal case. View the types of felony and misdemeanor cases that I have handled in my career.
I have represented many clients as a DUI defense attorney in San Francisco. In addition to the 1,000-plus DUI cases I have handled, I have defended a number of alcohol-related vehicular homicide cases. I take as much pride in successfully handing a DUI case for a client as I do wth any heavy felony.
I believe that good representation in any type of criminal case requires a lawyer with a broad background and experience defending heavy felony cases where the client’s freedom, or even life, has been at stake. From the first case I handled as a San Francisco defense attorney, I realized that communication and cooperation between attorney and client are indispensable in getting the best outcome of the case.
A client's satisfaction is based on he or she knowing that everything that can be done for the client's case is being done.
This is the kind of experience that I will bring to your case as your defense lawyer in San Francisco, the Bay Area courts, and the courts of any of the outlying areas in Northern California.
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TYPES OF CASES THAT I HAVE HANDLED:
Domestic Violence
Shoplifting (theft offenses, grand theft, prior convictions)
DUI cases (over 1,000 cases handled)
DMV Hearings (Drivers License suspensions)
Felonies
Drug cases (possession, possession-for-sale, and sales)
Misdemeanors
Probation Violations
Infractions
Homicides (including murder, manslaughter)
"White Collar" Crimes (state & federal)
Hit & Run and Reckless Driving
Kidnapping
Solicitation for prostitution / disorderly conduct
Post-conviction writs, appeals and commutation hearing in a Death Penalty case
Juvenile offenses
Bail reductions & O.R. custody release
Professional License revocations
"Three Strikes" cases
Embezzlement, extortion, robbery
Sexual assault / statutory intercourse cases
Registration cases (drug, sex offender)
Violations of Probation & Parole
Firearms (carrying concealed / loaded) charges
Violations of "stay-away" Orders
Mandatory rehabilitation programs & alternatives to jail
Expungement of criminal records / sealing of juvenile records
Writs of Mandamus and Prohibition in DMV suspension cases
Civil lawsuits for false imprisonment & violations of Constitutional rights
HOW TO CHOOSE A GOOD LAWYER
Trying to find a good criminal defense attorney is usually in a time of great stress when you, or someone you love, have been arrested. You may wish to apply the qualities listed below to any prospective lawyer.
Three indispensable qualities that a good criminal defense attorney must have are:
1.) BROAD EXPERIENCE IN SERIOUS FELONY TRIALS
2.) INTEGRITY
3.) ACADEMIC ABILITY TO PREPARE YOUR CASE
1.) BROAD EXPERIENCE means frequently going to trial in heavy felony matters that involve having the client's very freedom in the lawyer's hands. This is the only way that your attorney can acquire the expertise required to competently handle any kind of criminal case, from a heavy felony to a DUI.
My criminal law practice has evolved from having been lead prosecutor and Deputy Attorney General, handling all Special Prosecutions, including the post-conviction phase of a death penalty case. I now have my own private criminal defense practice, and I have over twenty years of criminal defense experience in over 3,500 criminal cases.
I have defended numerous "three strikes" cases, and I have successfully won motions to strike prior convictions in such cases. I also have successfully defended a client facing "Life Without Possibility of Parole" and successfully defended a client facing a life sentence for kidnapping. On the misdemeanor side, I have handled thousands of cases, including over 1,000 DUI cases.
There are certain attorneys who claim to take "all types of cases," but rarely handle little more than misdemeanors. "Broad experience" does not apply to attorneys who handle mostly misdemeanors, traffic tickets, and DUI cases.
My broad experience in heavy criminal trial work will benefit any criminal case you might have, from a first-time DUI to any heavy felony case.
2.) INTEGRITY in your attorney is indispensable. Your criminal lawyer should never have been disciplined by the California State Bar or any other license granting or disciplinary authority (such as federal courts or the bar associations of other states).
Each lawyer has an online page with the State Bar of California, and in the "Disciplinary and Related Actions" section at the bottom of the page it should read: "This member has no record of public discipline."
If the attorney has ever been suspended or disbarred, then you should find out the reasons for the disciplinary action. Then ask yourself if this lawyer would still be acceptable to you as your legal counsel.
Lastly, you should inquire as to whether your prospective attorney has ever been sued by a client for malpractice or any other breach of a client's trust.
Personally, I have never been disciplined by the State Bar of California or any other authority or jurisdiction. Nor have I ever been sued by any client for malpractice or any other breach of a client's trust.
This is the level of proven integrity that is indispensable for the trust that you will have to place in your criminal lawyer, and I pledge this degree of integrity in the handling of your case, as I do with every case that I am privileged to have.
3.) ACADEMIC ABILITY to prepare your case is critical to the best outcome of your criminal case.
The best objective test of academic ability is whether your lawyer passed the California Bar Examination the first time. I'm proud to say that I passed on my first Bar Exam.
Here's the real reason people flunk the Bar Exam: they weren't prepared. Flunking the Bar Exam is the equivalent of flunking out of college or law school. This lack of preparedness is a bad omen for your case, where your lawyer will have only one chance in your criminal case to help you.
Additionally, your attorney should also have graduated from a law school fully accredited by American Bar Association (ABA), not just a "state" accredited, or worse yet, an "unaccredited" law school.
My law school, Southwestern Law School of Los Angeles, was one of the first law schools established in California. I received the degree of Juris Doctor, and I ranked in the top 25% of my class. Nationally accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), Southwestern has produced more judges for the California courts than any other law school.
I received my Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from California State University at Long Beach, is the largest campus in the University system.
In short, a lawyer's academic ability is a prime indicator of how your criminal case will be prepared.
There is one more factor in finding a good lawyer: it is that certain "gut feeling" of trust and confidence that only you can determine. Retaining a lawyer requires this deep sense of trust and confidence for you and your defense attorney to work together toward the best possible outcome of your criminal case. It is my sincere wish that I can have the opportunity to acquire this trust and ultimately justify it with my performance in your criminal case.
I am San Francisco defense attorney Michael Ross, and I may be reached to arrange a consultation for your case at: (415) 345-1335.
MY PHILOSOPHY ON HANDLING CRIMINAL CASES:
As a San Francisco defense attorney with over twenty years of experience, I have had the privilege of representing my clients in virtually every county courthouse in the Bay Area.
As I have mentioned, the cases that I have personally handled in my career range from the most serious imaginable, such as kidnapping, sexual assault, and even a death penalty case, to less serious but nonetheless extremely important matters such as DUI cases and other misdemeanors.
While some attorneys apparently feel comfortable doing only one type of case all the time, like DUI cases, my belief is that only by doing a wide variety of serious criminal cases will an attorney acquire the broad expertise and the hardened professional edge required to handle any criminal case competently.
There simply is no substitute for a Bay Area criminal lawyer sharpening his or her courtroom skills in the crucible of heavy felony trial work, where the very freedom and future of a client is at stake. The expertise that a defense attorney takes from such difficult criminal representation can only benefit clients with relatively less serious cases.
Every client has the absolute right to expect the very best possible representation in any case involving potential jail time. My philosophy is not only to understand but to respect the importance to the client of every single criminal case that I am privileged to handle. Obviously, each client’s own individual case is the most important case in the world to him or her, and I believe that each client entitled to consider it as such. And I believe that it is important for clients to understand the professional philosophy of their defense attorney in order to foster a good, confident working relationship.
My primary goal as a San Francisco defense attorney is to obtain the very best possible result for each client’s case. Client satisfaction is paramount in the handling of any criminal case, and I am proud to say that my clients can be confident that everything that can be done is being done in every case.
While I have accumulated much experience in the big city courts of San Francisco, I also have acquired extensive experience in the smaller surrounding county courts, where occasionally there is only one courtroom for the entire county court system. Having started my career in small town courts, I can readily identify and relate to the unique requirements of criminal practice in outlying, smaller jurisdictions.
People often speak of diversity when referring to the prevailing political philosophy and life style of the San Francisco Bay Area. But there is a diversity in the legal community that applies with regard to how differently the same kind of criminal charge might be handled in the courts of different Northern California counties. It is imperative that any San Francisco defense attorney know about and adjust to the very different court systems of every county in the San Francisco Bay Area.
COUNTIES SERVED:
I actively practice in the following Bay Area counties:
Alameda, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Lake, Madera, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Placer, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, and Yolo Counties.
Many of my clients' cases have originated from the following Bay Area cities and towns, including:
San Francisco, Daly City, Brisbane, Millbrae, San Bruno, Burlingame, Half Moon Bay, San Mateo, Redwood City, Montara, Pacifica, Hillsborough, Woodside, East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, San Gregorio, La Honda, Pescadero, Belmont, San Carlos, Portola Valley, Atherton, Menlo Park, Foster City, Sausalito, Belvedere, Tiburon, Mill Valley, Larkspur, Corte Madera, San Rafael, Kentfield, Ross, San Anselmo, Fairfax, Novato, Bolinas, Terra Linda, Muir Beach, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland, Piedmont, Alameda, San Leandro, Hayward, Newark, Fremont, Castro Valley, Pleasanton, Sunol, Dublin, Livermore, Union City, Stanford, Mountain View, Los Altos, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Cupertino, Campbell, San Jose, Milpitas, Saratoga, Los Gatos, Morgan Hill, Gilroy, Santa Cruz, Aptos, Scotts Valley, Soquel, Capitola, Castroville, Prunedale, Hollister, San Martin, Salinas, Monterey, Seaside, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Carmel Valley, Marina, Gonzales, King City, San Ardo, Big Sur, Moss Landing, Pebble Beach, Carmel Highlands, Richmond, Albany, Hercules, Pinole, Pittsburg, Martinez, Orinda, Pleasant Hill, Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Alamo, Concord, Antioch, Brentwood, Danville, San Ramon, Oakley, Napa, Yountville, St. Helena, Calistoga, Angwin, Petaluma, Cotati, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Windsor, Healdsburg, Sebastopol, Sonoma, Occidental, Guerneville, Bodega & Bodega Bay, Sea Ranch, Monte Rio, Valley Ford, Geyserville, Vallejo, American Canyon, Suisan City, Vacaville, Fairfield, Winters, Dixon, Davis, Woodland, West Sacramento, Sacramento, Elk Grove, Discovery Bay, Stockton, Rio Vista, Rancho Cordova, Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Citrus Heights, Folsom, Rocklin, Roseville, Auburn, Placerville, Cloverdale, Clearlake, Lakeport, Hidden Valley Lake, Hopland, Ukiah, Boonville, Philo, Point Arena, Manchester, Albion, Mendocino, Fort Bragg, South Lake Tahoe, Manteca, Modesto, Tracy, Turlock, Merced, Los Banos, Fresno, Madera, Chowchilla, Oakhurst, Tahoe City, Mariposa, Lodi, and many, many more throughout California.
Because San Francisco is a highly desirable place to live, this attracts the very best defense attorneys to the City itself and the surrounding Bay Area. However, to succeed as a San Francisco defense attorney, one must be willing to be completely prepared for each case, and to give the utmost in aggressive, professional advocacy in the pursuit of the best outcome for each client’s criminal case.
It is with this professional and personal philosophy that I proudly seek to represent clients in the Bay Area as a San Francisco defense attorney.
DISCLAIMER: ACCESSING THE INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE AND/OR TRANSMITTING ANY CASE INFORMATION WHATSOEVER VIA TELEPHONE, EMAIL, OR BY ANY OTHER MEANS DOES NOT CREATE OR IMPLY ANY ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP. NO ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP ARISES OR EXISTS UNTIL YOU HAVE ENTERED INTO A FORMAL RETAINER AGREEMENT WITH ATTORNEY MICHAEL ROSS. NO ATTORNEY CAN GUARANTEE THE OUTCOME IN ANY CRIMINAL CASE. TO AVOID DAMAGING YOUR CRIMINAL CASE IRREVERSIBLY, YOU MUST CONSULT WITH AN EXPERIENCED CRIMINAL ATTORNEY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THIS WEBSITE IS INTENDED ONLY TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS NOT INTENDED FOR USE AND SHOULD NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BE USED OR RELIED UPON IN THE APPLICATION TO ANY ACTUAL CASE. ALL INFORMATION WILL BE HELD STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL WHETHER OR NOT YOU RETAIN MICHAEL ROSS AS YOUR ATTORNEY.
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