Legal Elite Awards 2021

4 | Legal Elite Awards 2021 With over three decades of experience in criminal defence, The Chastaine Law Office specialises in difficult criminal issues from sex offender registration and certificates of rehabilitation to defending people who are accused of criminal misconduct. It believes in fairness, fighting to make sure that its clients are treated fairly by the police, the District Attorney and the Courts. n 2007, award-winning criminal defence attorney, Michael Chastaine founded The Chastaine Law Office, putting his comprehensive experience of criminal law to work on behalf of those who have been accused of criminal misconduct in many counties and communities surrounding Sacramento, Northern California. Prior to that, he served 11 years at a Deputy Public Defender for Santa Clara County and worked for five years in the county’s Alternate Defender Office before serving for six years as “of counsel” to a well-respected private practice firm in Sacramento. Recognised for his excellence and integrity in the practice of law, Attorney Michael Chastaine has been selected by his peers for the Best Lawyers in America list since 2013, the Northern California Super Lawyers list since 2005, the National Academy of Criminal Defence Attorneys, plus the 2018 Top 100 DUI Attorneys in Northern California list. He also has a top ranking, 10.0, in the peer-reviewed AVVO site. Also established as one of the Sacramento area’s top sex crime attorneys, Michael has over the course of his career successfully handled all manner of these types of cases. He also provides outstanding representation for adults and juvenile clients in both state and federal courts, as well as before various professional licensing boards. He provides effective representation in post- conviction appeals and writs. Michael has appeared before the Third and Sixth Appellate Districts, as well as the California Supreme Court. He has an exceptional record which has seen him win five jury trials in a row, which is highly unusual in the field of criminal defence. Some of the successes of The Chastaine Law Office include findings of “not guilty on all counts” of a Placer County massage therapist charged with multiple counts of sexual battery, and a taxi driver charged with rape of an intoxicated person. Attorney Chastaine also had juries return not guilty verdicts in two separate San Joaquin County cases involving charges and accusations of child molestation, and in a Sacramento County case of a businessman charged with battery. Also, in Solano County, he defended a schoolteacher charged with multiple counts of child molestation in a case which resulted in a mistrial/hung jury followed by a favourable settlement. Hung juries in Yolo County lead to a misdemeanour, no jail, no registration outcome for a man facing life in prison. These are just some of the recent outcomes of cases. Michael is joined at The Chastaine Law Office by Attorney Jessica Davis fromWashington DC where she studied primarily national Mar21146 Best Criminal Defence Firm – Northern California I security and criminal law at Georgetown Law. She has worked with top organisations including Department of Homeland Security, United States Commission on Civil Rights, and the American Bar Association Death Penalty Due Process Review Project. Jessica works on general criminal matters and sex offences, including domestic violence, drugs and crimes of violence. She is a creative problem solver when it comes to advocating for her clients and she gets deep into the details of her cases to build the best strategy for each. Jessica has an unmatched work ethic and gives every client the respect and attention that he or she needs. The Chastaine Law Office team achieve outstanding results through consistently utilising their superior legal abilities and experience to provide clients with the best possible solutions. The team is there to address legal needs with aggressive, yet compassionate representation. They are hard-working, passionate and have an intense desire to provide creative solutions for difficult legal problems, taking an holistic approach by providing ongoing client education and support. They take the time to listen, to analyse the issues, and to explore the legal options available. With an expanded team of investigators and experts on hand, The Chastaine Law Office can assure clients the best possible defence available. The firm’s promise to its clients is that its lawyers will do everything they can to protect their rights while putting all their effort and expertise into finding a viable defence for the case. The lawyers understand how stressful facing criminal charges can be, so they will always be there to help the client understand where their case stands, with each client being kept fully updated on the status of their case via regular emails and phone calls. Also, the lawyers will never make a promise that they can’t keep. They will give the client an honest assessment of the case and how they can help, but cannot promise particular outcomes in cases. The outcome of a case depends on the prosecutor, the county, the judge, and most importantly, the facts of the case. Although each criminal case varies, common reasons a case may be reduced or dismissed may include that it is an illegal or wrongful conduct of law enforcement – Some of the most frequently violated constitutional rights include the Fourth Amendment which keeps you from unreasonable seizes and searches, and the Fifth Amendment which is the right to due process, including hearing your Miranda rights, your right to remain silent, etc.; the client may have been prosecuted wrongfully, and this may include false confession,