Pasadena Criminal Defense Attorney | Gramling Law Group

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Pasadena Criminal Defense Attorney

Gramling Law Group defends people charged with crimes in Pasadena. Daniel Gramling, a former public defender turned trial attorney, represents Pasadena residents facing DUI, domestic violence, drug, theft, assault, and felony charges at the Pasadena courthouse, on flat fees quoted before any work begins. The firm's office is in downtown Riverside, and most of the work that matters in a criminal case, the investigation, the motion practice, and the negotiation with the prosecutor, happens by phone, video, and email rather than in a waiting room.

The firm represents people from across Pasadena, including Old Pasadena, the Playhouse District, Bungalow Heaven, the neighborhoods near Caltech and the Rose Bowl, and Hastings Ranch, as well as neighbors in Altadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, Arcadia, and Alhambra whose cases are heard in the same courthouse. Consultations happen by phone or video, documents are signed electronically, and the attorney appears for you in court so that a charge does not take over your work schedule any more than it has to.

Where Pasadena Criminal Cases Are Heard

Criminal cases arising in Pasadena, Altadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, and Arcadia are generally heard at the Pasadena courthouse near Old Pasadena, which handles misdemeanor and felony matters for the northeast part of Los Angeles County. Some cases from neighboring cities are assigned to the Alhambra courthouse instead, so confirm the location on your citation.

The arresting agencies in Pasadena are the Pasadena Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and the California Highway Patrol on the 210 and 134. The firm knows how each of them documents a stop, an arrest, and a search, and it uses that knowledge to find the gaps: the missing Miranda advisement, the search that exceeded its justification, the breath test that was not observed for the required period, or the statement that was never actually made.

Criminal cases in California move quickly at the start. The arraignment date is printed on your citation or release paperwork, and missing it results in a bench warrant. If you are unsure where or when to appear, contact the firm before the date rather than after it, and confirm the courthouse and time on the court's current website.

Criminal Charges We Defend for Pasadena Clients

DUI. Most DUI charges in Pasadena are filed under Vehicle Code section 23152, subdivision (a), driving under the influence, and subdivision (b), driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or more. Both are misdemeanors for a first offense without injury, and a DUI that causes injury under Vehicle Code section 23153 can be charged as a felony. A DUI arrest also starts a separate DMV administrative suspension, and a hearing must be requested within ten days of the arrest to contest it. The firm handles both the court case and the DMV hearing, and it examines the stop, the field sobriety tests, the breath or blood result, and the timing of the test in every case.

Domestic violence charges. Domestic violence cases from Pasadena are charged most often under Penal Code section 273.5 or Penal Code section 243, subdivision (e)(1), and they move fast: a criminal protective order under Penal Code section 136.2 is issued at arraignment, firearms must be surrendered, and any contact with the protected person can become a new charge. Because the firm also practices family law, it understands how a DV case affects custody under Family Code section 3044 and how a restraining order under Family Code section 6300 interacts with the criminal matter, and it handles both.

Drug charges. The firm defends possession, possession for sale, and transportation cases under the Health and Safety Code, including Health and Safety Code section 11350, Health and Safety Code section 11377, and Health and Safety Code section 11351. Whether a case is charged as a misdemeanor or a felony frequently depends on facts the arresting officer inferred rather than observed, and those inferences can be contested. Suppression motions under Penal Code section 1538.5 and diversion programs are the two tools used most often.

Theft and shoplifting. Petty theft under Penal Code section 484 and Penal Code section 488 and shoplifting under Penal Code section 459.5 are misdemeanors when the value is under the statutory threshold, while burglary under Penal Code section 459 and grand theft under Penal Code section 487 can be felonies. Retail theft cases in Pasadena often turn on loss prevention video and witness statements that do not hold up, and first-time offenders are frequently eligible for diversion.

Assault and battery. Fights outside bars, disputes between neighbors, and altercations at family gatherings in Pasadena produce charges under Penal Code section 240, Penal Code section 242, and, when a weapon or serious injury is alleged, Penal Code section 245. The firm investigates self-defense and mutual combat immediately, before surveillance video is overwritten and witnesses become hard to find.

Warrants and probation violations. The firm recalls bench warrants for Pasadena clients, represents people accused of violating probation, and moves to terminate probation early under Penal Code section 1203.3 when the terms have been met. Walking into court on a warrant with an attorney, a plan, and an explanation is very different from being arrested on it, and the difference often determines whether you are released that day.

Expungement and diversion. Many misdemeanor cases in Los Angeles County are eligible for diversion under Penal Code section 1001.95, which allows the judge to suspend the case, impose conditions, and dismiss the charge on completion, and mental health diversion under Penal Code section 1001.36 is available for qualifying defendants. For old convictions, a petition for dismissal under Penal Code section 1203.4 on form CR-180 clears the record for most purposes, and a wobbler felony can be reduced to a misdemeanor under Penal Code section 17, subdivision (b).

What to Do After an Arrest in Pasadena

Say nothing about the incident to the police, to the jail staff, or on a recorded jail phone. Every statement becomes part of the prosecutor's file, and statements that felt harmless at the time are quoted back at sentencing. Ask for a lawyer and stop talking; that request has to be honored under Miranda v. Arizona (1966) 384 U.S. 436.

Do not contact the alleged victim in a domestic violence case, even to apologize or to ask them to drop the charges. The protective order issued at arraignment makes that contact a new crime under Penal Code section 273.6, and the prosecutor, not the alleged victim, decides whether the case goes forward.

Call a criminal defense attorney before your first court date. The arraignment is where the plea is entered, the protective order is issued, bail is argued, and the schedule is set. Having counsel there changes what happens at each of those steps, and in most misdemeanor cases the attorney can appear for you under Penal Code section 977 so that you do not miss work.

Why Pasadena Clients Choose Gramling Law Group

Experience in the specific courthouse matters. Daniel Gramling appears regularly in the Pasadena courthouse and knows how its calendars are called, how its judges approach bail and diversion, and how the prosecutors assigned to it negotiate. That familiarity produces realistic advice about what a Pasadena case is likely to cost, how long it will take, and what outcomes are actually on the table.

Every Pasadena client gets a flat-fee quote up front, a direct line to the attorney, and a case that is prepared as if it will go to trial. Limited scope representation is available for clients who want help with a single hearing, a warrant, an expungement, or a DMV hearing rather than the whole case. The firm serves the Inland Empire, Los Angeles County, Orange County, and Southern California except San Diego County.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where will my Pasadena criminal case be heard?

Most Pasadena cases go to the Pasadena courthouse. Your citation or release paperwork lists the courthouse and the arraignment date, and you should confirm both on the court's website, since the assignment depends on the charge and the agency that made the arrest.

Do I have to go to court for a misdemeanor in Pasadena?

In most misdemeanor cases, an attorney can appear on your behalf under Penal Code section 977 without you being present, including at the arraignment. Domestic violence cases and some others require the defendant's personal appearance, and felony cases require you to be present at most hearings. The firm tells you before each date whether you need to attend.

How much does a criminal defense lawyer cost in Pasadena?

The firm charges flat fees, quoted after a consultation and before any agreement is signed. The amount depends on the charge, whether it is a misdemeanor or felony, and the stage of the case, and there are no hourly surprises. Limited scope representation for one hearing, a DMV hearing, a warrant, or an expungement is available at a lower flat fee.

Can a DUI or domestic violence charge in Pasadena be dismissed?

Sometimes. Dismissals come from suppressed evidence, missing witnesses, testing errors, insufficient proof, and diversion programs such as Penal Code section 1001.95, which is available in many misdemeanor cases. No attorney can promise a dismissal, but the firm evaluates every Pasadena case for those possibilities before advising a client whether to accept an offer.

If you have been arrested or charged in Pasadena, call Gramling Law Group at (909) 654-4575 or contact us through this website for a consultation and a flat-fee quote. The firm defends criminal cases across the Inland Empire, Los Angeles County, Orange County, and Southern California, with limited scope options for people who need help with one hearing or one motion.

This page is educational and is not legal advice. Contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship until a written agreement is signed. It addresses California law only.

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Learn more about our criminal defense services serving the Inland Empire, Los Angeles County, and Southern California.

Ready to talk? Request a flat-fee quote or call (909) 654-4575 to reach the attorney directly. Facing a family law matter too? See our Pasadena divorce and family law attorney page, our DUI defense page, and our domestic violence restraining order page.