Riverside Criminal Defense Attorney | Gramling Law Group

10 hours ago

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Riverside Criminal Defense Attorney

Gramling Law Group defends people charged with crimes in Riverside. Daniel Gramling, a former public defender turned trial attorney, represents Riverside residents facing DUI, domestic violence, drug, theft, assault, and felony charges at the Riverside Hall of Justice in downtown Riverside, 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 Riverside, including Canyon Crest, Orangecrest, La Sierra, Arlington, the Wood Streets, Mission Grove, and the neighborhoods around UC Riverside, as well as neighbors in Jurupa Valley, Moreno Valley, Corona, and Norco 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 Riverside Criminal Cases Are Heard

Criminal cases arising in the city of Riverside, from misdemeanor DUIs to serious felonies, are heard at the Riverside Hall of Justice in downtown Riverside, a short walk from the firm's office on Lime Street. Arraignments, preliminary hearings, motions, and trials for Riverside cases all run through that building.

The arresting agencies in Riverside are the Riverside Police Department and the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. 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 Riverside Clients

DUI. Most DUI charges in Riverside 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 Riverside 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 Riverside 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 Riverside 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 Riverside 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 Riverside 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 Riverside

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 Riverside Clients Choose Gramling Law Group

Experience in the specific courthouse matters. Daniel Gramling appears regularly in the Riverside Hall of Justice 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 Riverside case is likely to cost, how long it will take, and what outcomes are actually on the table.

Every Riverside 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 Riverside criminal case be heard?

Criminal cases arising in Riverside are generally heard at the Riverside Hall of Justice in downtown Riverside. The courthouse and date are printed on your citation or release paperwork, and the firm confirms both before your first appearance because assignments vary by charge and arresting agency.

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

Usually not for every hearing. Penal Code section 977 allows an attorney to appear for a defendant in most misdemeanor matters, which spares clients from missing work for routine court dates. Personal appearance is required in felony cases and in certain misdemeanors such as domestic violence, and the firm will tell you which dates you must attend.

How much does a criminal defense lawyer cost in Riverside?

Gramling Law Group quotes a flat fee up front for each stage of the case after a consultation, so you know the cost before signing. The fee depends on the charge, the courthouse, and whether the case is a misdemeanor or a felony, and limited scope options are available for a single hearing, a warrant recall, a DMV hearing, or an expungement.

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

It depends on the evidence. Cases are dismissed when a suppression motion succeeds, when a witness will not cooperate or is not credible, when the testing evidence has problems, or when the defendant completes diversion under Penal Code section 1001.95 or Penal Code section 1001.36. The firm reviews each of those paths in every Riverside case; no outcome can be guaranteed.

Call Gramling Law Group at (909) 654-4575 or request a flat-fee quote through this website to speak with a criminal defense attorney about your Riverside case. The firm serves the Inland Empire, Los Angeles County, Orange County, and Southern California, and it offers flat-fee and limited scope options for every stage of a criminal case.

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.

How to Beat a DUI in Riverside County: Step-by-Step Guide

What Happens If You Miss Court in California? Bench Warrants and What to Do Next

What Is a 1538.5 Motion and When Can You File One?

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 Riverside divorce and family law attorney page, our DUI defense page, and our domestic violence restraining order page.