Criminal Defense Lawyer Riverside
If you are facing criminal charges, our Riverside, CA criminal defense lawyer immediately takes action to protect your rights and begin building a case in your favor, preserving exculpatory evidence and ensuring that you’re protected in police custody.
Seyb Law Group has been defending clients against criminal charges in Riverside and throughout Southern California for over 13 years. Our attorneys practice criminal defense exclusively. If you have been arrested or charged with a crime, contact Seyb Law Group today for a free consultation.
Why Choose Seyb Law Group for Criminal Defense in Riverside, CA?
Over 60 Years of Combined Criminal Defense Experience
Seyb Law Group brings together attorneys whose combined criminal defense experience spans more than six decades.
Managing Partner Spencer Seyb founded the firm because he believes every criminal defendant deserves real representation, not a hurried public defender managing hundreds of cases at once. He graduated from Trinity Law School in Santa Ana in 2011 and has since litigated hundreds of criminal cases in both state and federal courts across Southern California. Attorney Nathan Gjesdal graduated from Chapman University Fowler School of Law in 2008 and has had charges reduced and dismissed in Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego counties. He has spent years building relationships in specialty courts, including courts that serve military veterans and individuals with mental health or addiction issues. Attorney Alan Spears has been defending clients since 1975, including capital murder cases. He is admitted to practice in California, the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the U.S. District Courts for the Central, Eastern, and Southern Districts of California.
For clients facing charges in Riverside County, this depth of experience translates into defense attorneys who know the courthouses, understand what arguments carry weight with local judges, and have seen virtually every type of charge handled at every level. If you need a criminal defense attorney in Riverside, you want attorneys who have been in Riverside courts before.
Real Results for Real Clients
What gets said in courtrooms and negotiations reflects how well-prepared an attorney actually is. Our results reflect that preparation over more than a decade of criminal defense work:
- A second DUI with a BAC of .18: charges dismissed
- A felony domestic violence charge: reduced to a misdemeanor, no jail time
- Felony drug sales and transportation: reduced to a misdemeanor, no jail time
- A DUI and hit-and-run: resolved with probation
- A burglary charge: reduced to petty theft
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. But the range of results above reflects how consistently aggressive defense work, applied early and consistently, can change what a case looks like at the end.
Local Knowledge of Riverside Courts and Prosecutors
Riverside County has multiple courthouse locations, each with its own tendencies and caseload. The Hall of Justice in downtown Riverside houses 21 criminal courtrooms. The way the Riverside County District Attorney’s office approaches DUI cases is not identical to how they approach drug trafficking or domestic violence. Our attorneys have appeared before the judges in Riverside County Superior Court for years. We know what to expect and how to respond. We’ve handled criminal cases in Riverside County across the full range of offense categories, from petty misdemeanors to capital offenses and violent felonies. That experience cannot be replicated by hiring a firm that has never appeared in these courtrooms or an attorney who focuses only on plea-dealing their cases.
Flexible Payment Plans
We understand that a sudden arrest often brings financial pressure. We offer flexible payment plans so that cost is not the reason someone ends up with inadequate representation in a Riverside criminal case. Free consultations are available and phones are answered around the clock.
What Our Clients Say
★★★★★
“Quick, fast, friendly and highly responsive. Hired Nate twice for the same issue and both results ended in my favor! Prices were worth the services. 10/10!” — Betty Gory Cantu
Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.
Types of Criminal Defense Cases We Handle in Riverside
Our attorneys defend clients against the full range of criminal charges brought in Riverside County Superior Court and in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The following are the primary practice areas we handle for Riverside clients.
- DUI and drunk driving. DUI cases in Riverside involve two parallel proceedings: a criminal case in Superior Court and a DMV administrative hearing. Both require attention simultaneously. Nathan Gjesdal has handled over 100 second and third DUI cases across four counties. Missing the 10-day window to request a DMV hearing after an arrest means an automatic license suspension.
- Felony crimes. Riverside County felony cases range from drug and theft charges to violent offenses carrying state prison exposure. Our Riverside felony attorney practice builds defenses from the evidence up, examining every search, every statement, and every charging decision before accepting any framing the prosecution has put on the case.
- Domestic violence. Prosecutors in Riverside County pursue domestic violence charges even when the alleged victim does not cooperate. An emergency protective order typically goes into effect at the time of arrest. Speed and preparation from the first day are critical, giving you a better chance of being placed in a diversion program rather than a conviction.
- DUI. DUI enforcement is active throughout Riverside County, including on the 91, 60, and 215 corridors. Whether the charge is a first offense or a felony DUI involving injury, we handle the criminal case and the DMV hearing together.
- Drug crimes. From simple drug possession to drug trafficking and federal controlled substance charges, drug cases often turn on whether the search that produced the evidence was lawful. We examine that question in every case.
- Sex crimes. These charges carry mandatory sex offender registration and permanent reputational consequences regardless of the outcome. Defense must be thorough, fast, and aggressive. Alan Spears has been defending clients against serious sex crime charges for decades.
- Theft crimes. Petty theft, grand theft, burglary, robbery, and embezzlement each require a defense calibrated to what the prosecution can actually prove and what the evidence leaves open to challenge.
- Federal crimes. Cases brought in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California involve different procedures, different rules of evidence, and different sentencing structures than state court. Alan Spears and Spencer Seyb are both admitted to federal court.
- Violent crimes. Assault and battery, robbery, vehicular manslaughter, and related charges all carry serious prison exposure under California law. The defense strategy has to fit the specific facts and the severity of the charges actually filed.
California Legal Requirements for Criminal Defense in Riverside
How Riverside County Classifies Criminal Charges
California criminal offenses fall into three categories. Infractions carry fines only and no jail time. Misdemeanors carry up to one year in county jail and fines up to $1,000. Felonies are the most serious category and carry potential state prison sentences. Under Penal Code Section 17(b), many California offenses are classified as wobblers, meaning they can be filed as either a felony or a misdemeanor depending on the circumstances and the defendant’s history. Identifying wobbler offenses and advocating for misdemeanor treatment are among the first things our attorneys look for in any new Riverside case.
California’s Three Strikes Law in Riverside
California’s Three Strikes Law, codified at Penal Code Section 1170.12, imposes dramatically harsher sentences on defendants with prior serious or violent felony convictions. A second qualifying conviction doubles the otherwise applicable sentence. A third results in a mandatory minimum of 25 years to life in state prison. Riverside County prosecutors apply the Three Strikes Law aggressively, and many charges that appear relatively minor, such as certain drug sales offenses or theft charges, can qualify as strikes depending on the facts.
Your Rights During and After an Arrest
California law and the U.S. Constitution provide important protections at the moment of arrest and throughout the criminal process. The right to remain silent under the Fifth Amendment means you are not required to answer police questions. The right to counsel under the Sixth Amendment means you can have an attorney present before answering any questions. Evidence obtained through an unlawful search can be excluded under a motion brought pursuant to Penal Code Section 1538.5. These protections are not automatic. They have to be invoked, documented, and argued by a defense attorney who knows how to use them.
Prop 47 and Its Impact on Riverside Drug Cases
California voters passed Proposition 47 in 2014, reclassifying certain low-level drug possession and theft offenses from felonies to misdemeanors. For Riverside defendants, this means some drug possession charges that previously carried felony exposure are now misdemeanors, reducing both the immediate sentencing risk and the long-term collateral consequences of a conviction.
Important Aspects of a Riverside Criminal Defense Case
The Preliminary Hearing Advantage
In Riverside County felony cases, defendants have the right to a preliminary hearing before a Superior Court judge, during which the prosecution must demonstrate probable cause. This is not just a formality. Cross-examining the prosecution’s witnesses at this stage can expose weaknesses in the evidence, lock witnesses into prior statements, and in some cases result in charges being reduced or dismissed before the trial ever begins. A defense attorney who does not aggressively use the preliminary hearing is leaving one of the most valuable tools in California criminal procedure on the table.
Challenging How Evidence Was Obtained
A substantial portion of Riverside criminal cases turn not on what happened, but on whether the evidence the prosecution wants to use was obtained lawfully. An illegal traffic stop, a search conducted without proper consent or a valid warrant, or a statement obtained without a proper Miranda warning can each result in key evidence being suppressed. When the suppressed evidence is the prosecution’s foundation, the case can fall apart entirely. We examine every search and every stop from day one.
Plea Negotiations and When to Go to Trial
Most Riverside criminal cases resolve through negotiated pleas rather than trial. That does not mean a defendant should accept the first offer the prosecution makes. Prosecutors make better offers when they know the defense has done the work: filed motions, gathered evidence, identified witnesses, and is genuinely ready to try the case. We negotiate from preparation. When a reduction from felony to misdemeanor is achievable, we pursue it. When a dismissal is supported by the facts and law, we argue for it. And when going to trial is the right call, we have the attorneys and the experience to do it. Alan Spears alone has been trying criminal cases, including capital murder cases, for over 45 years.
Life After a Riverside Criminal Conviction
A conviction in Riverside County does not have to define the rest of a person’s life in every case. California Penal Code 1203.4 allows for expungement of certain convictions after successful completion of probation, which can be crucial for employment, housing, and professional licensing. Our expungement lawyer practice handles these petitions for clients whose criminal cases have concluded.
Contact Seyb Law Group
An arrest is not a conviction. The outcome of a Riverside criminal case depends on how it is defended, and when that defense starts. The moment you become our client, you’re under our protection, in police custody, questioning with law enforcement, and in court. We know your rights and are committed to protecting them and ensuring that you are treated fairly. Seyb Law Group offers free consultations and flexible payment options.
Contact us to speak with a Riverside criminal defense attorney, understand exactly what you are facing, and get a clear picture of your options.
