Christopher Walsh

Christopher Walsh

Former Chief Assistant District Attorney. Award winning trial lawyer.
  • Criminal Law, DUI & DWI, Domestic Violence ...
  • California
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Biography

I am a former homicide prosecutor, and Chief Assistant District Attorney, with extensive jury trial experience. I have been an attorney for 18 years. I am an accomplished trial lawyer and have a broad range of specialized experience in the field of criminal law. As a prosecutor I was assigned the most serious cases in the offices where I worked. I have tried numerous sexual assaults, gang, driving under the influence, and homicide cases. As a prosecutor, and in private practice, I handled officer involved shooting reviews and use of force cases and have developed expertise in this area. I have been recognized for my work as a trial lawyer, and prosecutor, including twice being selected as Prosecutor of the Year.

I started Walsh & Nguyen law firm, along with another former prosecutor, to provide the highest quality legal representation in personal injury cases and criminal defense. We specialize in representing victims who have been hurt by crime and get them financial justice. We also focus on representing law enforcement and good people who find themselves, on occasion, on the wrong side of the law and provide expert criminal defense. We intentionally take on a limited number of cases in order to give each client the attention their case deserves.

Practice Areas
    Criminal Law
    Drug Crimes, Expungement, Fraud, Gun Crimes, Internet Crimes, Sex Crimes, Theft, Violent Crimes
    DUI & DWI
    Domestic Violence
    Domestic Violence Criminal Defense, Domestic Violence Restraining Orders, Victims Rights
    Personal Injury
    Animal & Dog Bites, Brain Injury, Car Accidents, Construction Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Premises Liability, Truck Accidents, Wrongful Death
    Juvenile Law
Fees
  • Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
    Call for details
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
California
State Bar of California
ID Number: 235118
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Languages
  • English: Spoken, Written
Professional Experience
Partner
Walsh & Nguyen
- Current
Associate
Mastagni Holstedt, A Professional Corporation
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Assistant District Attorney
Nevada County, CANevada
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Deputy District Attorney
County of Santa Clara
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Deputy District Attorney
County of Fresno
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Deputy District Attorney
County of Kings - California
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Education
Excelsior College
B.A. | History
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Oak Brook College of Law
J.D. (2004) | Law
Honors: with honors
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Awards
10.0 Rating
Justia Inc
Prosecutor of the Year
Fresno County
Trial Attorney of the Year
Santa Clara County
Professional Associations
State Bar of California  # 235118
Member
Current
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Nevada County Bar Association
Current
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Sacramento County Bar Association
Current
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California DUI Lawyers Association
Current
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Websites & Blogs
Website
Legal Answers
4 Questions Answered
Q. Is it violation of due process rights for a magistrate to allow an officer/"witness" a break to get off the stand and
A: A magistrate is given a lot of discretion in situations like the one you've described. It sounds like the officer was probably newer and unfamiliar with the issue. Almost any police officer who is a sworn peace officer and has completed a law enforcement academy would be qualified to testify pursuant to Proposition 115. This is a basic foundational issue. When it comes to allowing a witness to take a break or controlling the method and flow of examination of witnesses, a judge is typically allowed to do what they want unless it is a blatant abuse of discretion. For example, if the witness was testifying concerning a critical factual issue, like whether he was able to identify the defendant in the case, it is very unlikely the judge would have allowed him to take a break to confer with a supervisor at that juncture. A good defense attorney can use the fact that the witness had to take a break before answering such a basic question to undermine the credibility of that witness.
Q. Can you be arrested for probation violation, when you've been off probation for 2 yrs
A: The short answer is no. However, you should be careful. If you had any violations in the past, it is likely that the court may have extended your probation term. Also, if you have more than one case there can be overlapping terms. Often times someone will be on "informal probation" still for an offense from years ago. Ultimately, if your probation term had in fact expired, and you were arrested for a probation violation from this expired case, then you would have a defense to this new charge.
Q. If my adult son has failure to appear warrant for vandalism/trespass & is living at home with us, can we be arrested?
A: It's not likely that you would face any type of criminal responsibility for your son living in your home (under most circumstances) based on what you have described. There are two potential crimes that I'll discuss. First, aiding and abetting a crime. In order to prove the crime of aiding and abetting the following elements would have to be proven: 1. A person committed a crime. 2. You knew that the person (in this case your son), committed the crime. 3. Before or during the commission of the crime you intended to aid and abet the person committing the crime. AND. 4. Your words or conduct did in fact assist aid and abet the person in committing the crime. In your situation, there is no aiding and abetting if the crimes have already been committed (so, it's not "before or during the commission"). If your son is simply not going to court when he is supposed to, he is in violation of his release terms, which is why a warrant was issued, but as long as you are not doing anything to conceal him from law enforcement then it is difficult to see any liability on your part. Second, the crime of accessory after the fact. In order to prove this crime, it would have to be proven that you knowingly harbored, concealed, or aided a felon, in order to protect the person from arrest, trial, conviction, or sentencing. The key issue here is your intent and is very fact specific. For example, if your son happens to live at your house, goes out and commits a crime that you had nothing to do with, and gets a warrant issued, you're very unlikely to get in any type of legal trouble. On the other hand, if your son is running a drug business out of your house that you reasonably had to be aware of, and you do nothing about it, then you could face liability. However, if your son did not normally live at your house, committed a felony and was on the run from the law and was hiding out at your house to evade capture, and you knew about it and were helping to conceal him, then you could face liability. These examples are obviously not exhaustive. For specific legal advice you should confidentially talk to a lawyer and give your complete details.
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Contact & Map
Walsh & Nguyen
244 Church Street
Nevada City, CA 95959
Telephone: (530) 464-8288
Walsh & Nguyen
7950 Folsom Auburn Road
Folsom, CA 95630
Telephone: (916) 404-6866