Our goal is to help people in the best way possible. this is a basic principle in every case and cause for success. contact us today for a free consultation.
- 1458 Esplanade, Chico, California
- 530-345-5678
By Michael M. Rooney, Criminal Defense Lawyer and Supervising Litigation Attorney
Choosing a criminal defense lawyer or attorney in Northern California is one of the most consequential decisions you will ever make. The wrong choice means a conviction that follows you for the rest of your life. The right choice can mean charges dismissed, your record clean, and your future intact.
Here are ten concrete, documented reasons why clients across Butte County, Amador County, Shasta County, and Northern California trust Rooney Law Firm with their most serious legal matters.
When a criminal case goes all the way to trial, Rooney Law Firm wins 95% of the time. That is not a marketing number. It is a documented trial record compiled across work as a criminal defense attorney, paralegal, and prosecutor. Most defense lawyers settle most cases. Rooney prepares every case to win in court.
If you are looking for a criminal defense lawyer near Chico or Butte County who actually takes cases to trial and wins, that record is the first thing to ask about.
Michael Rooney was awarded Criminal Defense Attorney of the Year for 2004, 2005, and 2006 by the Consumer Business Review editorial staff at the Chico News and Review. Three consecutive years. That recognition does not come from advertising. It comes from results that the legal community and the public can see.
In the year 2000, Michael Rooney compiled the best jury trial record of any attorney in Amador County, California. Not the most cases. The most wins. That same year he was appointed to the Juvenile Justice Commission by a Superior Court judge – a recognition of the judgment and integrity required to serve in that role.
Understanding evidence is what separates criminal defense lawyers who win from those who simply show up. Michael Rooney has presided over Fair Hearings for the State of California and served as a Court Officer for the Washoe Nation. That means he has sat on both sides of the evidentiary process. He knows how evidence is gathered, challenged, and excluded. That knowledge directly benefits every client he represents.
In 2001, Michael Rooney served as Chief Public Defender for Amador County, California. That role means overseeing the criminal defense of everyone charged with a crime in the county who could not afford private counsel. The volume, the complexity, and the pressure of that position builds a level of criminal defense experience that years of private practice alone cannot replicate.
Before representing defendants, Rooney was on the other side of the table. As a former Chief Probation Officer, he was responsible for making criminal sentencing recommendations to Superior Courts in two California counties. He knows exactly how prosecutors and probation officers build sentencing arguments because he built them himself. That insight is a direct advantage when negotiating outcomes for clients.
Rooney was specifically appointed to defend methamphetamine laboratory cases and felony domestic violence cases in Yuba County, California. Attorneys are not appointed to those cases by accident. They are appointed because the court has confidence in their ability to handle serious, complex criminal matters. Those are exactly the types of cases most defense lawyers try to avoid.
Rooney has District Attorney staff experience, including responding to all criminal and felony motions in the California Superior Court. For two consecutive years he was responsible for the daily operations of the District Attorney Asset Forfeiture Program in one county. His record in those cases: he never lost one. Asset forfeiture is one of the most technical and difficult areas of criminal law. A perfect record in that area is rare.
The following types of cases have recently been dismissed for Rooney Law Firm clients: DUI, drug possession and drug sales, domestic violence, violation of probation, resisting arrest, gang association, rape, carjacking, robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, and armed home invasion. These are not minor charges. These are strike offenses, felonies, and cases that carry years in state prison. Dismissals at this level require preparation, strategy, and deep knowledge of California criminal law.
In his first year as a criminal defense attorney, Michael Rooney had every single criminal case dismissed before it reached trial. That is not a typo. Every case. For a first-year defense lawyer in California to achieve that record reflects a level of preparation, legal instinct, and courtroom credibility that most attorneys spend a career trying to build.
People often ask whether to search for a “criminal defense lawyer” or a “criminal defense attorney” in Chico or Butte County. The words mean the same thing in California. What matters is not the title. It is the record behind the person.
Michael Rooney has spent more than 30 years building that record in Northern California courtrooms. He has been on both sides of the system as a public defender, a chief probation officer, and a district attorney. He has tried cases that other attorneys walked away from. He has won cases that looked unwinnable.
If you or someone you care about has been charged with a crime in Chico, Butte County, Shasta County, or anywhere in Northern California, the next step is a phone call. It costs nothing. There is no obligation. You will speak to an attorney, not a call center.
There is no legal difference. Both terms refer to a licensed legal professional who represents people charged with crimes. In everyday searches, people use both words interchangeably. Rooney Law Firm represents clients regardless of how they found us.
Ask directly. Ask how many jury trials they have taken to verdict in Butte County Superior Court, what the outcomes were, and how many of their cases are resolved by plea versus trial. You can also verify their bar admission date and standing at calbar.ca.gov. An attorney who cannot answer those questions specifically is telling you something important.
Rooney Law Firm handles DUI, drug charges, domestic violence, assault, robbery, gang-related offenses, sex crimes, strike offenses, felony and misdemeanor cases, violation of probation, resisting arrest, and serious felonies including cases involving home invasion and carjacking. If you are unsure whether your case qualifies, call and ask.
Yes. Rooney Law Firm serves clients throughout Butte County, Shasta County, Amador County, Glenn County, Tehama County, Plumas County, and surrounding Northern California counties. Office appointments are available in Chico, Redding, and Nevada City.
Call (530) LAW-HELP (530-345-4357) for immediate assistance. First consultations are free, confidential, and carry no obligation to retain the firm.
Because he has sat on both sides of the system. He knows how prosecution cases are built, how sentencing recommendations are made, and where the weaknesses in a case are likely to appear. That institutional knowledge directly informs how he defends clients today.
Call us, tell us what happened, and we will tell you exactly where you stand. If we are not the right fit for your case, we will say so.
(530) LAW-HELP (530-345-5678)
(800) TKO-4LAW (800-856-4529)
Office appointments available in Chico, Redding, and Nevada City.
Rooney Law Firm. Chico, California. Serving Butte County and Northern California for over 30 years.
No Cost. No Obligation. Call us, tell us what happened, and we will tell you exactly where you stand. If we are not the right fit for your case, we will say so.
Our goal is to help people in the best way possible. this is a basic principle in every case and cause for success. contact us today for a free consultation.