Chris Morales

Overview

If you had a serious illness, wouldn’t you want to be treated by a doctor who specialized in that area? Criminal law is serious. Mr. Morales is a certified specialist in criminal law. The State Bar of California questioned judges and lawyers who know Mr. Morales’s work in court and found that he is the best of the best.

Furthermore, Martindale-Hubbell, the oldest and most respected firm that evaluates and rates lawyers found, after questioning judges and lawyers who know Mr. Morales that he has an exemplary reputation and the highest ethical standards.
Mr. Morales has been in private practice since 1991 and has successfully defended thousands of clients accused of breaking the law. He practices criminal defense in all counties in California, handling misdemeanors, felonies and juvenile cases. Throughout his years as a criminal defense attorney Mr. Morales has been interviewed numerous times on television while defending high-profile clients and was an expert commentator for Fox News on the Scott Peterson murder trial. He also has been quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle as well as the San Jose Mercury News and other newspapers.

Mr. Morales is an aggressive trial attorney who tries all types of cases including: DUI’s, sexual assault, child molestation, three strikes cases, possession of drugs, assault, murder cases and all types of white collar crimes. He handles the toughest cases and has won the respect of judges and prosecutors alike for his tenacious and intelligent defense of his clients.

Mr. Morales is a native San Franciscan and graduated from U.C. Berkeley and Santa Clara University Law School before starting his private law practice. While in law school, Mr. Morales realized that he had a passion and talent for battling the police and prosecutors in criminal cases. This is the reason why he only handles criminal cases.

• J.D., Santa Clara Law School
• B.A. in Earth Science, University of California, Berkeley

• Licensed Commodity Broker trading commodity futures and options.

• Assault & Battery
• Drug Crimes
• Drunk Driving
• Environmental Crimes
• Juvenile Defense
• Murder
• Sex Crimes
• Theft
• Three Strikes Law
• White Collar Crime

• Bilitnikoff Murder Case: The daughter of Hall of Fame football player Fred Bilitnikoff was killed by her boyfriend.
• 22nd Bryant Street Gang-Rape Case: Largest rape case in San Francisco history, seven members of a gang were accused of raping two girls.
• Fernando Murillo Attempted Murder Case: This juvenile was featured on America’s Most Wanted; he escaped from a juvenile detention center and went on a three-month shooting and car jacking crime spree.

• The State of California
• Northern District of California-federal
• Eastern District of California-federal
• 9th Circuit Court of Appeals
• United States Supreme Court

• Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist, State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization

• Top 100 Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers Association
• 10 Best Attorneys, American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys
• Top 1%, National League of Renowned Attorneys
• Best Attorney, Rue Ratings, Best Attorneys of America
• Super Lawyer of Northern California, Super Lawyers
• Top Attorneys of Northern California, San Francisco Magazine
• Premier Trial Attorneys, American Academy of Trial Attorneys
• Top 10 Criminal Attorney, National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys
• 10 Best in Client Satisfaction, American Institute of Criminal Attorneys
• Top 100 Criminal Defense Lawyer in California, American Society of Legal Advocates

• A+ Rating, Better Business Bureau
• Rated Superb, Avvo.com
• Triple A Rating, Attorney Search Network

• Member of the Board of Directors, Huckleberry Youth Programs, this organization provides services to homeless youth in San Francisco and Marin.
• Member of the Board of Directors, San Mateo County Bar Association. 2006-2009.
• Chairman, Private Defender Committee, San Mateo Private Defender Panel in 2005.
• Arbitrator for the Attorney-Client Fee Dispute Committees for the Bar Association of San Mateo County and the State Bar of California.
• Member of the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Lawyers Club, 2003-2005.
• Member of the San Francisco Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council, appointed by San Francisco Board of Supervisor President, Matt Gonzalez in March 2003. He was the representative of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on this committee.
• Vice-President of the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 2001-2002.
• Member of State Bar of California, Conference of Delegates, Executive Resolutions Committee 2001, appointed by the Board of Governors, State Bar of California.
• President of the Board of Directors 1998-1999 of La Raza Centro Legal, a non-profit law firm that represents low-income, Spanish-speaking clients in San Mateo and San Francisco Counties.
• Founding member of the La Raza Lawyers Association of San Mateo County, President 1995-1996
• Member of the Board of Directors of the Barristers Club of the Bar Association of San Francisco 1994-1995.
• Member of the Bar Association of San Francisco resolutions committee in 1994 and 1995, author of a resolution that passed without debate at the Conference of Delegates.

• What to do When a Friend Gets Arrested
  Made in California, KIQI Radio 2009
• Gender Bias in the Courtroom
  Preventing Gender Bias in the Courtroom, San Mateo County Bar Association 2008
• Immigration Consequences of Criminal Convictions
  Preventing Immigration consequences of criminal convictions, San Mateo County Bar Association 2008
• What You Need to Know about Identity Theft
  Your Legal Rights KALW, Public Radio 2008
• Starting Your Own Law Practice
  Lawyers Club of San Francisco 2006
• Starting Your Own Law Practice
  Barristers Club of San Francisco 2006
• Expert Commentary on Scott Peterson murder trial, Amber Fry testimony
  Fox News 2004
• Expert Commentary on Scott Peterson murder trial, analysis of the prosecution case
  Fox News 2004