Locations
Federal Criminal Defense Across California
Statewide federal practice - four U.S. District Courts and appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
California is served by four federal trial courts and a single federal appeals court. George G. Mgdesyan represents clients in federal investigations, indictments, trials, and appeals across the state - applying the same federal rules and Sentencing Guidelines that govern every district while accounting for the local practices that differ from one court to the next.
California's four U.S. District Courts
Federal criminal trials in California take place in one of four U.S. District Courts. Each covers a region of the state and holds court in several cities, and which one hears a case depends on where the alleged conduct occurred.
- Northern District of California - San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, and Eureka
- Eastern District of California - Sacramento and Fresno
- Central District of California - Los Angeles, Santa Ana, and Riverside
- Southern District of California - San Diego and El Centro
Federal appeals: the Ninth Circuit
An appeal from any California federal district court goes to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the federal appellate court for California and several other western states. The Ninth Circuit reviews legal errors from the trial court rather than retrying the facts.
Federal appellate work is its own discipline - built on the trial record, focused on preserved issues, and argued in briefs and, in some cases, oral argument before a panel of judges.
Consistent federal rules, different local practice
Wherever a case is filed in California, federal practice shares a common backbone: the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and the constitutional protections that apply in every federal court.
What differs is the local texture - each district's local rules, standing orders, and the customs of its judges and U.S. Attorney's Office. Preparing a case means knowing both the national framework and the local court where it will be heard.
Representation wherever the case is filed
From the firm's base in Sherman Oaks, George G. Mgdesyan represents clients in federal matters across California - most often in the Central District, and elsewhere in the state as cases require - and on appeal to the Ninth Circuit.
Answers
Frequently asked questions
General information about defense in California (Federal). It is not legal advice. Every case turns on its own facts.
How many federal district courts are in California?
Which federal appeals court covers California?
Can one lawyer handle a federal case anywhere in California?
What is the difference between state and federal court here?
Where are federal appeals from California heard?
Facing a federal case anywhere in California?
From the trial courts to the Ninth Circuit, George G. Mgdesyan represents the accused in federal matters across the state. Speak with him directly about your situation.