Jonathan Rooker is an associate with the best and some of the most experienced attorneys in Fresno. The office provides defense to in Criminal Defense cases to clients in Kings County, Visalia, Tulare County, Fresno, and Madera Counties. The office is located in Central Fresno near the Fresno County Superior Court and the Federal Court of the Eastern District of California.
We provide aggressive defense to clients cases, and utilize our experience, familiarity, and respect within the court systems to help our clients achieve the best results possible in their case.
Clients have appreciate the comprehensive service that includes assisting the client with maintaining or gaining a valid California Drivers license, appearing in court on their behalf, and defending them against criminal allegations. Jonathan understands that their is more to defending a client than is seen on papers, motions, forms, writs, or appeals. There is a human aspect that cannot be ignored, and complete assistance can be crucial in helping a client put their life back together after and embarrassing incident or allegation. Jonathan understands that clients are facing severe penalties that can be life altering when accused of DUI / Drunk Driving / or "Driving While Impaired" charges. First Offense DUI / DWI is traumatizing enough, but Second Offense DUI / DWI, Third Offense, and Felony DUI / DWI charges along with DUI Manslaughter and Felony DUI with Great Bodily Injury (GBI) can result in extremely long prison sentences. DUI Murder, which is commonly supported by the "Watson" advisement on a prior DUI imputes knowledge and intent upon the defendant, and may support a guilty verdict in a DUI / Murder case.
Jonathan Rooker is recognized by some of the elite DUI attorney's in the nation as being at the forefront of a new movement toward science and education to defend DUI and other crimes. He is a member of the National Trial Lawyers Association Top 100 trial lawyers of 2014, California DUI Lawyers Association, National College for DUI Defense, and a founding member of the DUI Defense Lawyers Association which was founded in 2014 and now boats over 500 DUI Defense Attorneys among its members, and is growing rapidly.
The DUI Defense Lawyers Association is an organization of defense attorneys who have in large part acquired an extensive education after passing the bar to benefit their clients cases. Jonathan is one of these lawyers who has continued to gain education at a rapid pace, separating himself from the others. Jonathan has appeared on local television multiple times talking with hosts about DUI / DWI and Domestic Violence defense along with other criminal defense topics. He is one of the few attorneys in the state that has been qualified and testified as an expert witness at the California Department of Motor Vehicles on the subject of forensic toxicology and retrograde extrapolation of alcohol in the human body.
We stay at the cutting edge of DUI / DWI defense by reviewing the current law, most recent case ruling, scientific literature, peer reviewed scholarly articles, and attending educational courses both in person and via the web. Distinguishing ones self as an authority in their field by outworking other other attorneys is important. Jonathan is nearing the completion of his second Masters Degree, this one in Forensic Toxicology, and plans to continue his education thereafter. Expecting to gain the prestigious Lawyer Scientist Designation from the American Chemical Society, the highest award an attorney can receive from the ACS, in 2015, (There are only Five ACS Lawyer Scientists in California as this is being typed) along with the M.S. Forensic Toxicology shows Jonathan's passion and desire for defending DUI clients at the highest level.
How can I help you?
Helping clients is the most important thing an attorney does. It is our job, career, and profession. There is an art and a science to helping people. Helping DUI / Drunk Driving clients in the Fresno Area is what I do. I understand the traumatic effect a DUI can have on a persons life. Their reputation, employment, careers, future, marriages, and lives can be damaged beyond repair. Also, helping people make the right decisions moving forward, to avoid a continued downward slide, or exasperating their current problem by adding more problems is an important role that an attorney plays while helping the clients. There may be attendance at AA meetings, loss of license / driving privileges, increase of cancellation of the clients insurance policy - which leaves them scrambling to satisfy the law by maintaining valid insurance, ignition interlocks devices which can be embarrassing and if you drive people for work purposes, down right prohibitive.
Hiring an Attorney to Defend you against DUI / Drunk Driving Allegations:
Experience counts, in fact it is vital. Experience can be measured in a number of ways. How many DUI clients have you helped defend themselves against charges is one of the most valid ways. How many trials have you defended? This number may be lower than one would expect, but keep in mind that the trials last nearly a week, and very few DUI cases actually go to trial. Many receive plea deals, others are dismissed at motions hearings, and some are reduced to a lower level offense such as a reckless driving or wet reckless driving. Some clients can't take a week off to sit in court while a jury is picked, testimony is given, evidence is presented, and a verdict is given. A DUI trial with evidence issues that could help exonerate a client could take a full week or longer. The more knowledge a DUI Defense Attorney has, the more time he may need to cross examine the expert witnesses for the state and the defense expert on direct testimony. Understanding Field Sobriety Tests will lead to a longer cross examination of the officer.
Relevant Experience can be measured in "Years in Practice" but it comes with a caveat. Years in practice tells you little about the attorney's real experience with DUI Defense. Many lawyers have switched fields of practice multiple times, including civil litigation, Family Law, or other areas of practice. Others may practice criminal defense, but rarely experience a DUI case or DUI trial, due to their areas of practice entailing appointed work, federal defense, or other areas. Jonathan worked at the Fresno County Public Defenders office, and tried multiple cases, and defended 100's if not thousands of DUI clients in high volume, exposing him to almost every foreseeable issue that could appear in a DUI case. This is real life criminal defense experience involving an extraordinary number of DUI cases. That is RELEVANT experience, which can help you.
These are all factors you may want to consider when hiring a defense attorney to assist you.