Salvatore Peter Ciulla

SAVE YOUR MONEY. If I could give Salvatore Ciulla ZERO STARS, I would. I paid Sal over $50,000 for his “services.” After the payment, he revealed that he actually hires a private investigator to manage all the work, which would mean additional costs on top of what I already spent. This case dragged o...n for seven and a half years. With each passing year, Sal seemed to forget more details. About a year into the case, I provided him with documents that proved my innocence. Yet, at every court date, he would ask me about those same documents, indicating that he hadn’t bothered to review them at all. I ended up shelling out an additional $20,000 for the private investigator. After sifting through thousands of pages of discovery, he reached the conclusion that I had not broken any laws. However, during each court appearance, Sal appeared bewildered and resorted to intimidation tactics, trying to pressure me into accepting a plea deal from the District Attorney. Several times, when he and the DA were discussing the case in the courthouse hallway, he would shoo me away, clearly not wanting me to overhear their conversation. This struck me as highly suspicious. When I confronted him, asking, "Are you working for me or the DA?" he became very defensive and snapped, "I'm not going to argue with you." It was clear he didn’t want to advocate for me either, and he seemed offended when I refused to accept a plea deal. During one of the hearings, which extended beyond the usual 10 minutes, I felt that he was pressuring me into accepting a deal that wasn't in my best interest. I wanted a second and third opinion, so I reached out to a few attorneys I had worked with in the past. They practice law in states outside of California, or else I would have hired one of them instead of Sal. Sal grew frustrated, repeatedly checking his watch and tapping his shoe against the floor, unmistakably agitated. Before each of the many court appearances, I would reach out to him, either by call or text, hoping for an update, but he always ignored my messages. Sal, who is in his 70s, might be showing early signs of dementia, and I say this with genuine concern. He frequently arrived late and often seemed oblivious to what was going on around him. He always appeared quite dazed and confused. After everything was settled, I received a sentence of probation. He hurried me to check in with the probation office, even though I had 48 hours to do so. When I checked in, they informed me that I couldn’t leave the state until my probation was approved by the state I currently reside in. When I asked Sal if he was aware that I would be stuck in California after checking in, he responded, "I can't be bothered with this; my wife is in the hospital." It’s unbelievable that Sal failed to inform me that checking in would require me to stay in California for potentially weeks. He should have informed me about this so I could have arranged my affairs beforehand. I have children, a pet, work, and other responsibilities. I honestly think he forgot about the probation process, just as he seems to have forgotten everything else. Sal Ciulla was unprofessional and unaware throughout my entire 7.5-year case. In my opinion, he has no business ACTING as an attorney.

In March 2013 I was arrested for Felony burglary. Having worked with Sal on a prior DUI charge I came to him and asked what my options were. After going over the case facts with him, he built a case for me that has worked well in my favor. The charges were reduced to misdemeanor and although I was... given a bit of jail time, Sal was able to work with the judge and DA to have the sentence reduced and the the time served with CWP. I did not serve an jail time and most importantly the charges are not felony and will (hopefully) not affect my future. I was not put on formal probation either. My past had caught up to me, and with Sal’s help, I’m able to clean up my past ways and live a normal life moving forward. Mr. Ciulla’s professionalism and legal prowess helped me put an end to the endless chain of mistakes I had made and become a responsible member of society. Thank you Sal for all your efforts.

Words cannot express how thankful I am for Salvatore Ciulla.  Three years and seven months ago was the time I was blind sided with an arrest and falsely accused of a heinous crime that would have altered my life forever.  To you that may be reading, this was not something petty, I was being accused o...f Rape.  When I had been taken into custody, the bail bondsman who heard my story, told me there was only one man to resolve this situation and that was Sal.  My family and I met with many attorneys regarding the matter and their consensus was to throw me to the wolves and hope for the best.  Enter Sal Ciulla.  I will never forget the day I met him.   Sal is a very realistic, honest man and is heavily revered by his peers. I often noticed at my court appearances that other attorneys would greet him and knew very well who he is.  He is unmatched in his expertise of defense. Sal used his resources and his tremendous team through research and private investigations brought all the facts of my situation to light. He created a way for the court and the District Attorney to look at the person who I really am and see that this charge was something I would not ever conceive of doing.  He went beyond his protocol as a defense attorney to protect my future.  Keep in mind, having this type of offense not only carries a prison sentence but also would have required me to register as a sex offender. I was not going to be able to work or live or anywhere if convicted.  Sal was able to negotiate with the District Attorney a lesser charge that only required community service which to my knowledge is an unheard of outcome for any accusation of an offense that has a sexual nature.  No prison, no registration, Sal saved my life. If you are trying to find the right person to defend you and really knows the law, don't hesitate and contact his office right away. I thank God for Salvatore Ciulla.