Jess Raphael

Jess Raphael

4.9
Rating: 8.6

Licensed for 36 years

Criminal defense Lawyer at Napa, CA
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, DUI & DWI

845 Jefferson St, Napa, CA

About Jess

Biography

Practice Areas

2

Practice Areas

Criminal Defense 80%

I practiced for 25 years in the Napa Public Defender's Office, including 8 years as the Senior Trial Deputy, handling the most serious felonies including Capital Murder, violent crimes, gang crimes, sex and domestic crimes, drug cases, and of course DUI's. I have taken appeals as high as the California and US Supreme Court, but primarily I am a trial lawyer.

37 years | 2,500 cases

80%
DUI and DWI 20%

With almost thirty years of experience during an era of zero tolerance for DUI, I have probably defended more misdemeanor and felony DUI jury trials than any other defense attorney in the history of Napa County.

37 years | 300 cases

20%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Retainer

Always


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in California for 36 years

State: California

Acquired: 1989

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Jess Raphael, Attorney at Law

845 Jefferson St, Napa, CA, 94559-2422

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Jess Raphael's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.9 /5.0

12 Client Reviews

5 star (11) 4 star (1)
3 star (0)
2 star (0)
1 star (0)

Posted by Rebecca | March 16, 2021 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Best Choice I Ever Made

I cannot say enough or thank Jess Raphael enough for all that he has done. My juvenile son was arrested for serious felony charges. Raphael from the beginning fiercely defended my son and never backed down from the judge or DA. He protected my son's rights, he thoroughly went through the eviden...ce, he challenged the DA, he questioned the police reports........in the end ALL THE CHARGES WERE DROPPED, NO PROBATION, GPS MONITOR IMMEDIATLY REMOVED. Jess Raphael is a beast, a lion in the court room. I could not of chosen a better person to represent my son, I can not thank him enough for all that he has done for us. You will not regret hiring him on any level.

Posted by Nicole | May 15, 2018 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Best defense attorney in Napa

We called Jess Raphael after an unfortunate event & he didn't hesitate to meet us on a Sunday morning, which immediately put us at ease - after going over details we felt confident putting our case in Jess' (extremely capable) hands. Jess Raphael really shines in the courtroom - not only is he as ...knowledgeable as they come when it comes to the law (seriously, this man pulled laws out of his back pocket that shocked even the judge), but he was always 3 steps ahead of the prosecutor, all while remaining professional & respectful to all parties involved. Nothing is scarier than leaving your fate in the hands of strangers, but I assure you Jess will fight for your wellbeing until the very end - I went from loosing all faith in our justice system due to the bleak situation I was in to faith completely restored as Jess cried tears of joy with me when our verdict was read. I can rest easy knowing that Jess Raphael is my legal counsel & wont ever have to think twice before recommending his expertise to any of my loved ones - THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING, JESS!

Posted by anonymous | October 4, 2017 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Genuine, good hearted, hard working attorney

Jess made himself available several times in a difficult time for me, to include taking a phone call while on a personal vacation out of the country. He met with me and immediately dove into my case and gave me confidence that I had sought out the right guy. If you are looking for someone that will p...ersonally be working with you and not a talking head that will pass you off to a jr attorney, this is your guy.

Posted by anonymous | April 5, 2017 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Excellent

I was falsely accused of a DV case. I interviewed several attorneys before choosing Jess Raphael. He reviewed the information provided to him and was able to have the charge dropped. Jess was available 24 / 7 during my ordeal. Even when on vacation, which i was not aware of at the time, he ...maintained communications with me. I am very impressed with his work ethics and persistence.

Posted by anonymous | January 26, 2016 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

After being accused of domestic violence, Jess fought for me and cleared my name.

When I got stuck in the legal system for the very first time, I needed someone who knew the law like the back of their hand and would fight for me. Jess didn’t just take my case on, he really cared about me and the outcome. Jess is a man of integrity and intellect. He was not looking to just get ...paid. He has a calling to defend the innocent from a broken legal system. Through the entirety of my case, it seemed like Jess was playing chess while the DA was playing checkers. He always seemed to be one step ahead of the prosecution and predicted their every move. He lost sleep, missed time with his family, and changed his life to accommodate any needs of my case. He did not treat me like a number, but rather a friend that would do anything in his power to help. In a time that felt like the world was falling down all around me, Jess stood by me and offered sound legal advice and genuine concern. After months of losing sleep and being emotionally stressed about my case, Jess beat the DA in court. When he won, I was emotional and cried uncontrollably. He calmly put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Now You Can Sleep Again”. Lawyers have a reputation of only caring about their interests. Not Jess. His moral fabric shines through. He helped me find justice in a legal system that often lacks it.

See All Client Reviews

Jess Raphael's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Jess
Matthew James O'Connor headshot
Matthew O'Connor

Criminal defense lawyer | Jun 25

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I highly recommend Jess Raphael to anyone who has been been accused of a crime. Jess is an exceptional trial attorney who has the experience and knowledge necessary to take a case to trial and achieve favorable results for his clients. I have worked on cases with Jess and have seen first hand how he is always prepared and extremely accessible to his clients."

Trevor Jordan Rose headshot
Trevor Rose

Criminal defense lawyer | Jun 24

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Jess is a phenomenal advocate. He is incredibly skillful and knowledgeable in all facets of criminal law, whether in filing motions on behalf of his clients or representing them in contested hearings or even at trial. A true professional in all senses of the word."

Douglas C. Skelton headshot
Douglas Skelton

Criminal defense lawyer | Jun 16

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I have known Jess for several years, and his reputation truly precedes him. His reputation amongst the judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys is that he is one of the smartest, toughest and most skilled trial lawyers in Napa County. And it's true. He is. I was lucky to have Jess as my mentor in the beginning of my career with the Napa Public Defender's Office, and I'm grateful for his advice today whenever I have a tough case in which I need to lean on his extensive experience. I cannot recommend Jess enough."

Robert Lee Marshall headshot
Robert Marshall

Criminal defense lawyer | Jun 12

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Jess and I worked together for a client who had open cases in Napa and Solano counties. It was a complicated matter involving felony sentences in the two counties. Together, we were able to convince a judge that the client had already served the maximum sentence for all of his felony matters, and get the client released from custody. I have the highest respect for Jess and endorse him wholeheartedly."

Peter John Marek headshot
Peter Marek

Criminal defense lawyer | Jan 24

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse jess. 26 years experience as a public defender is extremely experienced. The advantage of this experience is that you know everyone at the courts and the District attorneys know that you know what they know. EXPERIENCE MATTERS! Do yourself a favor and schedule a consultation"

View All Endorsements
Matthew James O'Connor headshot
Matthew O'Connor

DUI and DWI lawyer

Douglas C. Skelton headshot
Douglas Skelton

DUI and DWI lawyer

Robert Lee Marshall headshot
Robert Marshall

Criminal defense lawyer

Amy Fryer Morton headshot
Amy Morton

Violent crime lawyer

Mervin Conrad Lernhart Jr headshot
Mervin Lernhart

Criminal defense lawyer

Experience

Rating:  8.6 (Excellent)

Honors

2020

Client Rating, Martindale-Hubbell

1987

Ethics Award, American Jurisprudence

1986

Civil Procedure Award, American Jurisprudence

Work Experience

2015 - Present

Attorney, Raphael Law

1989 - 2014

Senior Trial Attorney, Napa County Public Defender

1988 - 1989

Attorney, Littler Mendelson Fastiff & Tichy

1986 - 1988

Legal Intern, Boulder County District Attorney

Associations

2015 - Present

Napa County Bar Association

Chair, Criminal Law Section

2014 - Present

California Attorneys for Criminal Justice

Member

1989 - Present

California Public Defenders Association

Member

1990 - 1996

Napa County Bar Association

Chair, Criminal Defense Section

Sample of Legal Cases

People v. Madrigal

Pending

People v. Taylor

Jury verdict - Not guilty by reason of insanity

People v. Mitchell

Constitutional issue lost in trial court, argued and lost at First District Court of Appeals, Petition for Review denied at Cal Supreme Ct, Writ of Certiorari denied at US Supreme Court. Never stop the fight when you are right.

See More Legal Cases

Education

1988

University of Colorado School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1985

Univ of California at Los Angeles

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

1993

Napa County Bar Association Brown Bag

Immigration Law

Publications

N/A

DUI Manual - Ed Kuwatch Admissibility of serum versus whole blood results

N/A

DUI Manual - Ed Kuwatch When does a DUI suspension become no operator's license?

Languages

Spanish

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

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