Criminal Defense in Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) | The Law Office of Zak Fisher

The Law Office of Zak Fisher represents people charged with misdemeanors and other criminal offenses in Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA), with flat-fee pricing and a free 20-minute consultation. DTLA misdemeanor cases are heard at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, the central criminal courthouse for Los Angeles County.

Downtown LA covers a wide footprint — the Financial District, Bunker Hill, the Arts District, South Park, Historic Core, Little Tokyo, Chinatown, Fashion District, and Skid Row. Most of DTLA is policed by LAPD’s Central Division (251 E. 6th Street). Zak Fisher (Cal Bar #332712, J.D. UCLA School of Law 2020) handles every case personally.

Where DTLA criminal cases are heard

Most DTLA misdemeanor cases are filed by the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office (for state law misdemeanors arising within City of Los Angeles boundaries) or by the LA County District Attorney’s Office, and heard at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, 210 W. Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. The Foltz CJC is the central criminal courthouse for Los Angeles County and houses both the District Attorney’s central office and many of the highest-volume criminal departments in the state.

Common misdemeanor charges in DTLA

• DUI (VC 23152) — LAPD Central, LAPD traffic divisions, and CHP enforce DUI heavily on the 110, 101, and 10 freeway approaches and downtown surface streets.
• Petty theft (PC 484, 488, 490.2) — including shoplifting (PC 459.5) from retailers in the Fashion District, Grand Central Market, FIGat7th, and ground-floor retail across DTLA.
• Simple battery (PC 242) — frequent in bar, restaurant, and street-altercation contexts.
• Public intoxication (PC 647(f)) — high-volume in DTLA, often cite-and-release.
• Drug possession (HS 11350, 11377) — heavily enforced, particularly around transit hubs and Skid Row-adjacent areas.
• Trespass (PC 602) — frequent in commercial buildings, transit stations, and residential lobbies.
• Disturbing the peace (PC 415) — common stand-alone or reduction outcome.
• Criminal threats (PC 422) — wobbler often filed after street and workplace altercations.
• Vandalism (PC 594) — graffiti enforcement is particularly active in DTLA.
• Resisting, delaying, or obstructing (PC 148) — frequently charged in conjunction with other offenses.
• First Amendment-related charges — DTLA’s protest, demonstration, and public-assembly activity sometimes results in misdemeanor charges that implicate First Amendment defenses.

What to do if you’ve been arrested in DTLA

1. Stay silent. Politely invoke your right to remain silent and ask for an attorney. Do not explain, do not “clear things up.”
2. Note your arraignment date and department at the Foltz CJC. Your citation or release paperwork will identify the date and courtroom.
3. Identify the filing prosecutor. LA City Attorney files most state misdemeanors arising in the City of Los Angeles; LA County District Attorney files cases involving certain statutes and felonies.
4. Preserve evidence. Save text messages, photos, video, receipts, and witness contacts.
5. Consult counsel as soon as possible. The Foltz CJC’s central criminal calendar moves quickly; preparation time matters.

DTLA-specific defense considerations

• Reviewing LAPD body-worn camera footage, dispatch audio, and any available surveillance footage from DTLA’s dense network of public and private cameras.
• Motions to suppress evidence under Penal Code section 1538.5 where Fourth Amendment grounds for a stop, detention, or search are weak.
• Pitchess motions under Evidence Code sections 1043 to 1045 for LAPD officer personnel records — including prior complaints for excessive force, dishonesty, or improper search.
• Negotiation of pretrial diversion under Penal Code section 1001.95.
• Mental health diversion under 1001.36 and military diversion under 1001.80 where applicable.
• For First Amendment-implicated charges, defenses grounded in the First Amendment and California’s heightened protection of expressive activity.

Flat-fee pricing

Every engagement is quoted as a flat fee in writing before any retainer is paid. The fee is set by case type and stage. There are no hourly bills and no surprise invoices.

About Zak Fisher

Zakary R. Fisher is a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney. He earned his J.D. from UCLA School of Law in 2020 and was admitted to the State Bar of California in October 2020 (license #332712, active). He is a member of the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 (California). Zak runs the Law Office of Zak Fisher as a solo practice and personally handles every case. Read the full attorney bio.

Frequently asked questions about DTLA misdemeanors

Where is the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center?

The Foltz CJC is located at 210 W. Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012, in the Civic Center area of DTLA. It is the central criminal courthouse for Los Angeles County.

Who is the city prosecutor in Los Angeles?

The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office prosecutes state law misdemeanors arising within City of Los Angeles boundaries (which includes most of DTLA). The LA County District Attorney’s Office handles felonies and certain misdemeanors.

What is LAPD Central Division?

LAPD Central Division, headquartered at 251 E. 6th Street, is the LAPD division that polices most of DTLA. Most DTLA arrests are processed through Central, and many DTLA-arising misdemeanor cases involve Central Division officers and the body-worn camera footage from their patrols.

Schedule a free consultation

The Law Office of Zak Fisher offers a free 20-minute consultation to anyone facing a pending criminal charge in DTLA or anywhere in Los Angeles County. There is no obligation to retain.