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  • Testimonials

    My case was a worst case scenario, when I called Todd for help I was a 48 year old professional with no criminal background. I knew I could rely on Todd as we had known each other for years and I knew him to be an excellent lawyer and well respected by his peers as a seasoned and skilled attorney. Todd informed me of what he expected to accomplish and the worst that could happen. I thought he was extremely patient and understanding with me and I was able to communicate with him whenever I needed. I felt completely protected throughout the entire process. The only thing I did not know about Todd was how incredibly experienced and knowledgeable he is and his unwavering commitment to protecting his clients. The result I received was well beyond my expectations. I was given a suspended sentence, probation and allowed to rebuild my life. I know without Todd I would never have received such a sentence. His ability to work with the prosecution, convince the Judge to do the right thing and his no nonsense manner impressed me and I recommend him to those who need the best criminal defense lawyer. — - Rob M.

    I’ve been a private investigator for over 15 years and I specialize in criminal defense cases. I’ve worked with hundreds of attorneys over the years and worked closely with Todd Melnik on several. I could count on one hand how many lawyers I would trust with my own family. Melnik is one. Many veteran attorneys care more about squeezing out your last dollar than defending you. Todd Melnik is passionate, diligent and presents cases for the best possible outcome. It’s a honor to have my name affiliated with his office. — - Leigh-Anne Salinas, Chief Investigator

    Todd, I can’t thank you enough and will never forget your hard work, tenacity and responsiveness during this seemingly unbearable time. I am grateful for the outcome you actualized, in addition to the second chance Jeffrey will now receive. I know my son was facing life in prison, but a 6 year deal was more than we had ever hoped for. Thank you so much for your hard work and caring so much about my son. — - Laura B.

    I was charged with five counts of assault weapon sales with gang allegations. Mr. Melnik took over my case as my criminal defense attorney. His availability to discuss my case was impressive. He always returns calls and is extremely professional. Immediately after accepting my case, Mr. Melnik conducted intensive research on the types of weapons I was being accused of. He wanted to make sure the weapons were in fact illegal in California. He discovered one of the weapons was legal and it was dropped from my charges. After multiple court appearances, and after conducting an interview with the ATF’s informant, Mr. Melnik discovered the he was not being truthful about my gang affiliation and the gang allegations were dropped. Mr. Melnik discussed my case with the District Attorney on several occasions. After first wanting to send me to prison, after discussions with Mr. Melnik for over a year, the District Attorney gave me a plea bargain in which I obtained three years probation with no jail time at all! Overall, Mr. Melnik is a very professional attorney with a lot of experience and an exceptional defense record. You can’t go wrong with him. — - Jose P.

    • Practices Areas

    Statewide Criminal Appeals Lawyer Los Angeles

    What should you do if convicted? Unless you are satisfied with being found guilty after trial or with your sentence, you will want to appeal your case. In California, you must appeal your case within 30 days of being sentenced. No exceptions. There are many levels to an appeal.

    What is an Appeal? A criminal appeal is basically a review of the trial to determine whether legal rulings that were made by the judge affected the outcome of the trial. An appeal can also be made that your lawyer provided ineffective assistance of counsel or that the prosecutor committed misconduct in the case. Except in rare cases, the court does not review the jury verdict to determine whether it thinks it is correct.

    The first level of appeal is in the District Court of Appeal for your area. In Los Angeles, it’s the Second District. If your appeal is denied, you may then appeal to the California Supreme Court. You have ten days to file that appeal after the Court of Appeal decision becomes final. No late filings are accepted. An appeal in the Supreme Court can only review issues raised in the Court of Appeal. You can’t add any issues.

    If your appeal is denied in the California Supreme Court, you may now appeal your case to the federal courts on issues that involve only U.S. Constitutional questions. They will not accept any issues that deal with state law. Again, you can’t raise any new issues in federal court that the state courts did not review.

    Because of this fact, it is extremely important that if you are going to appeal our trial result, that your attorney “federalizes” the issues so that you can appeal in the federal courts. Generally, appointed public attorneys do NOT federalize cases. There is no Public Defender’s office for appeals, but there is a panel of lawyers that take these appeals on a rotation basis and they don’t get paid to preserve your federal issues for later appeals. This is crucial especially for cases with long sentences. Remember, you get what you pay for.

    Mr. Melnik has been handling criminal appeals and writing briefs for over 20 years for both state and federal courts. He has been successful in many cases and has argued cases before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and California Supreme Court. He is able to represent you for any appeal of misdemeanor or felony case in any county of California.

    Mr. Melnik regularly receives referrals from other lawyers, and works hard for each client. If you want to put his experience and reputation to work for you, please contact him using the Contact Us form.