Southside Berkeley Criminal Defense Attorney (Telegraph Avenue)
Morris Law PC — Berkeley criminal defense serving Southside residents. Wiley W. Manuel + René C. Davidson courthouses, Alameda County District Attorney.
Criminal Defense in Southside, Berkeley
Southside is a student-adjacent Berkeley neighborhood in ZIP 94704 and 94703. Southside includes People’s Park, the Telegraph Avenue commercial strip, student housing, and the immediate south edge of the UC Berkeley campus. Case volume includes student-adjacent charges and Telegraph corridor incidents. Morris Law PC’s Berkeley office at 2025 Rose Street is approximately 0.8 miles from Southside — a 4-minute drive or walk. We defend Southside residents across every category of California criminal charge.
Where Southside Cases Are Heard
Criminal cases arising in Southside are prosecuted by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. Depending on charge level, arraignment happens at one of two Oakland courthouses:
- Misdemeanor cases: Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse at 661 Washington Street in downtown Oakland
- Felony cases: René C. Davidson Courthouse at 1225 Fallon Street in downtown Oakland
Both courthouses are 3–5 miles south of Berkeley. Some traffic and infraction matters may be heard at the Berkeley Courthouse at 2120 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Custody transport following arrest is typically to Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.
Southside Neighborhood Overview
Boundaries: Bancroft Way to the north (UC Berkeley campus edge), Dwight Way to the south, College Avenue to the east, and Fulton Street to the west
Major streets: Telegraph Avenue, Bancroft Way, Dwight Way, Channing Way, Haste Street, Durant Avenue
Nearest BART: Downtown Berkeley BART (~0.5 miles north)
Police jurisdiction: Berkeley Police Department (BPD). Traffic on Interstate 80, Interstate 580, University Avenue at freeway approaches, and the Ashby BART tunnel may involve the California Highway Patrol. Some cases with campus involvement may also involve the UC Berkeley Police Department.
Charges We Defend in Southside
Morris Law represents Southside clients facing every category of California criminal charge. Common cases include:
- DUI — Vehicle Code §23152/§23153 arrests, common on University Avenue and I-80 approaches
- Drug crimes — possession, sale, and diversion-eligible cases under Prop 47 and PC 1000
- Domestic violence — PC 273.5, PC 243(e)(1) with restraining-order defense
- Violent crimes — assault (PC 245), battery, criminal threats (PC 422)
- Theft crimes — petty theft, grand theft, burglary, robbery
- Weapons charges — PC 25400 CCW, PC 25850, PC 29800 felon in possession
- Sex crimes — including Title IX matters with UC Berkeley overlap
- Felony defense — including strike offenses
- Misdemeanor defense — first-offense and repeat-offense representation
Diversion Options for Southside Residents
Alameda County offers strong first-offender infrastructure that Southside residents frequently qualify for:
- PC 1000 pretrial drug diversion — simple possession cases, dismissal on completion
- PC 1001.36 mental health diversion — cases where mental health condition contributed
- PC 1001.95 judicial diversion — most misdemeanors regardless of history
- PC 1001.80 military diversion — for veterans
See our Alameda County Diversion Programs guide for complete details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do Southside criminal cases go to court?
Misdemeanor cases arising in Southside are arraigned at the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse at 661 Washington Street in downtown Oakland. Felony cases go to the René C. Davidson Courthouse at 1225 Fallon Street. Some infraction matters may be handled at the Berkeley Courthouse at 2120 Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
Which police department handles Southside?
The Berkeley Police Department (BPD) has primary jurisdiction over Southside. Certain cases — those involving I-80, I-580, or the UC Berkeley campus — may involve the California Highway Patrol or UC Berkeley Police Department.
How far is Morris Law PC’s Berkeley office from Southside?
Morris Law’s Berkeley office at 2025 Rose Street, Suite 200 is approximately 0.8 miles from Southside — a 4-minute drive or walk. Our Berkeley office serves as the primary defense location for Southside residents.
Where will I be booked if arrested in Southside?
Most Berkeley arrests are booked at either the Berkeley Police Department facility at 2100 Martin Luther King Jr. Way or transferred to Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, the Alameda County Sheriff’s main custody facility. See our Santa Rita Jail guide for bail-out and visit information.
What is the fastest way to get legal help after an arrest in Southside?
Call Morris Law PC at (510) 824-8831 — we answer 24/7. Bail-out and DA charging decisions happen in the first 48 hours; getting counsel involved before arraignment materially improves case outcomes.
Talk to a Berkeley Criminal Defense Attorney
Morris Law PC has defended Southside residents across every category of California criminal charge. Founding attorney Seth Morris was a Deputy Public Defender in Alameda County, with 25+ jury trials in the same Oakland courthouses where Southside cases are heard.
Call (510) 824-8831 for a free 24/7 consultation. Berkeley office: 2025 Rose Street, Suite 200 (510) 824-8831. Oakland office: 2744 E 11th Street (510) 824-8831.