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Law Office of Christopher J. Whelton APCMember
Christopher J. Whelton
Pro

Christopher J. Whelton

4.9
90 reviews

30754 Wealth Street, Murrieta, CA 92563

Criminal Defense, Misdemeanors, Felonies and 11 more

About Christopher J. Whelton

I have been an attorney for over 31 years. Currently I practice criminal defense in all southern California Superior Courts including Murrieta, Riverside, Banning, Vista, San Diego, Indio, Rancho Cucamonga, Fullerton and others. I represent adult and juvenile clients charged with all levels of misdemeanor and felony offenses including DUI, domestic violence, theft, assault, battery, drugs, violent crimes, sex crimes, gang allegations, homicides, and Violations of Probation. I also represent clients at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

• 2021 Named Top Ten Criminal Defense Attorney in California by Attorney Practice and Office Magazine

• 10/10 Superb Rating by AVVO.com Attorney Rating service

• Rated #1 Criminal Defense Attorney Murrieta CA for 2022 by Expertise.com

• "AV" Rated by Martindale Hubbell Attorney Rating Service

• Perfect 5/5 star Reviews on Yelp.com

 

Christopher J. Whelton (Murrieta, California) View website

Awards

Client Reviewed
This badge is granted to attorneys who have been reviewed by a past client.
Champion Badge Reviewed
AV Preeminent Peer Rated
This elite award is granted to attorneys who have been recognized by their peers for their very high ethical standards, with an average peer review score of 4.5 or higher.
Martindale-Hubbell Peer AV
Avvo Client's Choice
This award is granted to attorneys with at least 5 reviews with 4+ stars in a given year on Avvo.com.
Avvo Client Choice

Client Champion Awards

Client Champion awards recognize those attorneys who excel at service as affirmed by their clients. The awards, based on the quantity and quality of an attorney’s Martindale-Hubbell client reviews, demonstrate an ongoing commitment to delivering excellent client service. Award recipients stand out from their peers with a platinum, gold or silver icon.

Champion Badge Silver

At least three reviews and a score of 4.0 or higher.

Champion Badge Gold

At least six reviews and a score of 4.2 or higher.

Champion Badge Platinum

At least ten reviews and a score of 4.5 or higher.

Martindale Peer Awards

A lawyer who receives a minimum threshold of qualifying responses from fellow attorneys can qualify for one of three prestigious Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings:

Martindale-Hubbell Peer AV Preeminent Rating

AV Preeminent®: The highest peer rating standard. This rating signifies a large number of the lawyer’s peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal knowledge, communication skills and ethical standards.

Christopher J. Whelton got this award in 2021

Martindale-Hubbell Peer Distinguished Rating

Distinguished: An excellent rating for a lawyer with some experience. This rating indicates the attorney is widely respected by their peers for high professional achievement and ethical standards.

Martindale-Hubbell Peer Notable Rating

Notable: This rating indicates that the lawyer has been recognized by a large number of their peers for strong ethical standards.

Avvo Awards

Avvo Top Contributor

Avvo Top Contributor: The Avvo Top Contributor Award is granted to attorneys who have earned significant contribution points in a given year on our sister site, Avvo.com. Contribution points are earned by answering questions in Q&A, publishing Legal Guides, and other useful contributions to the Avvo community.

Avvo Client Choice

Avvo Client’s Choice: The Avvo Client's Choice Award Badge is granted to attorneys with a significant number of 4+ star reviews in a given year.

Christopher J. Whelton got this award in 2021

Reviews for Christopher J. Whelton

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Overall Rating
4.9
See All Reviews
90
3.6
Lawyers.com
3
4.8
Martindale
12
5.0
Avvo
75
Showing 1-3 of 3 client reviews from Lawyers.com
Lawyers.com Rating Snapshot
5 stars
33%
4 stars
33%
3 stars
0%
2 stars
0%
1 star
33%
What do people say on Lawyers.com?
Communication
3.7
Quality of Service
3.3
Responsiveness
3.7
Value for Money
3.7
DUI/DWI
Posted by Jazmine
September 15, 2022
Hired Attorney

I luckily found Mr. Chris Whelton and his lovely office associate Guadalupe on my very long and scary search for legal assistance with my criminal defense. I was blindly trying to deal with the consequences of my first ever arrest and more importantly my first ever criminal charge of two misdemeanor DUIs with a possibility of enhancement charges. I had looked into many options for criminal defense attorneys. However after contacting Chris's office with little hope left for my cases and speaking briefly with Lupe, she transferred me directly over to Chris. Where I got to explain my case to him and he walked me through all the different possible outcomes I could expect from my case, good and bad. He made it feel very one on one personal, like I wasn’t just some criminal because of my bad decision. Chris ended up negotiating a great plea deal for me with the DA. I’m incredibly grateful for Chris and his team to help guide and support me through this difficult experience in my life!

 
DUI/DWI
Posted by anonymous
January 22, 2025
Hired Attorney

Thank you Chris! I am just now getting to a review for a job well done. I received my first DUI and felt lost. Chris knew what to do and was patient. I live out of the country, so my situation was a little different than most. We had a few hiccups along the way due to my out-of-country status, but Chris handled everything and with ease. He returned my calls within one hour, and he was very reasonably priced, with no surprise charges. I am very pleased with the service I received. Thank you Chris!

 
Criminal Law
Posted by anonymous
March 31, 2022
Hired Attorney

If you are looking for an attorney that actually fights for you CHRIS WHELTON IS NOT THE ATTORNEY FOR YOU! This Guy is absolutely useless. He is lazy, inpatient, incompetent, rude, nervous in front of the judge, and just plain out a waste of $15,000.That's just for him to show up for one or 2 court dates and give you absolutely no information, no guidance, and worse of all- no compassion for his clients or they're family. Then he will tell you that he needs another $20,000 to still just do absolutely nothing. How he has so many good reviews, who knows? He probably paid people to write them with all of the money he swindles out of desperate people trying to help they're loved ones. Who knew that even the attorney who just drained your already empty bank account would treat someone like they were guilty until proven innocent. Sickening. I REPEAT- DO NOT HIRE THIS NO GOOD P.O.S.!!!

 
From the Martindale-Avvo Legal Network

Services

Areas of Law

  • Criminal Law 4
    • Misdemeanors
    • Felonies
    • Theft
    • Sex Crimes
  • Domestic Violence
  • Assault
  • Other 8
    • Criminal Defense
    • DUI
    • Battery
    • Drugs
    • Violent Crimes
    • Gang Allegations
    • Homicides
    • Violations of Probation

Practice Details

  • Languages
    Spanish
  • Payment Information
    Payment & Cost Features
    Free initial consultation
    Accepted Credit Cards
    American Express
    Discover
    MasterCard
    Other
    Visa
  • Firm Information
    Position
    Member
    Firm Name
    Law Office of Christopher J. Whelton APC
  • Additional Links
    https://wheltonlaw.com/

Experience

  • Bar Admission & Memberships
    Admissions
    1991, California
    1991, U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
    1993, Vermont
    1993, U.S. District Court, District of Vermont
    1994, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
    1995, U.S. Supreme Court
    Memberships
    San Diego County, Rutland County, Vermont and American Bar Associations
    State Bar of California
    San Diego County Trial Lawyers Association
    Defense Research Institute.
  • Education & Certifications
    Law School
    Thomas Jefferson School of Law
    Class of 1989
    J.D.
    Other Education
    University of Colorado
    Class of 1982
    B.A.

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Attorneys FAQs

  • What year was this attorney first admitted to the bar?
    Christopher J. Whelton was admitted in 1991 to the State of California.
  • Is this attorney admitted to the bar in more than one state?
    Yes, Christopher J. Whelton is admitted to practice in California and Vermont.
  • Is this attorney admitted to practice in any U.S. Federal Courts?
    Christopher J. Whelton is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, United States District Court for the District of Vermont, United States District Court for the Southern District of California and United States Supreme Court.
  • Does this attorney speak any other languages?
    Christopher J. Whelton speaks Spanish.
  • What law school did this attorney attend?
    Christopher J. Whelton attended Thomas Jefferson School of Law.

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