Attorney Richard Scott Guite is the sole proprietor of the Law Offices of R. Scott Guite located in Petaluma, California. Petaluma is located in Sonoma County. Mr. Guite has been providing criminal defense services throughout the Bay Area since 1991. A native of North Carolina, he graduated from Duke University with a B.A. in History in 1983. He then served a stint in the U.S. Army, during which time he attended a number of special operations and leadership training courses including Airborne and Ranger Schools.

In the Fall of 1987, he entered law school at the University of Georgia. The following year, he transferred to the University of San Francisco where he obtained his Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1990. Admitted to The State Bar of California in January, 1991.

After law school, he went to work at the San Rafael law firm of Ragghianti, Lusse and Thomas – a general purpose civil litigation and criminal defense firm. He opened his own office in 1995, concentrating solely on criminal defense and related areas of law such as litigating license suspension with the California Department of Motor Vehicles and defending temporary restraining orders. He has represented criminal defendants in most of the Northern California counties as well as the U.S. District Court in San Francisco; but the bulk of his practice is in the Bay Area counties of Sonoma, Marin, Napa, Solano, Lake, Contra Costa and Alameda.

Contact Mr. Guite today if you need legal assistance with any of the following:

• Criminal Defense
• All Felonies and Misdemeanors
• Occasional Traffic Court
• Driving Under the Influence
• Domestic Violence
• One, Two or Three Strike Cases
• Defending the Alcohol or Drug Addicted Client
• Defending the Client with Mental Health Issues
• Defending the Military Veteran
• California Department of Motor Vehicles License Suspensions
• Temporary Restraining Orders

In addition to private clients, Mr. Guite represented indigent clients in Marin County throughout the 1990s – initially through the county run indigent criminal defense panel, and then through Alternative Defender’s Incorporated (“ADI”), a nonprofit corporation which took over for the county. He later served on ADI’s Board of Directors.

In 2005, Mr. Guite moved his law office from San Rafael to Petaluma, where he currently lives with his wife and daughter.

If you are located in Sonoma, Marin, Napa, Solano, Lake, Contra Costa or Alameda County and need a criminal defense lawyer, call Attorney R. Scott Guite today at 707-200-7705 to arrange your free initial consultation.

Fees

For most people cost is a factor in determining whether to hire private defense counsel and who to hire.  While I am willing to charge by the hour, most of my clients prefer flat fee agreements because of the degree of certainty those agreements afford.  

In misdemeanor cases, the fee varies based on the type of case, but the average is approximately $1,250.  The fee is graduated meaning that it does not include the cost of drafting motions, hiring investigators, hiring experts, trial preparation, or trial.  Those additional services are paid for as needed and as authorized by the client.  However, many misdemeanor cases are resolved without the need to draft motions, and most are resolved short of going to trial.  Thus, in the majority of my misdemeanor cases the initial fee does in fact pay for all of the legal services necessary to see a case through to its conclusion.   

In felony cases, the average initial fee is approximately $2,500, but can be significantly more in complex and/or serious cases.  Like misdemeanor cases, the vast majority of felony cases are resolved short of going to trial, but the more serious felony cases oftentimes do require pre-trial evidentiary hearings, motions, an investigator and extensive trial preparation even if the case  does not ultimately go to trial.  Those additional services are paid for as needed and as  authorized by the client.

A fee related question I am often asked is whether I accept payments.  I do within reason. In the smaller and medium fee cases ($5,000 and below), I require at least half the fee up front and the remainder within a few weeks.  In the higher fee cases, I am more flexible on payments as long as I am convinced that the client or the client’s family ultimately has the financial means to pay for his or her defense.