A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE.

Criminal defense in Modesto and Stanislaus County

Name: Law Office of Matthew Begoun
Address: 801 10th Street, 5th Floor, Modesto, CA, 95354, USA
Telephone: (209) 200-8655
Price range: $$

Stanislaus County criminal defense, by a former prosecutor.

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Practice Areas

What we handle.

Felony, misdemeanor, and federal matters across Stanislaus County. Each engagement begins with a complete read of the file and an honest assessment of where the case can go.

DUI defense

A DUI arrest sets two cases in motion: a criminal case in Stanislaus County Superior Court, and a separate action against your license at the DMV. Each runs on its own track and its own timeline.

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California prosecutes drug offenses under the Health & Safety Code. The same conduct can be charged as simple possession, possession for sale, transportation, or manufacturing — with very different consequences. The way the case is charged is often as important as whether the case can be won at trial.

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Domestic violence defense

Domestic-violence cases move fast at the front end. Within days of an arrest, a Criminal Protective Order (CPO) is usually in place, you may be barred from your own home, and decisions made at arraignment shape what the rest of the case looks like.

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Assault and battery defense

Assault and battery cases in California cover a wide spectrum — from a misdemeanor shoving match to a felony with a deadly-weapon allegation and great-bodily-injury enhancement that adds years. The labels matter: a charge under one Penal Code section can be a "strike" for life; the same conduct charged differently may not be.

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Sex crime defense

Sex-crime cases are unlike any other category of criminal defense. The investigation typically begins long before an arrest. The decisions made during that quiet window — who's spoken to, what's said, what's preserved — often determine whether charges are filed at all.

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Federal criminal defense

A federal investigation is not a bigger version of a state case — it's a different system with different rules, different timelines, and very different consequences. If a federal agent has reached out, or if you've received a target letter, subpoena, or grand jury notice, the moment to engage counsel is now, not after charges are filed.

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About

Matthew Begoun

Stanislaus County criminal defense attorney. Before opening Begoun Law, Matthew prosecuted felony cases — including serious and violent offenses — at the Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office. He brings that charging-side perspective to every case he now defends.

A former prosecutor's read.

Most defense attorneys learn the criminal-justice system from the outside. Matthew learned it from the inside — in charging meetings, in plea-authorization conversations, and at trial.

What gets filed.

The line between a felony filing, a reduced charge, and a rejection isn't random — it's office policy, the filing deputy's read, and what the DA can prove.

What's in the DA's file.

Discovery is what gets turned over. The DA's file is what's there. They are not the same thing.

Where the offer sits.

Some offers a line deputy can authorize. Some have to go up to a supervisor or the front office. Knowing where the decision actually sits saves weeks.

Which cases they fight.

Some cases the DA will negotiate. Some they won't. Recognizing the difference early lets the defense focus its energy where it matters.

Process

How representation works.

Four stages, in plain language.

01
The first call.
Tell us what you've been told and what you remember. We figure out where the case is — pre-charge, post-arrest, post-arraignment — and what's on the calendar.
02
The plan.
Before you sign an engagement, you'll know what the case looks like, what defenses are realistic, and what the likely path is. If a different lawyer is the right call, we'll say so.
03
The work.
Reviewing reports, body-cam, lab results, and witness statements. Filing motions that matter. Negotiating where it makes sense, going to trial when it doesn't.
04
The result.
A dismissal where we can get one. A reduction or diversion when the facts support it. A trial when the offer doesn't reflect what the case actually is.

If you've just been arrested or contacted by police

What to do right now.

Don't talk to investigators without a lawyer.
Politely say you want an attorney, and stop talking. That's not an admission of anything — it's your Fifth Amendment right.
Write down what happened while it's fresh.
Names of officers, what was said, what was searched, any witnesses. Keep it for your attorney — don't post it.
If this is a DUI, note the date of arrest.
You have 10 calendar days to request a DMV hearing or your license suspension goes into effect automatically.
Call.
(209) 200-8655