About Us

Kerry Steigerwalt, a prominent criminal defense lawyer based in San Diego, has built a remarkable reputation through his 35 years of experience in representing individuals facing serious criminal charges. With a track record of handling high-profile cases, Kerry Steigerwalt is widely recognized as a go-to legal expert in his field.

Renowned by his peers as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the Country, Kerry's membership in the prestigious National Trial Lawyers Association speaks volumes about his expertise. Additionally, he has achieved an AV-Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, an esteemed organization that evaluates lawyers, placing him among the top 10% of attorneys in the nation.

Kerry Steigerwalt has represented a diverse range of clients, including politicians, professional athletes, lawyers, doctors, and even police officers who have found themselves facing legal challenges. His extensive experience and successful outcomes have made him the trusted choice for those in need.

While Kerry's list of high-profile cases is impressive, he believes that every client is equally important. If you choose to retain Kerry's services, he will devote his energy and expertise to ensuring your case receives the utmost attention and strategic defense. With a creative approach and unwavering commitment, he consistently achieves extraordinary results for his clients.

Throughout his illustrious career, Kerry has handled over a dozen murder trials, with numerous clients acquitted of all charges by juries. However, his expertise extends beyond murder cases. He has also secured victories in complex trials involving sexual assault, sexual molestation, rape, crimes of violence, white-collar crimes, and DUI offenses. There are few criminal cases Kerry hasn't encountered and successfully resolved.

Kerry Steigerwalt's legal prowess has garnered widespread media attention, with his cases featured on esteemed programs such as 60 Minutes, 48 Hours, 20/20, and Oprah Winfrey. Moreover, he has served as a legal expert on various TV stations, lending his insights and knowledge to the public.

If you are seeking one of San Diego's top criminal defense lawyers and have the means to hire a premier attorney, Kerry Steigerwalt should undoubtedly be on your radar. His outstanding credentials and exceptional representation make him a standout choice.

When you've been charged with a crime, you're on the defensive from the get-go, and clearing your name can be an uphill battle. Here with our Vista criminal lawyers, we have many years of experience defending our Vista clients in California courtrooms, and we know the best defenses for every crime in the California penal code. Our attorneys understand that their role within the Vista community helps to ensure that accused people retain their freedom, and they take their position within the wheels of justice seriously. Each of our attorneys has been educated in all of the intricacies of criminal law in the state of California, and they always behave in a courteous and calm manner as our clients explain their situations and seek the best possible representation in court.

We understand the importance of emotional support when a person has been accused as a crime, and we provide you with a place where you can feel heard and understood. All the while, we'll be studying your situation to find arguments that will help you find your way out of your legal troubles. At Vista Criminal Attorney Law Firm, we employ a holistic approach to litigation that incorporates every aspect of the criminal charge you've been faced with; your depiction of events, the legal statutes that apply, our extensive experience in the courtroom, and the likely opposition that will come our way when we defend your interests.

We understand that the client always comes first. If it weren't for our clients, we wouldn't be here, and we're grateful to all of the members of the Vista community who have trusted us to defend them in court during our many years as one of the preeminent criminal defense law firms in Southern California. Whenever a client comes to us with a problem, we do our best to listen carefully to the details of the situation and provide constructive solutions that everyone can get behind. We understand that things go best in the courtroom when everyone is on the same page, and we work hard to ensure that each of our clients is heard and understands the best way to move forward. Our clients are our lifeblood, and we treat them accordingly.

When you work with us at Vista Criminal Attorney Law Firm, you'll find that we simply care more about our clients than lawyers in big cities like Los Angeles and San Diego do. However, our attorneys went to the same colleges as the best of the big city defense lawyers, and they have just as much experience in the field. We understand that we are an integral part of the Vista community, and we do our best to give back and build community bonds with every action that we take. Since we call the Vista area home, we understand the unique attributes of this beautiful, sunny region, and it's easy for us to relate to the people who make up our amazing community.

We like to give back whenever we can, and the main way in which we help bolster our community is by providing our excellent services to our fellow members of the Vista community. Whenever you experience a crisis that involves criminal charges, we want you to feel like you can come to us as trusted advisors and neighbors. Everything that we do, we do to better serve our community, and we rely on your trust to help us continue to grow and become better and better at enriching our town with our criminal defense services. While the Vista area may seem like heaven on earth, it can still become miserable if you don't have the right people representing you in court, so we do everything in our power to ensure your freedom so you can get back to enjoying your days in the sun.

Effective litigation is born of two factors: detailed understanding of the law and extensive experience in the courtroom. A lawyer who has spent a lot of time in front of a judge but who doesn't have encyclopedic knowledge of the California penal code and the United States Constitution will invariably be a fool and a failure, but an attorney who is filled with book learning and has no real experience is too naive to get the job done. Here at Vista Criminal Attorney Law Firm, our attorneys have the perfect mix of knowledge of the law and experience in articulating their knowledge in a courtroom setting.

No matter how much you may read up on the statutes regarding your case, understanding the law doesn't prepare you for the pressures of contending with an opposing legal team under the shrewd gaze of a judge, which is why you should never argue your case on your own. One misstep could destroy your chances of acquitting yourself, but our attorneys at Vista Criminal Attorney Law Firm always stay one step ahead of the courtroom drama and deliver cool and measured results that can only be born from years and years of hands-on experience.

Here at Vista Criminal Attorney, we don't just know what we're doing; we also care about how our actions impact our Vista community. We have the experience and knowledge to represent you in the best possible light when it comes time to state your case in court, and we take the time to listen to you in detail before your court date arrives to collaboratively create a defense that will give you the best possible chance of receiving the most favorable possible ruling. Best of all, we're happy to sit down with you for an initial consultation before you make any commitments to prove that we have what it takes to represent you in the exact way that you'd want to be represented.

When you've been charged with a crime, the natural reaction is to worry about your future. However, the only way to ensure that the days ahead of you remain bright is to be proactive, and the first step you should take is to call us at Vista Criminal Attorney Law Firm to schedule an initial consultation. We'll listen to you as you explain your predicament, and we'll work together to help you find your way out of the situation that's snagged you. To get started, give us a call at Vista Criminal Attorney Law Firm by dialing 760-691-1551 today.