Practice Areas
Our criminal law pages explain the law, penalties and best defense strategies for every major crime in California. Contact us for a free case review.
Practice Areas
Our criminal law pages explain the law, penalties and best defense strategies for every major crime in California. Contact us for a free case review.
Mariya Melkonyan and her team are skilled and experienced Los Angeles Criminal defense attorneys based in Glendale, California, with 17 years of criminal law experience, including 13 years as a former Deputy District Attorney. With a strong track record in both felony and misdemeanor jury trials, Mariya Melkonyan and her team bring deep knowledge of criminal law to every case. Their background allows them to anticipate the prosecution’s moves and build smart, strategic defenses. Above all, they’re committed to standing up for their clients and fighting hard to protect what matters most—their future.
Thanks to managing attorney Mariya Melkonyan’s diverse experience, she has a wide range of criminal practice areas, including serious and violent felonies, white-collar crimes, weapons offenses, sex crimes, domestic violence crimes, homicide, juvenile crimes, theft, and property crimes.
If you need powerful criminal defense attorneys with the knowledge and experience to take on even the most complex cases, contact the Law Offices of Mariya Melkonyan to arrange your free consultation today.
With 13 years of experience as a Deputy District Attorney, and having Jury Trial experience ranging from all kinds of minor misdemeanors to serious and violent felonies, including DUI, hit and run, theft, narcotics, domestic violence, assaults, burglaries, robberies, child molestations, rape, and Homicide (attempted murder and murder) cases to verdict, Ms. Melkonyan’s felony jury trial record is exceptional.
Her experience in effective examinations of experts of different fields, such as Medical Professionals of various areas, Toxicology, DRE, DNA, Forensic Pathology, Child Sexual Accommodation Syndrome, Involuntary Confession, and many more, gives her the ability to attack the prosecution with in-depth knowledge. Her vast experience with the DA’s office has given her the tools to fight for you.
During your free initial consultation, your attorney will discuss the facts of your case, getting a clear overview of your situation. Your attorney will then explain the process, letting you know what will be expected of you and the support and services they will offer.
Your attorney will then guide you on how to proceed and begin collecting potential witness details to support your case and evidence for preservation, proper representation, and preparation. Finally, they will explain our fees, take you through our retainer form, and answer any queries you have.
After your initial consultation, we’ll be able to determine a retainer fee and discuss payment options. In most cases, the retainer feee payments are divided into two parts; the first is typically payable upfront.
There are various options for paying your retainer fee, including cash, check, or card.
To give your attorney a clear view of your case, you must provide them with as many details and as much evidence about your case as possible. This may include documentation, videos, audio files, witness names, time logs on any information related to the case for review. The more details and evidence you can provide, the better case your attorney can build right from the start.
Some clients are concerned about revealing too much to a lawyer in an initial consultation, but your meetings with an attorney are confidential and protected by client/attorney privilege.
There is no one-size-fits-all cost for an attorney to defend your criminal case. The fee depends on the charges against you and the details of your specific case. As a rule, open misdemeanor cases tend to be charged at a lower fee than open felony cases. Post-conviction legal services, such as expungement of criminal records, are usually even less expensive.
The final fee depends on the complexity of your case. During your consultation, the attorney will discuss the fees with you. The more details you can give about your case, the more accurate expectations your attorney can set.
District Attorney's office
Aug 2008 - Aug 2021
San Diego City Attorney's Office
Jan 2008 - May 2008
California Attorney General's office May 2007 - Sep 2007
I’ve argued criminal appeals on behalf of the AG’s office in three different California Districts, and one of my cases resulted in a published opinion.
