City Attorney

The City Attorney is appointed by the City Council as its chief legal counsel and has the following responsibilities:

  • Serving as the primary legal advisor and legal representative to the City and City Council. The City Attorney’s Office cannot provide legal services to private citizens.
  • Preparing all ordinances and approving contracts.
  • Prosecuting all violators of the City ordinances and representing the City in all legal actions and proceedings.
What does the City Attorney do?

The City Council appoints the City Attorney as its chief legal counsel.  The City Attorney’s Office serves as “corporate” legal counsel to the City as an entity and advises the City Council and City staff on contractual, regulatory and litigation matters.  These matters typically include open meeting and public records laws; conflicts of interests; land use and environmental laws; claims and litigation; municipal elections; employment and labor relations; municipal utilities; procurement and other internal services; code enforcement; and resolutions, ordinances, and other legal documents.

Does the City Attorney prosecute criminal activity?

The City Attorney’s Office does not typically prosecute criminal activity other than violations of the Municipal Code in certain situations.  For information about criminal matters, please contact the District Attorney’s Office at 925-957-2218 or by mail at P.O. Box 670, Martinez, CA  94553.

Resources

Bay Area Legal Aid www.baylegal.org (800) 551-5554

California State Bar Association www.calbar.ca.gov/ (866) 442-2529

Contra Costa County Information & Assistance – Senior & Disabled Helpline (800) 510-2020

Center for Human Development’s Mediation and Conflict Resolution http://chd-prevention.org/programs (925) 349-7344

Contra Costa County Bar Referral Service for a referral to a private attorney at
925-827-5700 or www.cccba.org.

Contra Costa County Superior Court Virtual Self-Help Law Center at
www.cc-courthelp.org .

California Courts Online Self-Help Center at  www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp.

State Bar of California publications at  www.calbar.ca.gov.

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