San Francisco, California Criminal Defense Lawyer

Providing Aggressive, Passionate, Effective Criminal Defense for 30 years

The Law Office of John Runfola has always focused exclusively on criminal defense. We provide rigorous defense representation to a wide range of clients throughout the United States and US Territories. We have a proven track record in all stages of a criminal proceedings, including pre-indictment investigations, pre-trial proceedings, jury trial and appeal. Criminal defense lawyer John Runfola, provides responsive, personalized service and possesses a depth of experience gained from handling thousands of criminal cases in both state and federal court. The office has knowledge of and access to the best investigative and expert resources necessary to aggressively challenge the actions and inactions of law enforcement, prosecutorial and judicial powers.

We are committed to providing the highest level of defense to people facing the most difficult situations of their lives. Our cases range from major drug conspiracy and white collar cases to assault and homicide prosecutions. Our goal is to inform our clients of their options and to position them as favorably as possible, even pre-indictment or arrest.

If a client is charged, we work tirelessly and aggressively on their defense, investigating government witnesses, challenging the government's allegations, excluding potentially damaging evidence, building affirmative defenses and dealing with the media when necessary. Our first effort is to prevent charges from being filed by providing favorable information regarding our clients and the situation being investigated. Above all, we work with our clients to achieve the most favorable outcome of their situation.

We are available 24 hours a day for emergencies at (415) 391-4243 and can also be reached via this web site. All consultations are completely confidential and protected by the attorney-client privilege. For more information regarding our practice and how we can help you, contact contact criminal defense lawyer John Runfola today.

Our Criminal Defense Practice

We offer expertise in all federal and state criminal matters.

Find more information on these specific practice areas by clicking below:

Our Results are the Measure of Our Success

Our cases are first and foremost about people. A small sampling of our cases include:

(See Representative cases tab for further illustrative cases).

• A Taiwanese woman charged in connection with the largest seizure of heroin in U.S. history. Her case received world-wide press in a case the federal government eagerly portrayed as a major victory in its war on drugs. After four years of hearing and appeals, the government capitulated to our demands for a settlement that involved no jail time, no cooperation and a dismissal of all but one minor charge.
• A young African-American man was confronted with a firestorm of hateful rage and a contentious District Attorney race when a racist altercation with a white man turned deadly. Initially charged with first-degree murder and threatened with special circumstances, we worked tirelessly and eventually earned an eight month sentence to a manslaughter charge which was served outside the walls of San Quentin. He has since earned a master's degree in psychology and is writing a thesis on criminal justice.
• A 21-year-old Grateful Dead fan who played a minor role in an LSD conspiracy faced a ten year mandatory minimum federal prison sentence and a 17 year government recommendation. Our advocacy brought national scrutiny to his case and federal sentencing law. After years of appeals, we secured a dramatic reduction of his sentence to four years.

A U.S. citizen from Yemen was indicted on federal charges under the post-9/11 Patriot Act for wiring money back to Yemen without government authorization. Defense investigation that was used to convince the federal government that their prosecution was misguided. The case was dismissed.

Setting the Standard, Raising the Bar - San Francisco Criminal Defense Attorney John Runfola

Mr. Runfola has a deep commitment to justice and is keenly aware of the daunting prospect an individual or corporation faces when squaring off against the government, with its tremendous reservoirs of resources and power. He comes from a tradition of the strongest legal advocacy and ethics, having seen his father, Joseph P. Runfola Sr., work as a criminal defense lawyer and a groundbreaking president of the Erie County Bar Association in New York State.

Prepared to Fight the Charges against You

Despite what the police or prosecutor might claim, no criminal case is an "open and shut matter." The actions and statements of law enforcement, lab technicians, prosecutors and the press can jeopardize even the strongest case. Our office has the experience, ability and tenacity to deal with the press and to attack the prosecution's case.

Our office vigorously prepares a client's case for a jury trial while simultaneously attempting to negotiate a settlement most favorable to our client.