Joseph T. Rhea, J.D. (pronounced "Ray") is a criminal defense and DUI lawyer. Attorney Rhea has been ranked top Criminal Defense Lawyer and/or DUI Lawyer by Palm Springs Life Magazine every single year since 2010.
More importantly, however, he has hundreds of happy former clients in the local community. Since 2003, Attorney Rhea's entire legal practice has been devoted to criminal defense.
Attorney Rhea's office has been located in downtown Palm Springs for over a decade and he is very much a local lawyer, well known to the courts as an aggressive and professional advocate for his clients. His practice is focused on the California desert courts of Indio, Joshua Tree, Palm Springs, Banning, and Blythe. He also accepts federal court cases that are heard in Riverside, CA.
Attorney Rhea has represented hundreds of DUI cases from his office in Palm Springs, and is a member of the California DUI Lawyer’s Association. He has defended over a thousand cases local, involving everything from petty theft to murder. You can see some of his results here.
In addition to his DUI and criminal defense practice, Mr. Rhea was an early advocate for cannabis legalization and is still an active member of California NORML (the state branch of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws). Legal prohibitions regarding other plants continue, and Mr. Rhea is actively working to end those prohibitions through his involvement with Chacruna.
Mr. Rhea holds a J.D. from the University of San Francisco and is the only lawyer in California criminal practice to have been awarded a doctorate from Harvard University. He is the author of a book about American history, published by Harvard University Press. Before turning his full-time focus to defending the rights of the accused, Mr. Rhea taught at Harvard University and Arizona State University.
“Mr. Rhea was extremely knowledgeable which, without a doubt, was the reason the Judge dismissed my case without any fines, probation, etc. Additionally, his vast knowledge helped lay out all the scenarios which helped relieve my anxieties. He was extremely prompt and reliable which made working with him a pleasure. I would highly recommend Mr. Rhea’s services to anyone and everyone.” – Former Federal Drug Possession Client