About Melissa Fanoe

Attorney Melissa Fanoe is an experienced trial attorney specializing in criminal defense. She has been practicing law in Shasta County for over 11 years. She began her career working for the Shasta County Public Defender’s Office. There she sharpened her trial advocacy skills. She has represented hundreds of clients facing criminal charges. She has tried over 30 cases to verdict including murder and rape.

She has received not guilty verdicts in a number of cases. Ms. Fanoe earned not guilty verdicts for clients in cases involving serious and violent felonies, strike offenses: residential burglary, criminal threats, assault with a deadly weapon, assault with a firearm, dissuading a witness, shooting at an occupied vehicle, stalking, escape, driving under the influence, and child abuse.

Additionally, a number of trials resulted in a hung jury and ultimately an outright dismissal. Ms. Fanoe is also a skilled negotiator. She has secured favorable dispositions for clients facing life in prison or other lengthy prison sentences for charges such as murder, attempted murder, child molestation, rape, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, residential burglary, and many other serious and/or violent felonies.

Ms. Fanoe also has extensive experience handling juvenile delinquency cases including fitness/transfer hearings, writs, and jurisdictionals.

Ms. Fanoe earned a Bachelors Degree in English from the University of California Berkeley. She earned a Juris Doctorate from Arizona State University.