About Darryl E
Darryl E Young grew up studying politics and public service. He completed a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2003. He went on to earn his J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law, where early public defender internships shaped his early legal path.
Those internships became a steady progression. In 2005 he worked as an intern at the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office. The following year he served as a certified law student at the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office. After passing the bar, he joined the Merced County Public Defender’s Office as a deputy public defender in 2008. He spent time in private practice at a Bay Area criminal defense firm in 2012 and started his own firm in 2014.
His career centers on criminal defense. In public defender roles he handled a range of misdemeanor and felony matters in county court. In private practice he represented clients facing criminal charges and advised on pretrial strategies. This mix of public and private work gave him courtroom experience and familiarity with local court procedures.
Community involvement has been a consistent part of his professional life. He has served on the board of the Merced County Rescue Mission since 2014. He was treasurer of the Merced County Jail Ministry from 2015 through 2018 and served on the board of Central California Legal Services in 2018. He also held organizational roles in Southeast Asian professional groups, serving as president of the Southeast Asian Professional Association since 2011 and on the board of the South East Asian American Professional Association since 2010. In 2017 he served as president of the Merced County Bar Association.
Colleagues describe him as a lawyer who spends much of his time in courtroom work and client counseling. He has experience conducting hearings, negotiating pleas and preparing trial and pretrial motions. His background in public defense informs how he approaches case preparation and client communication.
Since 2014 he has operated the Law Office of Darryl E. Young, PC. He continues to handle criminal matters in California courts and maintains active involvement in local legal and community organizations. Currently he practices criminal defense at his firm in Merced, California.
