Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

Absolutely. Those are gold. Make sure you save them and discuss it with your attorney so they know about these from the very beginning.

I agree with Mr. Dane, and would just add a couple of notes...

It is extremely important to make sure these voicemail messages are not lost. Some cell phone companies erase your messages after a certain number of days. I can't tell you how many times a client has told me about helpful messages like this... then added that they weren't saved because he waited too long, he forgot to pay his bill so his account was canceled or something else along those lines.

I assume your friend has an attorney. Criminal defense is not a do-it-yourself project and your friend should be telling his lawyer about these voicemail messages right now. The attorney should have a private investigator who knows how to download these messages in a way that will preserve them to use later in court.

If he can't afford a lawyer, he should ask the judge to appoint the Public Defender to represent him.

Yes, voice mails can be used, if done properly, and could be a good defense strategy along with other evidence and witnesses. If charged with a crime, you really should have an attorney represent you, unless you know how to effectively do so yourself, which is unlikely. If serious about getting counsel, feel free to contact me.