Our Santa Barbara criminal defense attorneys fight felony, misdemeanor, and infraction charges throughout Santa Barbara County. Our local law office is located at:
3905 State Street, Suite 7
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
(805) 695-3010
Some of the surrounding areas our criminal defense lawyers serve include Ballard, Buellton, Carpinteria, Goleta, Guadalupe, Isla Vista, Lompoc, Los Alamos, Los Olivos, Mission Canyon, Mission Hills, Montecito, Santa Maria, Santa Ynez, Solvang, Summerland, Toro Canyon, and Vandenberg Village.
Top Santa Barbara criminal defense
Shouse Law Group is comprised of former prosecutors and police sergeants devoted to fighting for the best possible outcome in our clients’ cases. Common criminal charges we defend against include:
- Assault and battery (PC 242) and other violent crimes
- Domestic violence
- Drug crimes, like possession (HS 11350)
- Driving under the influence (DUI cases)
- Gang crimes (PC 186.22)
- Grand theft auto (PC 487d1)
- Juvenile offenses
- Lewd conduct
- Sex crimes, like sexual assault (PC 243.4)
- Theft crimes, like shoplifting and robbery (PC 211)
- White-collar crimes
Our legal services also include reducing felony cases to misdemeanors, restoring firearm rights, fighting parole- and probation violation allegations, and seeking record expungements.
Santa Barbara Jail
The Santa Barbara Police Department handles most law enforcement within city limits. In unincorporated areas, alleged crimes are investigated by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, whose control stations include Camarillo, Ventura, Ojai, Oxnard, Filmore, Frazier Park and Thousand Oaks.
The Santa Barbara County Main Jail is located at:
4436 Calle Real
Santa Barbara, CA 93110
(805) 681-4260
The Main Jail accepts bookings from both the Santa Barbara Police and the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department – as well as from the University Of California Police Department and the California Highway Patrol. Detainees from the Northern Branch Jail are also routinely transported to and housed in the Main Jail if they have not been released within 96 hours.
Search for inmate information here.
Santa Barbara Court
Criminal cases in Santa Barbara are heard at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. The main location is
1100 Anacapa Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 568-3070
The secondary location is across the street, at:
118 E. Figueroa Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 568-3959
People can find their case information here.
Criminal justice system process
Most criminal cases begin with an arrest. Chances are the defendant will be eligible to bail out or be released on his/her own recognizance. If the district attorney opts to prosecute, the court will schedule an arraignment – the formal reading of criminal charges.
Defendants are required to show up to their arraignments unless they hire a private attorney to show up for them. However, defendants in some cases are still required to appear in person despite having private legal representation.
Defendants who fail to appear at court face having a bench warrant issued for their arrest. These defendants can then be arrested and hauled into court at any time. Defense attorneys can try to get bench warrants recalled by filing a “motion to quash” with the court and then arguing for a recall at a court hearing.
Defendants who cannot afford their own attorney will have a private defender appointed to them.
It is always preferable for defendants to hire private counsel rather than rely on a public defender. Private attorneys have the time and resources to craft the strongest defense possible.
Most cases never reach trial. Instead, prosecutors and defense attorneys try to come to a negotiation. In many cases, prosecutors are agreeable to reducing or sometimes dismissing criminal charges in exchange for the defendant paying a fine and possibly taking a class. In cases that do go to trial, the D.A. has the burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If a defendant pleads guilty to a crime or gets convicted at trial, the judge will hand down a criminal sentence. Depending on the specific charge and facts of the case, defendants may be granted probation instead of jail. But if defendants violate any terms of probation, they risk being remanded to jail.
Call our criminal defense law firm for legal advice. Our criminal law attorneys offer free consultations on your legal matters.
Our California DUI and criminal defense lawyers serve clients throughout northern, central, and southern California, including Los Angeles County, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, San Diego, Glendale, and more. Our practice areas include personal injury and family law, and our attorneys have perfect 10-point scores on AVVO.