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Our Orange County criminal defense attorneys have great success in getting our clients’ felony, misdemeanor, and infraction charges reduced or dismissed. Our South OC’s Newport Beach criminal defense office is located at:
Conexant Building
4000 MacArthur Blvd. Suite 600
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 644-0600
And our Santa Ana criminal defense office is located at:
333 City Blvd. West, Ste. 1750
Orange, CA 92868
(714) 288-9455
Some of the communities we serve include North County, Fullerton, Buena Park, Dana Point, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Cypress, Costa Mesa, Laguna Niguel, Yorba Linda, Westminster, Mission Viejo, Anaheim, Laguna Beach, Garden Grove, Lake Forest, San Clemente, Los Alamitos, Riverside, San Diego, Vista, Brea, and Los Angeles County.
Years of experience fighting criminal charges
Our Orange County criminal defense lawyers are skilled at negotiating, investigating, and litigating our clients’ legal matters to the best possible outcome. We handle every type of criminal case, such as:
- Auto theft (PC 487d1)
- Criminal record expungements
- Domestic violence
- Drug crimes, such as drug possession (HS 11350)
- Embezzlement (PC 503)
- Gang crimes (PC 186.22)
- Hit and run (VC 20002)
- Lewd conduct
- Sex crimes, such as sexual battery (PC 243.4)
- Violent crimes, such as assault and battery (PC 242)
- White collar crimes
Our Orange County DUI lawyers handle every aspect of our clients’ DUI cases, including the criminal charge and the DMV hearing.
Orange County jails
The main jail in Santa Ana is the Orange County Central Jail Complex, located at
550 N. Flower St.
Santa Ana, CA 92702
(714) 647-4666
The Central Men’s Jail accommodates 1428 inmates, and the Central Women’s Jail houses 386 inmates. Search for inmate information here.
The main jail in Orange is the Theo Lacy Facility, located at:
501 The City Drive South
Orange, CA 92868
(714) 935-6940
This jail can hold 3,442 inmates. Search for inmate information here.
Orange County courthouses
The OC still deserves its reputation as one of the more conservative regions of the country regarding the criminal justice system. Local law enforcement, prosecutors and judges tend to be especially tough on defendants, reluctant to reduce charges and dolling out harsh sentences for criminal convictions.
By working routinely with the prosecutors and judges at each Orange County courthouse, we understand the unique dynamics of how to get the best results in each case. Shouse Law Group works out of all the OC courthouses, including the following:
Harbor Justice Center
4601 Jamboree Rd.
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(657) 622-5400
North Justice Center
1275 N. Berkeley Ave.
Fullerton, CA 92832
(657) 622-5600
West Justice Center
8141 13th St.
Westminster, CA 92683
(657) 622-8459
Central Justice Center
700 Civic Center Drive West
Santa Ana, CA 92868
(657) 622-6878
Search online for your case information here.
Criminal court process
Generally, people can post bail immediately after they get booked. Or they can wait for the first court appearance, which must occur within two court days of the arrest.
If the inmate remains in custody until the first court date, his/her criminal lawyer can ask the judge to lower bail or to grant an OR release. The judge will consider whether the inmate is a flight risk and whether he/she poses a danger to the public. The defense attorney can present evidence showing that the person is a good candidate for low bail or an OR release.

Many defendants can avoid jail time by taking a plea bargain.
If the District Attorney decides to press charges, the court will then schedule an arraignment. It is important that the defendant show up (unless the court lets his/her defense attorney appear on his/her behalf). To punish no-shows, judges will issue a bench warrant. And then the defendant would need to request a “motion to quash” hearing in order to get the warrant recalled.
Once the defendant is formally charged, the pretrial phase begins. In the majority of cases, prosecutors and defense attorneys agree to a plea bargain where the D.A. promises to reduce or dismiss charges in exchange for the defendant agreeing to pay a fine and take some online classes. But if no agreement can be reached, then the case will proceed to trial.

Call our criminal law firm for legal advice. Our experienced criminal defense attorneys offer free consultations about your legal issues.
Have you or a loved one been arrested? Contact our criminal trial lawyers by phone call or our contact form. Our OC criminal defense and DUI attorneys create attorney-client relationships throughout northern, central, and southern California. Our practice areas also include personal injury in addition to criminal defense law.
Disclaimer: Past case results, client reviews, and testimonials of our legal representation do not guarantee future results.