Spodek Law Group provides white glove service
to clients who need results
The Santa Barbara criminal defense attorneys at Spodek Law Group fight felony, misdemeanor, and infraction charges for clients throughout Santa Barbara County.
Areas surrounding Santa Barbara where our criminal defense lawyers serve clients include Ballard, Buellton, Goleta, Guadalupe, Carpinteria, Isla Vista, Lompoc, Mission Canyon, Los Alamos, Los Olivos, Mission Hills, Montecito, Solvang, Summerland, Santa Maria, Santa Ynez, Toro Canyon, and Vandenberg Village.
Highly Effective Santa Barbara Criminal Defense
Among the members of the Spodek Law Group criminal defense team are is former prosecutors and law enforcement professionals who are devoted to fighting for the best possible results in our clients’ cases.
Some of the many criminal charges we defend against include:
The legal services we offer also include lowering felony cases to misdemeanors, firearm rights restoration, fighting parole- and probation violation allegations, and fighting for record expungements.
Information about the Santa Barbara Jail
Within city limits, Santa Barbara Police Department handles most law enforcement responsibilities. In the unincorporated areas, alleged crimes get investigated by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, whose control stations include Camarillo, Oxnard, Filmore, Ventura, Ojai, Frazier Park and Thousand Oaks.
Santa Barbara County’s Main Jail can be found at 4436 Calle Real, Santa Barbara, CA 93110, (805) 681-4260
The Main Jail takes in bookings from both the Santa Barbara Police and the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department. It also takes bookings from the University Of California Police Department and the California Highway Patrol. Inmates from the Northern Branch Jail are also often transported to and held in the Main Jail if they have not been released from custody within 96 hours.
You can look up inmate information here.
Criminal matters in Santa Barbara are heard at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. The address of the main courthouse is
1100 Anacapa Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 568-3070
There is a secondary location across the street, at:
118 E. Figueroa Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 568-3959
You can find case information here.
The Criminal justice System in Santa Barbara
The majority of criminal cases begin with an arrest. Most likely, the defendant will be eligible to bail themselves out or be released on his or her own recognizance (an OR Release). Should the district attorney decide to prosecute, the court will schedule an arraignment. This is the hearing for the formal reading of criminal charges.
Defendants are obligated to show up to their arraignments unless they hire their own private attorney to appear in their place. That said, defendants in some cases are still obligated to appear in person despite having private legal representation.
Any defendant who fails to appear at court risks having a bench warrant issued for their arrest. A defendant with a bench warrant can be arrested and dragged into court at any time. Their defense attorney can try to get bench warrants recalled by filing a “motion to quash” with the judge and then arguing for a recall at a court hearing.
A defendant who can’t afford to hire their own attorney will have a private defender appointed to them.
It is always better for defendants to hire private counsel instead of relying on a public defender. This is because private attorneys will be able to take the time and marshal better resources to craft the strongest defense possible.
In reality, the majority of criminal cases never reach trial. Instead, prosecutors and defense attorneys do their best to come to a deal. Quite often, prosecutors are agreeable to reducing or often dismissing criminal charges in exchange for the defendant paying fines and possibly taking a course. In those cases that end up in a trial, the District Attorney has the burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
When a defendant has pleaded guilty to a crime or gets convicted at trial, the judge will hand down a sentence at a subsequent hearing. Depending on the charges and facts of the case, defendants could be granted probation instead of being incarcerated. In the event that a defendant violates any terms of probation, they risk being remanded to jail.
Reach out to the criminal defense lawyers at Spodek Law Group for legal advice. Our criminal law team will offer you a free consultation on your legal matters.
The California DUI and criminal defense lawyers on our team serve clients throughout northern, central, and southern California, including Los Angeles County, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, Glendale, and more. The practice areas we serve clients in include personal injury and family law.
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We provide superior service, excellent results, at a level superior to other criminal defense law firms. Regardless of where your case is, nationwide, we can help you.