Our Santa Clarita criminal defense attorneys have years of experience representing defendants facing felony, misdemeanor, and infraction charges throughout Los Angeles County. Our local law office is located at:
28005 Smyth Dr.
Valencia, CA 91355
(661) 344-1500
Surrounding areas we serve include Long Beach, L.A., Glendale, Lancaster, Palmdale, Pomona, Torrance, Pasadena, El Monte, Downey, West Covina, Burbank, Norwalk, San Fernando, Van Nuys, Ventura, and more.
Top Santa Clarita DUI and criminal defense lawyers
Our trusted criminal and DUI attorneys defend against all Santa Clarita criminal charges. Some of the most common we fight are:
- Assault and battery (PC 242)
- Domestic violence
- Drug crimes, including drug possession (HS 11350)
- Embezzlement (PC 503)
- Hit and run (VC 20002)
- Juvenile crimes
- Lewd conduct criminal offenses
- Probation violations
- Sex crimes
- Theft crimes
- Violent crimes
- White collar crimes
Bounded on the west by the Golden State Freeway (I-5) — and with the Antelope Valley Freeway (SR-14) running through it — Santa Clarita is a hotbed for DUI stops. In addition to defending against the criminal charges, our legal team also fights license suspensions at California DMV hearings.
For defendants still in custody following their arrest, we will fight for a lower bail. For people with past run-ins with the law, we will fight for expungement of criminal records. And for people deprived of their right to have a firearm, we can fight to restore gun rights.
Santa Clarita jail
People arrested in Santa Clarita will be booked at the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff Station, located at:
23740 Magic Mountain Pkwy
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
(661) 255-1121
Search for inmate information here.
(Santa Clarita does not have its own police department. Law enforcement is provided by contract with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.)
Santa Clarita court
Crimes are prosecuted at the Santa Clarita Courthouse, located at:
23747 West Valencia Blvd.
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
(661) 253-5699
Search for case information here.
There is no juvenile delinquency courthouse in Santa Clarita. Juvenile infractions–such as truancy, skateboarding, tobacco possession and curfew violations–are heard at the Santa Clarita Community Court. Santa Clarita juvenile crime cases are usually heard at the Sylmar Juvenile Courthouse.
Criminal justice system process
Most people who get arrested are eligible to be released on bail or their own recognizance. But as a condition of being released, defendants are required to appear at their future court dates. (Though their defense attorneys may be able to show up in their place, depending on the case.) Otherwise, no-shows risk getting a bench warrant issued for their arrest.
Once the defendant gets charged at the arraignment, the defendant’s attorney and the prosecutors get to work trying to come to a plea bargain. Both sides would prefer to avoid the time and trouble of trial, and prosecutors may be willing to reduce or dismiss charges.
Private attorneys usually get offered better plea deals than public defenders.
In felony cases, defendants may have a preliminary hearing (unless a grand jury indicted the defendant, which rarely happens). The reason for “prelims” is for the judge to make sure that the prosecution has enough evidence to continue pressing charges. If not, the charge will get dismissed.
If the defendant ultimately decides to take a plea, the judge will most likely sentence him/her to whatever terms the defense attorney and prosecutor agreed to. In many cases, plea bargains involve the defendant going on probation instead of going to jail.
If the defendant goes to trial and loses, then the judge may impose any sentence within the confines of what the relevant statute allows. This is why many defendants prefer to take a plea instead of rolling the dice with a trial.
Call our criminal defense law firm for legal advice. We offer free consultations about how our legal services can help your criminal case.
Accused of a crime? Our Santa Clarita criminal defense lawyers have legal experience as former deputy district attorneys. Since we know how prosecutors press charges, we are better positioned to negotiate and litigate charge reductions and dismissals.
Our legal professionals create attorney-client relationships throughout northern, central, and southern California. Our U.S. law firm’s practice areas include personal injury and estate planning in addition to criminal law. We appear in both California state and United States federal courts.
Call today for a free case evaluation.