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California Criminal Defense

Handling Cases Exclusively
In Ventura County California

Law Office of Paul Tyler

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805-889-9000

Available 24 Hours / 7 Days A Week

Home / Oxnard Criminal Defense Attorney

Oxnard DUI and Criminal Defense Attorney

My office has been on Esplanade Drive in Oxnard for more than 25 years. I grew up in Ventura County, I have practiced criminal defense here for 30 years with over 20,000 court appearances, and Oxnard is not a city on my service-area list: it is where I work every day. If you or a family member has been arrested in Oxnard, call me at 805-889-9000. I answer my own phone, 24 hours a day, and the consultation is free.

Arrested in Oxnard? Here Is Where Your Case Actually Goes

Something most people do not know until they are in the system: there is no adult criminal courthouse in Oxnard. Ventura County runs its court locations from the main Hall of Justice on Victoria Avenue in Ventura, which handles virtually all adult criminal cases countywide, while the East County courthouse in Simi Valley handles infractions only. So if you are arrested in Oxnard on a misdemeanor or felony, your case will be heard in Ventura, at the Victoria Avenue courthouse, the building I have appeared in nearly every working day for three decades. The courtroom your case lands in is one I know intimately: the judges, the prosecutors, and how cases from Oxnard actually get resolved. And remember, on all misdemeanors, I appear in court for you. You never have to take a day off work and drive to Victoria Avenue at all.

The Charges I Defend for Oxnard Clients

Oxnard is the largest city in Ventura County, and with a city this size comes substantial police activity and the full spectrum of criminal cases. The arrests I see most often from Oxnard are DUI (the 101 and Oxnard’s busy corridors generate a steady stream), domestic violence (among the most common arrests in any large city, and among the most defensible), drug charges (possession, sales, and the diversion outcomes that can keep a record clean), and theft, shoplifting, and burglary (including the retail cases that turn into far more serious charges when a security guard gets involved). Oxnard cases also frequently involve assault and battery, weapons charges, gang allegations, and serious felonies that carry enhancements demanding experienced, aggressive defense from day one. But the penal code is big, and I defend all of it. Whatever the charge, you get the same 30 years of Ventura County courtroom experience. The full range of cases I handle for Oxnard clients includes:

Whatever the charge, my three questions are the same: Can I get it dismissed? If not, can I get it reduced? And can I keep you out of jail?

Oxnard DUI Arrests: Why the Details of Your Arrest Matter So Much

Here is a piece of hard-won local knowledge. California’s implied consent law says that when you are arrested for DUI, you must submit to a blood or breath test, and refusing can cost you your license for one to two years. But a refusal only counts against you if it is a valid refusal, and the law requires the officer to properly admonish you about the consequences of refusing. That admonishment has to be given correctly. In my experience reviewing DUI arrests from Oxnard and across the county, the admonishment is one of the most common places officers make mistakes, and a defective admonishment can mean victory at the DMV hearing and your license saved, even in a case that looked hopeless. It is one of the first things I examine in every Oxnard refusal case, alongside the basis for the stop, the field sobriety testing, and the chemical test itself. If you have been arrested for DUI in Oxnard, especially if you are being treated as a “refusal,” do not concede anything until someone who knows what to look for has reviewed exactly what the officer said and did. And remember the deadline: 10 days from arrest to request your DMV hearing.

Dealing With the Police in Oxnard

This advice is universal, but I will say it plainly for my hometown county’s biggest city: after an arrest, the police report and what actually happened are not always the same thing. Officers write reports to support the arrest they already made. Do not try to explain, clarify, or talk your way out, because every word becomes material for the report. Say the two sentences that protect you, “I am invoking my right to remain silent. I want a lawyer,” and then call me. I have spent 30 years cross-examining officers from every agency in this county, and I know how to find the gap between the report and the truth: the bodycam footage, the timing, the witnesses who were never interviewed.

Many Oxnard Misdemeanors Can Be Dismissed Entirely

One more thing every Oxnard defendant should know: under California’s judicial diversion law (PC 1001.95), the judge, even over the DA’s objection, can place most misdemeanors on diversion: complete the court’s terms, and the case is dismissed with no conviction. In my experience, the Ventura County courts use judicial diversion routinely for appropriate cases, and I evaluate it in every misdemeanor I take. See my Judicial Diversion in Ventura County page for exactly how it works.

An Oxnard Office, a Lifetime in This County

Plenty of attorneys list Oxnard on their websites. My office has actually been here, on Esplanade Drive, for over 25 years, and I have spent my whole life and entire 30-year career in Ventura County. When you call 805-889-9000, you get me: no secretary, no paralegal, no associate. Free consultation, flat fees quoted up front, available 24/7. If you have been arrested in Oxnard, the most important call you make today is this one.

How to Choose the Right DUI Attorney in Ventura County

Choosing the right DUI attorney is an important decision. Experience in the local courts, knowledge of DUI defense, DMV hearing experience, and personal communication with your attorney are all factors you should consider before hiring a lawyer.

I have written a detailed guide explaining what to look for when choosing a DUI attorney, including the questions you should ask and why local Ventura County experience matters.

Read: How to Choose the Best DUI Attorney in Ventura County.