Thousand Oaks Criminal Defense Attorney
Thousand Oaks sits at the far east end of Ventura County, right against the Los Angeles County line, and that border creates the first question I answer for many Conejo Valley clients: which court system am I in? If you were arrested in Thousand Oaks or Newbury Park, on the Ventura County side of the line, your case belongs to the Ventura County courts, not Los Angeles, and that is very good news if your attorney has spent his career in them. I have practiced criminal defense exclusively in Ventura County for 30 years, with more than 20,000 court appearances. Call me at 805-889-9000. I answer my own phone, 24/7, and the consultation is free.
DUI: The Charge That Brings Thousand Oaks to My Office
The case I see most from Thousand Oaks, by a wide margin, is DUI: the 101 and the 23 carry the whole Conejo Valley, and a stop on the way home from a dinner out or a night out can turn a spotless record into a criminal case overnight. Three things to know immediately:
- The 10-day rule. You have 10 days from arrest to request a DMV hearing or your license is suspended automatically. Request it in time and you keep driving until the hearing; win it and there is no suspension at all.
- A DUI threatens more than your license. Thousand Oaks is full of professionals: licensed, credentialed, security-cleared people for whom a conviction means questions from licensing boards and employers. I defend these cases with all of those collateral consequences in view, and reductions that protect a professional license are often the most important outcome on the table.
- These cases are defensible. The stop, the field sobriety tests, the breath machine’s calibration, the blood draw: DUI prosecutions are technical, and technical cases have technical weaknesses. I have defended thousands of DUIs in the Ventura County courts, and I will tell you honestly what yours is worth in one free phone call.
Where Thousand Oaks Cases Are Heard
Criminal cases from Thousand Oaks are heard at the Hall of Justice on Victoria Avenue in Ventura, the county’s main criminal courthouse, where I have appeared nearly every working day for three decades. It is a long drive from the Conejo Valley, which makes one feature of my practice especially valuable here: on all misdemeanors, I appear in court for you. You never make that drive, never miss work, never sit in a courtroom. I go, then call you with exactly what happened and what is next.
Cases I Defend
While DUI leads the list in Thousand Oaks, I defend every kind of criminal charge filed in the Ventura County courts:
- DUI/DWI
- Felony DUI Causing Injury
- Driving While Suspended & DMV Issues (including medical suspensions)
- Drug Crimes
- Assault and Battery
- Burglary
- Robbery
- Theft & Shoplifting
- Judicial Diversion in Ventura County
- Domestic Violence
- Sex Crimes
- Three Strikes Cases
- Conspiracy
- Carjacking
- Vehicular Manslaughter
- Homicide (overview)
- Criminal Threats, Firearms Offenses, Hit and Run & Other Crimes
- Expungement & Record Clearing
- Probation Violations
- Getting Charges Reduced
- Getting a Bail Bond
Whatever the charge, my three questions never change: Can I get it dismissed? If not, can I get it reduced? And can I keep you out of jail?
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.
