Law Office of J'Aimèe L. Oxton, Prof. Corp.

If you’ve been charged with a crime in Santa Barbara County, look no further than the Law Office of J’Aimèe L. Oxton, A Professional Corporation, for the best criminal defense attorney in Santa Barbara. Attorney Oxton defends clients accused of crimes throughout Santa Barbara County.

When you are charged with a crime in Santa Barbara, it is imperative to have a local Santa Barbara criminal defense attorney like Attorney J’Aimèe Oxton who knows the law, who knows the prosecutors, who knows the local Judges, and who will fight for you.

One of the first questions posed to individuals facing criminal charges is whether or not they should hire a Santa Barbara criminal lawyer. The obvious downside is the potential costs and fees associated with hiring a criminal attorney to represent you. However, in many cases, the monetary fees of a criminal defense attorney are minimal compared to the life-altering costs that can result from not having the best possible defense.

For nearly 10 years Attorney J’Aimèe Oxton and her Law Firm have assisted individuals who have been arrested & charged with a variety of crimes in Santa Barbara County including, but not limited to:

You need a qualified criminal defense attorney to provide you with sound legal advice and representation in the event you find yourself charged in Santa Barbara County with a crime, whether a misdemeanor or a felony. Depending upon your criminal case, punishments can range from mere fines or community service to long term prison terms, or even the death penalty.

Crimes are charged by the prosecutor either as felonies, misdemeanors or infractions. Before you enter a plea to any criminal offense in Santa Barbara County, you should have an experienced, local Santa Barbara Lawyer examine the criminal complaint or indictment to make sure that you have been legally charged. You should also have an experienced local Santa Barbara Criminal Attorney like J’Aimèe Oxton review all police reports and other evidence to make certain that it is not tainted by some violation of your constitutional rights. If such a violation of constitutional rights has occurred, it is possible to have the evidence, including any incriminating statements you may have made, thrown out.

Attorney J’Aimèe L. Oxton heads a client-focused law firm committed to taking a careful and thoughtful review of your unique criminal case. Attorney Oxton is will listen, advise, guarantee your privacy, and explore every option available to you. She offers free consultations to individuals charged in Santa Barbara with DUI or any other criminal matter. Why fight criminal charges alone in Santa Barbara when you can have one of the most experienced, dedicated Criminal Lawyers in Santa Barbara to represent you? Contact our office today to learn how AttorneyJ’Aimèe Oxton can help.

The most serious offenses are charged as felonies and conviction may mean a term of incarceration in the state prison. Except in rare cases, a first-time felony conviction may also result in some local jail time (1 year or less), followed by probation for 3 to 5 years.

Misdemeanors are the next level of offenses, and include such things as Driving Under the Influence of alcohol or drugs, Petty Theft, Possession of some drugs, Simple Assault, Disturbing the Peace, etc. A conviction on a misdemeanor may result in a term of up to 1 year in the county jail, and/or a fine and/or up to 3 years of probation.

“Wobblers” are offenses that may either be a felony or misdemeanor, depending on the sentence imposed. If the statute under which you are charged says that an offense is punishable by either a term in state prison, or up to 1 year in county jail, it is a “wobbler” and whether it is a felony or misdemeanor will be determined by whether you are sent to state prison (felony), or sent to county jail, with or without probation (misdemeanors.) If the sentence was probation with or without some county jail time, it is possible to ask the Court to declare the offense is and was for all purposes, a misdemeanor, even if it was charged as a felony and you were convicted of a felony.

Infractions are the lowest level criminal offense, and include such things as Public Intoxication, Driving too Fast (Speeding), and Disturbing the Peace. Because there is no jail time possible upon conviction of an infraction, defendants in these cases are not entitled to the services of the Public Defender, even if the defendant is indigent.

If you have been arrested for DUI in Santa Barbara County, or if you are under 21 years of age and have been cited for any alcohol or drug-related offense, you may be subject to administrative proceedings by the CA Department of Motor Vehicles to revoke or suspend your driving privileges IN ADDITION to the criminal charges you face in the local Santa Barbara County criminal courts. If you have been arrested in Santa Barbara County for such an offense, you will either receive a “temporary license” (pink/salmon in color) when your license is taken by the arresting officer, or you will receive a notice in the mail.

In either event, you only have 10 days from receipt of the temporary license to contact the California Department of Motor Vehicles to schedule a hearing to contest the automatic suspension of your driving privileges. If you do not contact the CA DMV to request a hearing within 10 days, then your driving privileges will automatically be suspended for up to 1 year beginning 30 days after the date you were arrested. At the DMV hearing, conducted by a hearing officer, you have the right to be represented by your criminal lawyer, to produce witnesses and other evidence and to question the arresting officer, or officers. Even if you eventually intend to admit guilt and accept the suspension of your driving privileges, making arrangements for a hearing can give you time to make alternate transportation arrangements if, when making the appointment for the hearing, you also ask for a stay of the automatic suspension.