Services

Services

At the Ventura County Public Defender’s Office, we are committed to providing high-quality legal defense services to individuals who are unable to afford private counsel. Our team of experienced attorneys, investigators, and social workers works diligently to ensure that every client receives fair and just representation. We handle a wide range of cases, from felonies and misdemeanors to juvenile defense and appeals. Additionally, we offer specialized services through mental health and veterans’ courts, helping clients navigate the complexities of the legal system while addressing their unique needs.

Celebrating 56 Years of Advocacy

Juvenile Criminal Cases

Attorneys represent minors accused of criminal conduct; from their first appearance in court through the disposition of the case and during the periods of probation or other rehabilitative programming. The attorney is the minor’s advocate throughout all stages of the proceedings.

Immigration Unit

The Ventura County Public Defender’s Office is dedicated to providing exceptional representation to all clients- including those who may not be United States citizens. Our Immigration Unit provides the following services free of charge:

Post-Conviction Relief

The Ventura County Public Defender’s Office aggressively pursues post-conviction relief for people suffering the immigration consequences of criminal convictions. Whether or not our office represented the person in the original case, our attorneys will pursue every available remedy to erase or fix any Ventura County criminal conviction harming one’s immigration status or ability to obtain lawful status. 

If you are in need of assistance on a case of your own or if you are an immigration attorney or non-profit representing someone with a problematic conviction, please click here.

File Requests

If you are an attorney wishing to request a Public Defender’s Office client file, please click here.

Complete Analysis and Advice Concerning Immigration Consequences for Every Case

Every single non-citizen client of the Ventura County Public Defender’s Office is provided a personalized, case specific analysis of the actual and potential immigration consequences for all charges.

 

Contempts

Mental Health

The Ventura Public Defender’s Office is a fierce advocate and progressive participant in the development and implementation of programs for individuals who, because of mental illness, are involved in the legal system.

Learn More

Probate

We represent over a thousand individuals who because of a developmental disability or other cognitive disorder lack the capacity to care for themselves and/or their finances, and a conservator has petitioned the Court to place them on conservatorship. If a conservatorship is granted, we continue our representation to ensure our clients’ needs are met and their finances are protected. A probate conservatorship usually lasts for the length of a person’s life.

Specialty Courts

Public Defenders appear in courts designated to handle specific types of clients or charges. Examples of these are adult veteran’s court and juvenile drug court, domestic violence court, homeless court, and mentally ill offender court. Public Defenders seek to balance the need for treatment with protection of the Constitutional rights of clients in these courts

Writs & Appeals

Ventura County Public Defender clients can challenge legal errors made at trial court by filing either a writ or an appeal in a reviewing court. The Writs and Appeals division works to identity trial court legal errors, files the necessary documents to either the misdemeanor or felony reviewing court, and argues for the correction of any errors. The division’s work is essential in making sure that potential incorrect legal orders do not go unchallenged.

Post Conviction Unit

A grant funded unit which combats the results of mass incarceration. Attorneys petition for resentencing of lengthy prison terms which were unjustifiably imposed.

Fresh Start Unit

The “Fresh Start” program offered by the Ventura County Public Defender’s Office focuses on helping individuals clear their criminal records to improve their chances for employment, housing, and other opportunities. The program assists eligible clients with processes such as expungements, record sealing, and early probation termination. By removing or minimizing the impact of past convictions, the Fresh Start program offers individuals a second chance to reintegrate into society without the burden of a criminal record holding them back.

Learn More

Case Investigations

The Public Defender Investigator is an integral part of the defense team. Investigators gather information that is used to assist the attorneys in preparing cases for court.

Sentencing Specialist Unit

The Sentencing Specialist Unit supports the Public Defender’s mission by providing inclusive services to clients both in and out of custody.  No two clients are alike, and each individual receives attention and assistance specific to their needs. 

  • Juvenile Justice Facility
    • Specialists are assigned to help guide our youngest clients, and aid their families in transitioning their sons and daughters away from repeated unlawful behavior.
  • Program placements
    • Specialists assist with placement of clients in need of drug/alcohol rehab programs or a mental health facility.
  • Social histories
    • Specialists interview clients with the goal of discovering and documenting mitigating factors that are specific to their life.
  • Post-conviction
    • For clients seeking re-sentencing, Sentencing Specialists provide a personal interview, document our client’s accomplishments while in prison, and create an individualized, detailed re-entry plan post-incarceration.

Adult Criminal
Cases

Public Defenders have strong trial and litigation backgrounds and are experienced in representing disadvantaged and unhoused clients in all types of felony and misdemeanor charges filed in Ventura County courtrooms. Supported by in-house investigators and support staff, our lawyers advocate for the person, as well as their criminal charge. From arraignment, through trial and/or sentencing, our primary focus is providing the best legal representation possible with a holistic look and an emphasis on mitigation and alternative sentencing services.

Adult Criminal
Cases

Offering experienced representation from arraignment to sentencing

Juvenile
Criminal Cases

Representing minors in court and through probation or rehabilitation

Specialty
Courts

Addressing specific client needs, including Veterans, Reentry, CIC, and Homeless Courts

Mental Health

Representing those involuntarily committed or under conservatorship, and handling appeals for fair trials

Writs & Appeals

Writs and Appeals services at the Ventura County Public Defender’s Office provide clients the opportunity to challenge legal errors made at the trial court.

Post Conviction Unit

A grant funded unit which combats the results of mass incarceration. Attorneys petition for resentencing of lengthy prison terms which were unjustifiably imposed.

Fresh Start Unit

By removing or minimizing the impact of past convictions, the Fresh Start program offers individuals a second chance to reintegrate into society without the burden of a criminal record holding them back.

Probate

We aid those with a developmental or other cognitive disorder to ensure their needs and finances are protected.

Contempts

Supporting defense strategies by gathering crucial information

Case
Investigations

Supporting defense strategies by gathering crucial information. The Public Defender Investigator is an integral part of the defense team.

Sentencing Specialists

Sentencing Specialists play a central, individualized role in the Public Defender’s office. They document comprehensive life stories in support of our clients’ defense, and collect mitigating information to assist our lawyers in locating case appropriate facilities, programs, and other alternatives to jail or prison.

Immigration

The Ventura County Public Defender’s Office is dedicated to providing exceptional representation to all clients- including those who may not be United States citizens.

Contact Information

Office Hours
  • Monday - Friday | 8:00AM - 5:00PM
  • Paralegal Walkin
    8:30AM - 11:00AM
    1:30PM - 4:00PM

Locations

HALL OF JUSTICE
800 S. Victoria Avenue – Room #207
Ventura, CA 93009
(805) 654-2201

Get Directions

JUVENILE JUSTICE CENTER
4353 Vineyard Oxnard, CA 93033
Room #296
(805) 981-5990

Get Directions

Quick links

Apply for a Public Defender

Social Media

Instagram Facebook
DISCLAIMER: This site is meant to provide information of a general nature which you should verify with an attorney before relying upon it. It does not provide legal advice and is not meant to establish an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice you should ALWAYS contact an attorney.
© 2025 – County of Ventura Public Defender