Santa Ana Criminal Defense & DUI Lawyer

Former Prosecutors fighting for you

When your life and family are on the line, it is important to hire the best Santa Ana criminal defense lawyer to fight for you. At Chudnovsky Law, we offer:

1) A Free consultation

We know your criminal charges are serious. We offer a free consultation to learn about the charges and explain how we can help build a solid defense.

2) Santa Ana courthouse experience

We know Central Justice Center inside out and how to best protect you at every step. We have achieved excellent case results in all Orange County courts.

3) Dedication to your case

Our former government lawyers know how to beat criminal charges and will fight to achieve the best outcome possible for you.

4) Criminal immigration lawyer

Our Santa Ana criminal immigration attorneys are skilled at defending Latinos and minimizing the immigration effects of criminal charges.

Call (949) 750-2500 for a FREE consultation | Hablamos Español | We offer affordable fees and payment plans.

Santa Ana criminal defense resources

• Types of criminal cases we handle
• Noncitizen criminal defense
• Professional license criminal defense
• How to beat criminal charges
• 20 ways to beat DUI charges
• Understanding the arrest process
• Our recent case results
• How we help you
• Frequently asked questions

Medical and nursing license criminal defense

Anyone can make a mistake, but professional license holders risk triggering a license board investigation when charged with a crime. In addition to criminal penalties for conviction, professional licensees can face career-ending disciplinary actions.

Nursing, medical, dental and chiropractic license holders should hire a qualified professional license defense attorney to protect their license and ability to practice.

Attorneys Robert K. Weinberg, Melissa DuChene, and Suzanne Crouts are experienced professional license defense and criminal defense attorneys skilled at handling criminal defense and federal or state license board investigations for all professional licensees, including:

• Board of Registered Nursing license defense lawyer
• Medical Board of California license defense lawyer
• Chiropractor license defense attorney
• California Board of Pharmacy license defense lawyer
• Dental Board of California investigation lawyer

Chudnovsky Law skillfully handles all professional license criminal matters including: Santa Ana nurse DUI, doctor criminal defense, Department of Consumer Affairs investigations, nurse criminal defense, medical license DUI, DEA medical registrant investigations, medical license defense, chiropractic license defense, dentist DUI, insurance fraud, Medical Board investigations, nursing practice act offenses and Medi-cal/Medicare billing fraud.

Call (949) 750-2500 for a consultation to review your case.

Santa Ana’s arrest process

Those arrested in Santa Ana may be booked and held in one of several jails:

• Santa Ana Police Jail, 62 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701. Call (714) 245-8100 to contact the jail or for inmate information. The jail can hold 512 detainees and was built in 1977.
• Central Men’s Jail, 550 N Flower St, Santa Ana, CA 92703. Call (714) 647-4666 to contact the jail or for inmate information. The men’s jail can hold 1,433 inmates and was opened in 1968.
• Central Women’s Jail, 550 N Flower St, Santa Ana, CA 92703. Call (714) 647-4666 to contact the jail or for inmate information. The women’s jail can hold 380 inmates and was opened in 1968.
• Theo Lacy Facility, 501 The City Drive South, Orange, CA 92868. Call (714) 935-6940 to contact the jail or for inmate information. Theo Lacy Facility was opened in 1960 and is the largest jail in Orange County with capacity for 3,442 inmates.

The Santa Ana Police Jail offers a Pay to Stay program allowing inmates to enter a work-release program or serve their commitment on weekends. The program allows a person to maintain their employment and support their family while serving their sentence. You can read eligibility requirements and FAQs here.

How to find inmates in Santa Ana

• You can search for inmates in Orange County Sheriff’s Department custody using the online inmate search. If held by Santa Ana Police, call (714) 245-8100.

How bail amounts are set

• Bail for Santa Ana inmates are set by judges based on the OC bail schedule.

How court penalties are set

• Penalties are set at the judge’s discretion within parameters defined in California Penal Codes and the Judicial Council Uniform Penalty Schedules.

Santa Ana courts

Most Santa Ana criminal cases are prosecuted by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. However, infractions, municipal code violations and some misdemeanor matters are prosecuted by the Santa Ana City Attorney’s office.

The presiding judge designates cases to be heard and tried in the various courts according to this court matrix. Most Santa Ana criminal cases are handled at:

• Central Justice Center: Santa Ana Courthouse at 700 W Civic Center Dr., Santa Ana, CA 92701. Call (657) 622-8459 for more information.
• Courtroom in Central Justice Complex (CJ1): This secure courtroom is located inside the Central Jail at 550 N Flower St, Santa Ana, CA 92703. For more information, call (657) 622-8459.

Recent case results

We handle cases in all OC courts including: Central Justice Center, CJ1, Harbor Justice Center, Lamoreaux Justice Center, North Justice Center and West Justice Center.

Our criminal defense attorneys have decades of experience successfully handling criminal cases. Some of our Santa Ana misdemeanor lawyer recent case victories include:

• Felony drug transportation, possession for sale of 50 kilograms cocaine HS 11351 and HS 11352, Santa Ana Court. Client faced 20 years if convicted. Result: Not guilty verdict in jury trial.
• Felony terrorist threats with mass explosive devices 18710 PC and 422 PC, Central Justice Center. Client facing 4 years prison. Result: Acquitted of 18710 PC in trial, 422 PC reduced to misdemeanor, no jail time.
• Felony corporal injury on spouse by non-US citizen 273.5 PC. Client faced 1 year jail and denial of green card for domestic violence. Result: Not guilty in jury trial.
• Felony assault with deadly weapon 245(a)(2) PC. Client facing 5 years prison. Result: Reduced to misdemeanor 273.5 PC, no jail time.
• Felony domestic violence on spouse by foreign citizen 273.5 PC. International executive faced 2 years jail and aggravated felony conviction with deportation and inadmissibility to U.S. Result: Case dismissed, no immigration consequence.
• Felony grand theft 459.5 PC, 487 PC. Client had prior record and faced 4 years of prison time. Result: Reduced to misdemeanor, no jail time.

Read more case results →

How a Santa Ana criminal defense lawyer helps you

If you’re facing a criminal charge, our attorneys can help in several ways:

1. Improve your odds of beating charges with a solid defense.
2. Negotiate a fair plea agreement (if a plea is the right choice).
3. We can attend bail hearings to argue for no bail.
4. We can help you secure a low 7% bail bond rate.
5. Use our experience to help you avoid the land mines in the process.
6. Appear in court for you so that you don’t have to go to court.
7. Minimize criminal immigration consequences.
8. Conduct police interviews on your behalf.

We’ll work day and night to help build a defense that reduces or eliminates the charges against you, reduces fines and penalties, and quickly resolves your case.

Contact a Santa Ana criminal lawyer

Chudnovsky Law has the experience and resources to help defend you against any criminal investigation or charge in Santa Ana. If you or a loved one is facing a criminal charge, give us a call today at (949) 750-2500 for a FREE consultation.

Frequently asked questions

What happens if I’ve been falsely accused of domestic violence?

Unfortunately, false domestic violence accusations happen every day in California. The problem is, law enforcement have to take accusations very seriously, even when they are false. Little to no physical evidence is required to make an accusation, and claims are easily exaggerated.

Given the serious consequences to you and your family, you have to protect yourself and proceed carefully. This is where an experienced Santa Ana domestic violence lawyer can make sure a bad incident doesn’t turn out to be a disaster.

Here are the best domestic violence attorney legal defenses.

What are the penalties for misdemeanor and felony criminal charges?

A Santa Ana conviction will follow California’s basic sentencing laws. Your case is unique, and many factors will dictate the penalties. But a general rule of thumb is:

• Infractions are punished with a fine.
• Misdemeanors can result in a sentence of 1 year or less in jail with possible fine.
• Felonies are more serious, and you may be facing prison time, which varies based on the crime and the judge’s discretion.

If you’re facing a third serious or violent felony, your case falls under California’s Three Strikes sentencing law, which is a mandatory sentence of 25 years to life.

California enacted many new criminal justice reforms in 2021 that affect sentencing and provide for automatic erasing of criminal records after certain conditions are met.

I’m pleading guilty, do I still need a lawyer?

A criminal defense attorney in Santa Ana will ensure that you receive a fair sentence and can negotiate for an alternative sentence on your behalf. It’s always advised to discuss your options with a qualified attorney who may be able to dispute the charge or convince the prosecutor and judge to lower the punishment you will face.

The District Attorney’s standard plea offer is rarely the best you can achieve with an expert criminal defense attorney arguing for you.

Disclaimer

This information does not constitute legal advice. No representations are made as to its accuracy and appropriate legal counsel should be consulted before taking any actions. Contact us to see if Chudnovsky Law is the best Santa Ana criminal defense attorney for you.

We represent clients throughout Orange County and the following Santa Ana zip codes: 92701, 92702, 92703, 92704, 92705, 92706, 92707, 92711, 92712, 92735, 92799, 92866 and 92868.

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Written by Tsion Chudnovsky, David Stein, and Robert Weinberg