The RegistryCounty Record · California
Criminal Defense Attorneys in Santa Clara County, California
Counsel for the accused: from arraignment through trial and record clearance. In Santa Clara County, that work runs through the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara. This directory presents criminal defense records from official State Bar of California data in neutral order.
The heart of Silicon Valley; its superior court's complex civil division hears many of the technology industry's trade secret, employment, and corporate disputes. Venue for most criminal defense matters arising in the county lies with the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, seated at San Jose.
Deadlines shape these cases before merits do · most misdemeanors: one year to charge; most felonies: three years (Cal. Penal Code §§ 799–802). Charging deadlines scale with the offense: crimes punishable by death or life imprisonment, and embezzlement of public money, may be prosecuted at any time (Cal. Penal Code § 799). After arrest, arraignment must generally occur within 48 hours (Cal. Penal Code § 825).
This page is the Santa Clara County chapter of the registry's statewide record · Criminal Defense Attorneys in California collects all 58 counties.
The clock & the court
Most misdemeanors: one year to charge; most felonies: three years.
Cal. Penal Code §§ 799–802
Charging deadlines scale with the offense: crimes punishable by death or life imprisonment, and embezzlement of public money, may be prosecuted at any time (Cal. Penal Code § 799). After arrest, arraignment must generally occur within 48 hours (Cal. Penal Code § 825).
Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara.
County seat: San Jose
Official court information, locations, and filing rules: santaclara.courts.ca.gov
Criminal Defense · Santa Clara County roster
617 attorneys on the official State Bar of California roll list criminal defense among their practice areas with an address of record in Santa Clara County.
597 of them hold an active licence; the remainder are recorded as inactive and are not currently eligible to practise.
The roster concentrates in San Jose (469), Palo Alto (62), Santa Clara (17) and Los Gatos (12).
11 hold a State Bar Certified Legal Specialist designation, a certification issued by the State Bar's Board of Legal Specialization, and not a rating or a ranking.
29 are recorded as taking client work in a language other than English.
Admission years on this roster run from 1967 to 2026.
The employers most represented here are Santa Clara County Public Defender (47), Santa Clara County District Attorney (38) and Santa Clara District Attorney's Office (18).
The full Santa Clara County roster · 597 attorneys with an active license and a criminal defense practice area: is listed by surname in the 3 sections below.
Criminal Defense matters in Santa Clara County
The matters this field covers, as Californians search for them. Each attorney's own profile states which of these they take.
- felony charges
- misdemeanor charges
- drug possession and sales charges
- theft, burglary and robbery charges
- assault and battery charges
- weapons and gun charges
- domestic violence charges
- homicide and murder charges
- sex crime charges
- fraud and white-collar charges
- gang-related charges
- arson charges
- warrants and bail
- probation violations
- expungement and record sealing
- juvenile matters
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Criminal Defense questions, cited
How long can California wait to file criminal charges?
It depends on the offense. Most misdemeanors must be charged within one year (Cal. Penal Code § 802) and most felonies within three years (Cal. Penal Code § 801). Offenses punishable by eight or more years run six years (§ 800), and crimes punishable by death or life imprisonment have no limitations period (§ 799). Certain sex offenses and fraud offenses follow special discovery-based rules.
What happens at an arraignment in California?
The court formally states the charges, advises you of your rights, takes your plea, and addresses release, bail, own-recognizance release, or conditions. Cal. Penal Code § 825 requires that a person in custody be arraigned within 48 hours of arrest, excluding Sundays and holidays. It is also where counsel is appointed for defendants who cannot afford an attorney.
Can I get a conviction expunged in California?
Many convictions can be dismissed under Cal. Penal Code § 1203.4 after probation ends: the plea is withdrawn and the case dismissed, though the conviction still counts for some purposes (licensing disclosures, priors). Since 2023, Cal. Penal Code § 1203.425 also provides automatic record relief for many older non-serious convictions, and arrest records that ended without conviction can be sealed under § 851.91.
Do I have to talk to police if I am being investigated?
No. The Fifth Amendment and California law let you decline to answer questions, and anything volunteered can be used against you. You may state that you are exercising your right to remain silent and want an attorney; questioning of a person in custody must then stop under Miranda v. Arizona (1966) 384 U.S. 436. Providing identification during a lawful stop is a separate, narrower obligation.
What is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony in California?
Chiefly the maximum punishment: misdemeanors carry up to a year in county jail (Cal. Penal Code § 19), while felonies are punishable by imprisonment (Cal. Penal Code § 17). Many offenses are "wobblers" that can be charged or later reduced either way under Penal Code § 17(b), a frequent target of defense motions, since reduction restores rights and narrows collateral consequences.
Legal information, not legal advice.
From the answer files
Every criminal defense attorney in Santa Clara County, by surname
Criminal Defense by city in Santa Clara County
Related counsel in Santa Clara County
Criminal Defense in nearby counties
Source: Cal. Penal Code §§ 799–802 · State Bar of California licensee records · Checked: · Maintained by the California Attorney Registry from official State Bar of California records. Legal information, not legal advice.
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