Menu
No two cases are the same, and no two clients are the same. But there is a disciplined process behind every case Owens Defense, P.C. accepts: one built on attorney James Owens' experience as a former prosecutor, his years defending the accused, and his firsthand understanding of what it means to face a criminal charge. From the first conversation to the final resolution, the process is built around you: your goals, your circumstances, and everything you want most to protect.
A criminal charge threatens more than your liberty. It can threaten your career, professional license, reputation, immigration status, family, and relationships. Owens Defense remains mindful of all of it, at every step of the criminal justice process.
Every case begins with listening.
In the initial meeting, James Owens sits down with you, privately and confidentially, to hear your account of what happened, in your own words. This conversation is protected by the attorney-client privilege, as is every conversation that follows. Nothing shared with James can be disclosed to prosecutors, police, employers, or anyone else. You can speak freely, and you should.
Just as important, James asks a question that too many criminal defense law firms skip: What does a successful outcome look like to you? For one client, success means total vindication at trial. For another, it means resolving the matter quietly, protecting a professional license, or shielding a family from public attention. The answer shapes everything that follows. James doesn't impose a definition of winning on you; he builds the defense around yours.
A defense is only as strong as the facts behind it, and those facts must be supported by evidence. At this stage, Owens Defense works two tracks at once.
Obtaining the prosecution's evidence.
The Constitution and California law require prosecutors to turn over their evidence, including evidence that helps the defense (“exculpatory evidence”). Under the 1963 U.S. Supreme Court case Brady v. Maryland and its progeny, the prosecution must disclose anything exculpatory; under California Penal Code section 1054, it must produce witness statements, reports, and other materials on a defined timeline.
As a former Deputy District Attorney, James knows exactly what kinds of evidence prosecutors have, how they organize it, and where discovery obligations tend to be neglected. He holds them to every one of those obligations.
Independent investigation.
James doesn't stop at what the government hands over. The firm leverages a trusted network of private investigators, forensic and subject-matter experts, and treatment professionals, along with the defense's own subpoena power, to gather evidence law enforcement never looked for and to develop the narratives that support the defense. Witnesses get interviewed. Records get pulled. Scenes get examined. The goal is a complete picture of the case to ensure that there are no surprises, not the one-sided version assembled to support an arrest.
With the evidence in hand, James does what he was trained to do on the other side of the courtroom: build the prosecution's case in his head, and then take it apart.
Every criminal charge is made up of specific elements the government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt, defined for California juries by the CALCRIM instructions — and that is where James starts, in every case, from day one. He prepares every case as if it will be tried, and that preparation starts at the end: identifying the one or two elements the case will actually turn on, drafting the closing argument he intends to give on them, and working backward — what evidence the defense needs, what the prosecution lacks, what every witness examination must accomplish. Alongside that element-by-element work, he weighs the practical realities that decide cases as often as the law does: whether the assigned deputy district attorney can actually get the necessary witnesses and evidence to trial, how particular facts and theories tend to land with Bay Area juries, and whether key evidence can be excluded or weakened through pre-trial motions.
This is where James's background as a former Deputy District Attorney in both Contra Costa and Alameda Counties pays its greatest dividend. Having charged cases, conducted preliminary hearings, and tried cases to verdict as a prosecutor, he knows where the government's cases are strong, where they are brittle, and how to tell the difference early. You get a candid, unvarnished assessment of your case, not false optimism or pressure toward a quick resolution.
After evaluating the case from every angle, James then regroups with you to share that assessment and lay out the available options: what each path involves, what it could achieve, what it risks, and its potential impact not only on the charges but on your career, reputation, and life beyond the courtroom.
This is a genuine conversation, not a presentation. James explains the options; you decide which to pursue. Some clients want every issue litigated. Others want the most discreet, efficient path to putting the matter behind them. Owens Defense's role is to make sure you choose based on all the information, and then to pursue your choice with every resource at the firm’s disposal.
With direction set, James goes to work. Depending on the nature of the case and your goals, that may mean:
These paths are not mutually exclusive, and it's common to pursue several at once. A strong suppression motion improves a negotiating position — and this is where trial preparation pays for itself even in cases that never see a jury: prosecutors price their offers against the risk of losing, and they can tell when the defense across the table is genuinely built to win. The best plea deals go to the defendants most prepared to reject them.
Throughout the process, James keeps you informed, adjusts as the case develops, and never loses sight of the outcome you defined at the very first meeting. James’s reputation for aggressive, zealous representation and powerful oral advocacy is an asset whether you are seeking a swift, discreet resolution to your case or to have your day in court at a trial.
A Criminal Defense Law Firm Process Built from Experience
Criminal defense attorney James Owens has seen the criminal justice system from every angle: as a judicial clerk, as a prosecutor, as a defense attorney—and, years ago, as a young man facing a felony charge of his own. That last experience is why the Owens Defense process looks the way it does. James knows that a criminal case is one of the most stressful experiences of a person's life, and that what happens outside the courtroom can matter as much as what happens inside it. Every stage of the firm's process is built to protect both.
If you or someone you love is facing a criminal charge or investigation, the most important step is the first one. Call (415) 824-4000, email consult@owensdefense.com, or request a confidential consultation online. Everything you share is privileged and protected — and it will be heard.
© 2026 Owens Defense, P.C.
| View Our Disclaimer | Privacy Policy
Law Firm Website Design by The Modern Firm