Practice Areas

James Owens, Former Deputy District Attorney If you were arrested last night, you may be reading this from a hotel room, a friend’s couch, or your car — barred from your own home by an order you never saw coming, wondering whether you can cal…

James Owens, Former Deputy District Attorney For most people, a criminal charge is one case. For you, it’s at least two. The arrest that put you on this page has consequences in criminal court — and separate, parallel consequences before the…

James Owens, former Deputy District Attorney A fight that lasted seconds can produce a case that lasts years. Maybe you were defending yourself. Maybe an argument escalated in ways you never intended. Maybe the police report describes someone you don…

James Owens, former Deputy District Attorney If you are reading this page, something has probably already happened. A detective left a card at your door. An accusation surfaced at work, in your family, or online. Or charges have been filed and you ar…

James Owens, Former Deputy District Attorney If you’re a parent reading this at midnight because your son or daughter was arrested with drugs, start here: With the right action, taken quickly, a drug charge does not have to define your child…

James Owens, Former Deputy District Attorney A DUI arrest starts two cases against you, and one of them is already on a clock. Before anything happens in criminal court, the DMV process is moving: you have 10 days from your arrest to request an admin…

James Owens, Former Deputy District Attorney Most people believe that when a criminal case ends, it ends. The sentence is imposed, the file closes, and the conviction becomes a permanent fact of life. California law says otherwise — and it says oth…