Indexed from official State Bar of California records · Identity verification · Updated regularly

The RegistryCounty Record · California

Criminal Defense Lawyers in Kern County, California

Searching for a criminal defense lawyer in Kern County? Counsel for the accused: from arraignment through trial and record clearance. This page indexes the county's criminal defense coverage from the State Bar of California's official roll, with identity-verification markers where available.

Oil, agriculture, and logistics country at the Valley's southern end; the Metropolitan Division in Bakersfield anchors the county's calendars. Venue for most criminal defense matters arising in the county lies with the Superior Court of California, County of Kern, seated at Bakersfield.

The law also keeps time: most misdemeanors: one year to charge; most felonies: three years under 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). The plaque below carries the citation; the roster that follows carries the rest.

This page is the Kern County chapter of the registry's statewide record · Criminal Defense Lawyers in California collects all 58 counties.

The clock & the court

Statute of limitations

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).

Court of record

Superior Court of California, County of Kern.

County seat: Bakersfield

Courthouse at the county seat: Metropolitan Division, 1415 Truxtun Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93301

Help with forms without a lawyer: the court's self-help center (source: The court's official website, read 2026-09-27).

Official court information, locations, and filing rules: www.kern.courts.ca.gov

Criminal Defense · Kern County roster

195 attorneys on the official State Bar of California roll list criminal defense among their practice areas with an address of record in Kern County.

187 of them hold an active licence; the remainder are recorded as inactive and are not currently eligible to practise.

The roster concentrates in Bakersfield (175), Ridgecrest (4), Mojave (3) and Shafter (3).

5 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.

For 2, the registry records a language other than English, almost always from a firm website published in that language; that describes the website, not an attorney's own ability.

Admission years on this roster run from 1973 to 2026.

The employers most represented here are Kern County Public Defender (30), Kern County District Attorney's Office (20) and Kern County District Attorney (14).

The full Kern County roster · 187 attorneys with an active license and a criminal defense practice area: is listed by surname in the 1 sections below.

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Legal information, not legal advice

Criminal Defense matters in Kern 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

From the answer files

Can I get a conviction expunged in California?Cal. Penal Code § 1203.4How long does California have to file criminal charges?Cal. Penal Code §§ 799–802How much does a criminal defense lawyer cost in California?Cal. Penal Code § 987

Every criminal defense attorney in Kern County, by surname

Adelson – Zerbib187 attorneys

Criminal Defense by city in Kern County

Criminal Defense in BakersfieldKern County

Related counsel in Kern County

Civil Rights Attorneys in Kern County42 U.S.C. § 1983 / Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1Immigration Lawyers in Kern County8 C.F.R. § 1003.38All practice areas in Kern CountyCounty record

Criminal Defense in nearby counties

Criminal Defense in San Luis Obispo County104 attorneysCriminal Defense in Kings County31 attorneysCriminal Defense in Tulare County109 attorneysCriminal Defense in Inyo County8 attorneysCriminal Defense in San Bernardino County474 attorneysCriminal Defense in Los Angeles County4,078 attorneysCriminal Defense in Ventura County284 attorneysCriminal Defense in Santa Barbara County176 attorneysCriminal Defense Lawyers in CaliforniaStatewide record

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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