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

The RegistryCounty Record · California

Criminal Defense Lawyers in Orange County, California

Every criminal defense lawyer and criminal defense attorney listing on this page traces back to the State Bar of California's official roll, filtered to criminal defense matters arising in Orange County. Verification describes profile identity, not quality or outcomes.

Venue matters. Criminal defense cases from Orange County are ordinarily heard at the Superior Court of California, County of Orange. California's third-most-populous county; the Central Justice Center and the Civil Complex Center in Santa Ana anchor a court system known for complex civil administration.

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 Orange 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 Orange.

County seat: Santa Ana

Courthouse at the county seat: Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701

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.occourts.org

Criminal Defense · Orange County roster

1,270 attorneys on the official State Bar of California roll list criminal defense among their practice areas with an address of record in Orange County.

1,217 of them hold an active licence; the remainder are recorded as inactive and are not currently eligible to practise.

The roster concentrates in Santa Ana (507), Irvine (137), Newport Beach (117) and Tustin (56).

25 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 43, 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 1964 to 2026.

The employers most represented here are Orange County District Attorney (101), Orange County Public Defender (85) and Orange County District Attorney's Office (77).

The full Orange County roster · 1,217 attorneys with an active license and a criminal defense practice area: is listed by surname in the 6 sections below.

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In the last 30 days attorneys have read 11 filed matters on the registry.

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Legal information, not legal advice

Criminal Defense matters in Orange 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 Orange County, by surname

Abbes – Clark205 attorneysCoggins – Gomez207 attorneysGonzales – Kung203 attorneysKurdi – Nguyen205 attorneysNguyenmcdonald – Skyhar195 attorneysSmith – Zoellner202 attorneys

Criminal Defense by city in Orange County

Criminal Defense in IrvineOrange CountyCriminal Defense in AnaheimOrange CountyCriminal Defense in Santa AnaOrange County

Related counsel in Orange County

DUI Lawyers in Orange CountyCal. Veh. Code § 13353.2Civil Rights Attorneys in Orange County42 U.S.C. § 1983 / Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1Immigration Lawyers in Orange County8 C.F.R. § 1003.38All practice areas in Orange CountyCounty record

Criminal Defense in nearby counties

Criminal Defense in Los Angeles County4,067 attorneysCriminal Defense in San Bernardino County474 attorneysCriminal Defense in Riverside County611 attorneysCriminal Defense in San Diego County1,465 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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