Santa Barbara County Public Defender Reviews

These people care about justice and take the time necessary.

This office has given me better help than lawyers who got considerably more money and have more reputational clout. If your public defender cares to help you, they are good at what they do.

Fast seating out doors. Pleasant atmosphere. Great food. Friendly service

I don t feel like going into details, all is way too fresh. These attorneys just saved me from not being able to pursue the only career path I know, the high possibility of me becoming homeless and the unknown possibilities that could occur from there, I m still young as well. Nothing great comes over night, understand they want to help you but it won t be a snap of the finger because that s not how the system operates. They continued to subconsciously fulfill me with the idea, If I m willing to move forward....they re willing to move forward. They won t regret the outcome and neither will the District Attorney, regarding myself. To maximize the potential success in your case from my own experience: Be honest, be honest, be honest, if you don t know say you don t know. Stay on topic of discussion unless relevant..Do not waste their time if you don t want yours to be wasted. If you don t understand what information or documents is necessary to take the next step, to not waste theirs or your time, ask them. No words can really explain how much I appreciate the amount of effort you 3 presented to justify me. Thank you to: Miriam Zarraga, Sam, Brian.
-Adam Cordova

At a change of plea hearing on a felony case, the prosecutor added "and you will be pleading to the misdemeanor case," I had no idea that was the DUI I received a year and a 1/2 ago and was booked for driving as under the influence of alcohol, even though I blew a BAC of 0.00 and the blood test came back negative for alcohol. Worse, the court also said, "and now we have the misdemeanor case, Mr. Williamson" (my PD) "we would like to enter no contest, your honor." Wait, wasn't I supposed to enter my own plea, and what misdemeanor case? And to the priors? asked the court. The two back to back DUI almost 10 years ago? Only months before they are removed from my driving record. K.C. Williamson, "We plead no contest to those as well." Priors? Oh, no he wouldn't, but he did. Without telling me the plea offer I accepted included pleading no contest to a DUI Alcohol when I had no alcohol in my system, and plead no contest to two prior DUIs when within a few months they would be 10 years old. My license has been revoked, worse the public defender's office refuses to represent me in court to correct the wrongful conviction.

For two years I called PD K.C. Williamson leaving messages on his voicemail asking for my case file. He never called me back. I was furious not knowing why he didn't tell me the entire plea offer. Before the end of the first year, my messages were acerbic, hateful and filled with expletives. Instead of sending me the case file, he filed charges against me and the SBPD did an investigation that is filled with lies that Mr. Williamson told. Based on that the SBPD recommended to the Merced DA that a charge of criminal threats should be filed. When we went to court, they had to withdraw the charge after I gave my lawyer copies of the emails I kept from his Superior as well as other factual evidence proving Mr. Williamson lied to the detectives conducting the investigation. How much money did Mr. Williamson cost both S.B. and Merced? Thousands of dollars for not upholding the standards of the Public Defender's Office. An error becomes a mistake when it's not corrected. Shame on Williamson, shame on the Public Defender's Office for not correcting the error that has taken my driver's license. When I do get pulled over for driving on a revoked license, only then I will have my day in court?

It's the public defender office what else do I need to say

I've been requesting a call back for over 2 months and have not received a single call back from my public defender.

i have history at work what happen to me there.i am Muslim from Philippines i have wife 4 kids,if any can help me to file case.i did compliant couple times in EEO. i am victim discrimination and harassment .
thank you

Mark Owens is one really nice man he's honest hard working greets you with a smile he works for the people !