Criminal Defense and DUI Lawyers & Attorneys Santa Ana, CA

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Santa Ana

Our Santa Ana Office is located at:

Law Offices of David S. Chesley, Inc.
Santa Ana Criminal Defense Attorneys and DUI Lawyers

1851 East 1st Street, Suite 900
Santa Ana, CA 92705
(714) 881-5448

Santa Ana Criminal Defense Lawyers

Criminal Defense Attorneys in Santa Ana Ready to Protect Your Rights

Santa Ana was founded in 1869. As of 2019, this well-known sunny California city has a population of 332,318. While it’s famous for its many museums and historical landmarks, Santa Ana was also:

The birthplace of the Rickenbacker musical instrument company, whose electric guitars and bass guitars were used by many rock and roll legends
The founding home to Lockheed Martin’s precursor, Glenn L. Martin, in 1912

Santa Ana’s largest employers include Orange County, Ingram Micro, Rancho Santiago Community College District, and the United States Postal Service.

Helpful city resources:
Santa Ana Police Department
60 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(714) 245-8665

City Hall of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(714) 647-5400

Santa Ana Public Library
26 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(714) 647-5250

Santa Ana Crimes and Arrests
As with most Southern California cities, robbery, theft, vehicle theft, and assault are the highest crimes, accounting for the most significant number of arrests. Certain areas of Santa Ana see more crime than others, and these include:

South Santa Ana
Fairhaven
Laurelhurst
Park Santiago
Meredith Parkwood
New Horizons
Bristol-Warner
Centennial Park
Riverview
Cornerstone Village
Pico-Lowell
Bella Vista
Flower Park
Lacy
French Court

Your chances of becoming a victim of crime in this city are one in 49, whereas, in California, it is one in 43. Those charged with a crime in Santa Ana should contact a Santa Ana criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. Their attorney can inform them about what to expect and which of the following courts or others they may be expected to appear in. A lawyer can also craft an appropriate defense that fits their case.

Local Criminal Courts:
Central Justice Center
700 Civic Center Drive West
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(657) 622-6878

Community Court
909 N. Main St.
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(657) 622-5801

Common Defenses to California Criminal Charges
California State criminal prosecutors must prove that you are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If they cannot prove this, they have no case, and you must be found not guilty. Under California law, this is the highest standard of proof and requires that any evidence a prosecutor puts before a jury must exclude all reasonable alternative theories of liability. The jury must end with an abiding conviction of the truth.

The defense of reasonable doubt is almost always an argument on behalf of our clients, even in a situation where we can apply another more specific defense. Even if jurors are persuaded there’s some evidence of guilt, an experienced Santa Ana criminal defense attorney will inform them they are legally required to acquit their client if the prosecution didn’t meet the high burden of proof.

Other common defenses that might apply in your case, depending on the circumstances, include:

Mistaken Identity: You weren’t the one who committed the crime, and someone mistook you for them. An alibi witness, someone who can testify that you were somewhere else when the crime occurred, is crucial in this defense.
Mistake of Fact: Some crimes require that you knew, or should have reasonably known, specific facts to commit the crime. For instance, trespassing requires that you knowingly entered onto another person’s property without their permission or that you reasonably believed you had permission to enter when in fact, the approval was rescinded without your prior knowledge. This type of defense requires some evidence that you made a good-faith mistake and only applies to specific situations.
Entrapment: This defense relies on the fact that you can’t be prosecuted for government-induced conduct, commonly known as entrapment. Fortunately, it’s a complete defense to many crimes. However, keep in mind that if you were predisposed to committing the crime and law enforcement just provided you with the opportunity to act unlawfully and you would have committed the crime anyway, this would not be considered entrapment.
If an undercover police officer pretends to be a drug dealer and arranges to buy drugs from you, entrapment didn’t occur. On the other hand, perhaps you made it clear to undercover law enforcement that you weren’t interested in participating in some type of fraud scheme. Even still, those agents pressured you to participate. In this circumstance, you could make a reasonable argument for entrapment.
Suppression and Constitutional Rights: Search warrants are typically used to obtain evidence to prove the state’s case against you. However, in some cases, law enforcement officers don’t have to have a warrant. If they obtain evidence without one, the justification for the search is questionable. Therefore, your criminal defense lawyer can pursue a motion to suppress any evidence found that violated your constitutional rights.

Any evidence taken in violation of your constitutional rights can’t be used in court if the judge grants this motion. Depending on your case, this could leave the stat with no evidence to show you did anything wrong.

Attractions in Santa Ana, CA
Bowers Museum
2002 N Main St
Santa Ana, CA 92706
(714) 567-3600

Lyon Air Museum
19300 Ike Jones Rd
Santa Ana, CA 92707
(714) 210-4585

The Kellogg House
3101 W Harvard St
Santa Ana, CA 92704
(714) 547-9645

Discovery Cube
2500 N Main St
Santa Ana, CA 92705
(714) 542-2823

Santa Ana Zoo
1801 E Chestnut Ave
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(714) 836-4000

MainPlace Mall
2800 N Main St
Santa Ana, CA 92705
(714) 547-7800

Call Us Today to Speak with a Criminal Defense Attorney in Santa Ana
At Law Offices of David S. Chesley, Inc., our firsthand knowledge of how cops and prosecutors put together cases is used to your benefit to fight your criminal charges. We’ve been in their shoes, and we have the playbook. We are ready to put our knowledge and experience to work for you. Our team of knowledgeable attorneys will craft the best defense possible for your charges. Call us at (714) 881-5448 to schedule your consultation today. We know that legal problems can arise at any time of the day or night and, as such, can be reached 24/7.

Recent Results

Our client faced multiple serious charges in Los Angeles County, including Penal Code § 211 (Robbery), § 245(a)(1) (Assault with a Deadly Weapon), and § 245(a)(4) (Assault with Force Likely to Cause Great Bodily Injury). Unlike a co-defendant represented by another firm who pled to a felony conviction with a "strike," our legal team pursued a different strategy. Through the submission of a comprehensive mitigation package to the District Attorney, we successfully negotiated a complete dismissal of all charges.
Our client faced serious charges under Penal Code section 211 for alleged felony robbery involving force and fear in Riverside County (Murrieta Court) . The prosecution argued that probation was not appropriate due to our client’s prior felony convictions in San Bernardino County, including a previous robbery in April 2021 and grand theft in November 2019. Despite the severity of these allegations, our legal team successfully demonstrated insufficient evidence during the preliminary hearing. As a result, all charges were dismissed. This outcome allowed our client to move forward without the burden of a new conviction.
Multiple defendants each facing 7 years charged with smuggling prescription drugs into California from Mexico our client was the only defendant who received NO JAIL TIME!
Client facing 5 years for possession of deadly weapon we negotiated a plea for NO JAIL TIME!
Client facing 3 life terms for multiple felony counts of Child Molestation and Sodomy with child we proved the charges were fabricated by victims mother DISMISSAL of all charges at preliminary hearing!
Strike case: Client charged with possession of methamphetamine facing 25 years we filed a Romero Motion which was granted case REDUCED TO MISDEMEANOR!
Client's estranged girlfriend alleged Client broke into her room and choked her facing 14 years in State Prison we won at trial JURY ACQUITTAL.
Police allegedly discovered 3 bags of marijuana in client's glove box faced 6 years we filed a 1538.5 motion to suppress resulting in DISMISSAL of all charges!

What our clients say Client Testimonials

I am truly pleased with my experience with the Law Offices Of David S Chesley. They answered all my questions and provided me with great advice and legal services. My case resolved quickly. Thank you!
Rodrigo L.

I left court yesterday with my last case being wrapped up. Two court appearances and that’s it. He represented me in a couple of different cases and was impressive to say the least. Always a phone call or text message away. Confident and aggressive when he needed to be. Calming and thorough when meeting with me. Attorney Chesley did exactly what he said he would and I got the results I needed. He seemed to know all the right people at the Temple Street courthouse. You can always get in contact with him quickly and he is a great lawyer. I highly recommend his legal services.
Ricardo Esteves

My brother was given a very caring attorney that was assigned to his case and we had very helpful case managers throughout the process. I strongly recommend David Chesley to anyone who is in trouble. I called in to get help on my brothers case and right away I liked their service. My brothers charges were eventually dismissed after the attorney got him into a program, now he could go on without the trouble of having anything on his record
Erica Geller

I retained Mr. Chesley and his firm and from the beginning they were extremely professional both in communicating the status of my case to me, explaining the situation as a whole, and just downright taking care of business. It was money well spent for a job well done. Thanks again to David and Melissa others that worked on my case. I recommend this firm to anyone in need of legal representation. Don’t just accept things the courts force on you, call this firm and protect yourself.
Elizabeth F.

I contacted Mr. Chesley and his firm because some unfortunate events had left me in a jam. Detectives were demanding I testify or be prosecuted for a crime I didn’t commit. (I wasn’t involved or even at the scene of the alleged crime when it supposedly took place.) Mr. Chesley explained to me that he had been through similar situations with his clients before and understood exactly what was going on. His response to what took place was nothing short of amazing. No matter how small my concern, Mr. Chesley addressed it in a timely manner. He advocated for what is right and empathized with me in dealing with the Court system. After meeting with the supervising D.A. and providing alibi evidence he was able to get me out the situation. I’m very grateful to have found him.
Leon Hanley

I hired David Chesley for my criminal defense in 2012. he was recommended to us for is success results and his low fees. David is very smart and his professional legal advice was honest & much appreciated during these stressful time. David’s knowledge, advice, and communication about what we were to expect was reassuring and beneficial to me. He charged me a reasonable flat rate and didn’t charge me any surprise fees. In my case David Chesley was able to negotiate with the prosecution attorney for the best result I could hope for. He had success at getting my criminal charges dismissed with the judges approval. You will not be disappointed if you hire The Law Offices of David S. Chesley.
Britanny Givens

David is very professional, yet very casual. Although it is typically not easy to speak straight up with an attorney, he is very easy to talk to. He replied to my questions quickly and was available all hours. Not only did he get my case resolved with a dismissal, he went above and beyond and got me an expungement without me even requesting it. He never beats around the bush and tells you like it is. At the same time is willing to work overtime to get the results you request. I would use David’s services again in the future.
Andrew A.

very satisfied being a client with the Law Offices of David Chesley.. Negin represented both my husband and I and got both our cases dis issued… Negin was on top of our cases she really cares and did everything she said she would do!!! thanks a lot Negin
Rita K.

I don’t write many reviews, however this time I had to share my admiration and appreciation for this firm. Attorney Negin Akhavan is definitely a person you want representing you in any criminal legal battle. She is the clear definition of the frace “is not what you know, but who you know ” she is not only knowledgeable, she also has the relationships with the right people. I couldn’t be happier with the results she was able to provide.

Thank you Negin.
Gabriel V.

An old felony charge came up, so I hired David and his team in June, and he got me a release on my own cognition on a felony charge in July which has never happened to me, and got it dismissed in October. He was responsive when I called and always kept me updated. Got my case dismissed, was easy to work and handled everything for me. He did an excellent job. I highly recommend David Chesley for any criminal defense.
Jason Corona

They really helped me out in a timely manner. I had a drug charge from 16 years ago and they dealt with it quickly. I can’t recommend them enough. If you have a criminal charges check them out they are awesome.
Santiago L.