Homepage

Welcome to the Office of the Public Defender

Our mission

To ensure equal justice for our clients by providing  exceptional legal representation

Diversity Equity Inclusion Statement

The Ventura County Public Defender’s Office believes that having a diverse and inclusive workforce is invaluable. Southern California is one of the largest and most diverse regions in the country. We are honored to work for this community and strive for our staff to be representative of everyone we serve.

We are committed to recruiting, training, promoting, and supporting all employees, regardless of race, culture, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, education, disability, marital status, parental status, military, or religion so that we can have the most high-quality workforce for our clients and their families. This commitment to appreciate our similarities and find strength in our differences allows us to achieve our mission of advocating for the constitutional rights and inherent dignity of our clients.​

We wholeheartedly believe that our clients benefit most when we value the diverse perspectives of those within our agency and the communities we serve.  As such, we strive to maintain an environment where our employees understand the value of their diversities and know that they belong.

Ventura County Public Defender

We hope your visit to our site gives you a chance to better understand the job performed by the men and women working at the Public Defender’s Office.

We are a voice for the poor. Our mission is to ensure equal justice for our clients by providing exceptional legal representation. For those unable to afford a private lawyer, we provide representation in criminal, juvenile, mental health, and probate. Our attorneys and staff are highly trained in these areas and are here to serve you, our community.

Read more about us here.

February 8, 2024
UPDATE

Our office will be closed on February 19th, 2024 in observance of President's Day.

The Public Defender's Office is open Monday - Friday, 8AM - 5PM.

Note: The Public Defender is not permitted to represent clients charged with infractions.

If you have a court date and are an existing client or new client, please go directly to the courtroom that you are assigned in or call your assigned Public Defender to coordinate your court appearance. The Ventura Superior Court is in the Hall of Justice building between parking lots A, B, and C. 

Resources

News & Announcements

See the latest information published by the Office of the Ventura County Public Defender. Subscribe to get it in your email as soon as it is posted to our website.

Inmate
Locator

The Inmate Locator provides information regarding arrested and in-custody persons in Ventura County. This is provided by the Sheriff's department website.

Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Resources

Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Services offered by County of Ventura Behavioral Health

Court Date
Finder

This will take you to the Ventura Superior Court's website where you can enter your case number or name information and it will retrieve your next court date information.