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James Owens, Former Alameda County Deputy District Attorney
If you or someone in your family has been arrested or charged with a crime in Alameda County, the decisions you make in the first days will shape everything that follows.
Here is what makes this page different from the others you've been reading. James Owens was a Deputy District Attorney in Alameda County, and he prosecuted cases in the same courthouses where your case will be heard. He learned from the inside how this county's District Attorney's Office evaluates cases, files charges, and negotiates, and now he uses that knowledge to defend people accused of crimes here.
Your choice of attorney is one of the first and most consequential decisions in your case. Call (415) 824-4000, email consult@owensdefense.com, or request a confidential consultation.
Every county's criminal system has its own personality, and Alameda County's is shaped by its size and structure. Cases are spread across multiple courthouses, different departments develop different rhythms, and prosecutors and judges vary from building to building. An attorney who has worked inside this system knows how a case is likely to move, which arguments land where, and how the DA's Office actually makes its decisions.
James did not learn Alameda County from the defense table. He learned it as a prosecutor in this county's courtrooms, and that experience shows up in practical ways. He knows what a charging deputy is looking at when a file crosses their desk, he knows what makes this office hold a weak case and what makes it deal, and he knows the difference between what the office says publicly and what happens in a hallway negotiation.
One more thing is worth knowing. Charging philosophy in Alameda County has shifted in recent years, and sentencing enhancements that were once declined are now filed routinely, which means the same facts can produce a more serious case today than they would have a few years ago. That is not a reason for despair. It is a reason to get counsel involved early, while the charging decision is still open.
Alameda County Superior Court handles criminal cases at several locations, depending on where the case arises and its type.
James has appeared in these courthouses throughout his career, first as a prosecutor and now for the defense, and he represents clients at every stage of the process, from arraignment through pretrial motions, negotiations, and trial.
Most people arrested in Alameda County who are not cited and released are booked into Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, and the first questions for a family are usually the same. Where is he being held, when does she see a judge, and can we get him out?
The process generally moves in a predictable sequence. The person is either cited and released or booked into custody, the District Attorney's Office reviews the case and decides what to file, and if charges are filed, arraignment happens within a short timeframe. At arraignment, the court advises the person of the charges, addresses custody and release conditions, and sets future dates. Depending on the case, release can involve bail, supervised release, protective orders, stay-away terms, or treatment conditions.
None of this is just procedure. The arraignment sets the conditions your life runs on while the case is pending, and the window before charges are filed is the one moment when defense counsel can reach the charging deputy with context the police report leaves out. James has been on the receiving end of those calls as a prosecutor, so he knows what actually moves a filing decision, and he makes those calls now as defense counsel. Early involvement also means the evidence that helps you gets preserved before it disappears.
James represents clients facing state misdemeanor and felony charges in Alameda County, including:
Each of those pages explains how James defends that type of case. This page exists for a simpler reason. Whatever the charge, it will be prosecuted by an office James used to work for, in courthouses he knows well.
Owens Defense represents clients arrested or charged throughout Alameda County, including in Oakland, Berkeley, Fremont, Hayward, Alameda, San Leandro, Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin, Union City, Newark, Emeryville, Piedmont, and Albany. The firm also serves people who live elsewhere but face charges in Alameda County, including out-of-county and out-of-state clients whose cases require local counsel who knows this system.
Two things. First, tell them not to discuss the case with anyone, which includes police, jail staff, other detainees, and especially the recorded jail phone lines where many cases get worse. Second, contact an attorney before the arraignment, because the first hearing decides custody and release conditions, and walking in with prepared counsel changes what is possible at it.
It depends on where the alleged offense occurred and the type of case. Oakland cases generally proceed at the René C. Davidson or Wiley W. Manuel courthouses, East County cases go to Dublin, and southern county cases go to Hayward or Fremont. Your paperwork will list the location and date, and if anything is unclear, bring it to the first consultation and James will confirm where and when you need to appear.
Charging has grown more aggressive in recent years, and enhancements are filed more often than they used to be. What that means for your case depends on your facts and your history, but the practical takeaway is timing. The earlier the defense engages, ideally before charges are filed, the more room there is to shape what gets charged at all.
It matters in concrete ways. He knows how this DA's Office builds and evaluates cases because he did that work here, and he knows the courthouses, the local practices, and the way cases actually move in this county. Familiarity is not a guarantee of any outcome, but it is an advantage in judgment, which means knowing which arguments are worth making, to whom, and when.
Yes. Many people charged in Alameda County live elsewhere in the Bay Area or out of state, and in some cases your attorney can appear on your behalf so you do not have to travel for every court date. Whether that applies to your case is a first-conversation question.
If you are facing criminal charges or an investigation in Alameda County, get advice from someone who knows this county's system from both sides. Call (415) 824-4000, email consult@owensdefense.com, or request a confidential consultation.
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