Practice Areas and Legal Definitions

California laws and procedures related to criminal defense are complicated and require a skilled criminal defense lawyer to properly navigate through the process. Glenn Osajima fights for the rights of alleged criminal offenders in the city of Santa Ana and throughout Southern California. He delivers personalized attention to his clients by keeping case information detailed and accessible and provides criminal defense legal solutions related to the following matters:

California DUI:
DUI, or Driving Under the Influence, occurs when someone is operating, or is in actual physical control, of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or other controlled substance, to the extent that their mental faculties are impaired and/or their blood alcohol content (BAC) is above the legal limit. Even for a first offense, penalties can include license suspension, substantial fines, community service, mandatory attendance at a state or DMV approved alcohol program, mandatory overnight incarceration and the required installation (at the offender's expense) of a car ignition locking device. In addition, a DUI conviction stays on a DMV record for at least 7 years, it typically results in higher insurance premiums and an offender may become ineligible for credit. Plus, a DUI could also jeopardize your employment opportunities.

However, if someone was injured as a result of the drunk driving accident, it is possible the defendant will be charged with a felony (and if the victim dies, the driver may be charged with vehicular manslaughter). Further, a DUI conviction will likely be raised to a felony if it is the driver's fourth DUI offense or the driver has had a prior felony DUI offense within 10 years of the new charge.

California Criminal Defense:
Individuals found to violate a criminal law whether through their own admission of guilt or through the determination of a jury are subject to fines, imprisonment, and probation and community service, among other penalties. The outcome of any criminal case depends upon the facts surrounding the crime charged, the strength of the evidence, the legal validity of law enforcement and courtroom procedure, and the goals and strategy of the government and defense.

California Drug Offenses:
Over the past few decades, the government has amassed armies of law enforcement personnel whose sole purpose is to pursue, arrest and prosecute violations of the nation's drug laws. Those laws have become more and more severe, with offenders frequently receiving sentences with very long mandatory minimum prison terms. The severity has also extended to drug forfeiture laws, which the government uses to seize bank accounts, houses, cars, boats and other property, even when it cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime has been committed.

Glenn Osajima has more than 30 years of experience in state and federal courts representing clients in all types of drug cases, from allegations of simple possession of marijuana to large-scale conspiracies to traffic in illegal narcotics. He treats each drug case individually, finding the right solution to serve the needs of the client. Some cases may require him to perform legal research and investigation to challenge the government's tactics in pursuing the client and invading his or her private life. In others, he will have to negotiate a plea bargain. In still others, he will prepare for and go to trial.  Most cases call for a combination of some or all of these tactics.

California Expunctions:
Under California state law, an expunction of your criminal record is permitted. An expunction of your record results in the extraction and isolation of all records on file with any court correctional facility or law enforcement agency. The records that are expunged include the complaints, warrants, arrest reports, commitments, criminal history records, fingerprints and your rap sheet.

Contrary to popular belief, your record is not automatically cleared or expunged with the passage of time. Even if you were never found guilty, an arrest is not expunged unless a court grants your expunction petition. The statutes impose application guidelines and waiting periods for various types of arrests and convictions. The guidelines provide guidance for what can be expunged and set forth certain specific types of offenses that cannot be expunged. The guidelines also impose waiting periods that are calculated from the completion of the sentence imposed by the court. While certain types of criminal convictions and ordinance convictions can be expunged, motor vehicle violations cannot be expunged.

It is important to note that an expunction does not destroy those records; it extracts and isolates the records. Under most circumstances, once an expunction has been granted those records cannot be disclosed. A person who has been granted an expunction can respond that he or she has no conviction when asked a question about having a criminal record. Exceptions to this rule include a person seeking a second expunction, a person seeking a conditional discharge and a person seeking to obtain employment in law enforcement.

California Domestic Violence:
Family or domestic violence is any physical, emotional, sexual or other violence that takes place between people who may be married or not married; heterosexual, gay or lesbian; or living together, separated or dating. Domestic violence can be criminal and include physical assault: hitting, pushing and shoving, etc.; sexual abuse: unwanted or forced sexual activity; and stalking.

California Sex Crimes:
Charges of sexual misconduct carry extremely serious penalties, and these crimes are commonly punished more severely than any other crime except murder. Sexual misconduct is seldom witnessed by anyone other than the accuser and accused, and the risk of conviction of an innocent person is drastically higher in these cases. In today's environment, accusations of unwanted sexual advances and child molestation are often investigated and prosecuted without sufficient evidence. The law presently has dramatically weighed in on protecting the rights of the so-called victim and often extremely relevant evidence is excluded from trial, such as an accuser's past sexual conduct.

Sexual misconduct cases require a combination of effective legal counsel, investigation and negotiation before indictment. Where conviction seems inevitable, experts are used to explore treatment and supervision alternatives to time or psychiatric hospitalization.

California White Collar Crimes:
High-tech professionals, corporate executives and clergy who are criminally charged for offenses such as corporate theft, counterfeiting, embezzlement, forgery, hacking, fraud, tax evasions, or bad checks are often referred to as "white collar" offenders and are prosecuted for white collar crimes. In some cases, first-time offenders are convicted and sent to prison, even with no prior criminal history.

Take Action to Protect Your Rights:
If you or someone you know in Santa Ana or throughout Southern California needs the assistance of an experienced criminal defense lawyer, please call Glenn Osajima today at 866-770-2194, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your free consultation.

Professional Profile

Glenn Osajima understands that certain criminal charges carry severe consequences for individuals and their families. Whether the criminal charges filed are minor, major or catastrophic, each case receives his undivided attention and service. Attorney Osajima is committed to providing clients with aggressive and dedicated legal representation, while simultaneously treating each with genuine courtesy and respect.

If you or someone you know in Santa Ana or throughout Southern California needs the assistance of an experienced criminal defense lawyer, please call Glenn Osajima today at 866-770-2194, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your free consultation.

Glenn Osajima, Attorney at Law
600 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Suite 900
Santa Ana, CA 92705
800-439-9461

MEMBERS OF THE FIRM:

• Glenn Osajima

EDUCATION:

• UCLA School of Law, J.D.
• UCLA, B.A.

ADMITTED TO PRACTICE IN THE FOLLOWING JURISDICTIONS:

• California, 1972
• Various U.S. federal district courts

PRIOR EXPERIENCE:

• Orange County Public Defenders Office