Justice Services

Auto Theft

All car theft and carjacking cases are handled in the Auto Theft Unit. Cases are handled vertically from filing through sentencing, meaning these cases are assigned to an auto theft prosecutor for all purposes once the case is submitted for review by law enforcement. This attorney works closely with local law enforcement agencies through the Ventura Auto Theft Task Force (VENCATT). This collaborative effort provides the most effective means to prosecute auto theft cases and meet the needs of people who are victimized by these types of crimes.

Driving Under the Influence

The District Attorney’s Office is committed to increasing public safety on Ventura County’s streets and highways by ensuring that all persons who drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs are held accountable for their actions.

The DUI Unit receives grant monies from the Office of Traffic Safety to fund a team of seasoned prosecutors who handle all driving under the influence of drugs and felony driving under the influence of alcohol cases. These felonies include driving under the influence of alcohol resulting in injury and alcohol-related vehicular manslaughter cases. In addition to reviewing and litigating these challenging cases, these attorneys engage in community outreach and extensive training of local law enforcement personnel.

Complaint Review

Four attorneys handling the review of the majority of the cases submitted to the District Attorney’s Office by law enforcement agencies. These include matters that fall under the Misdemeanor Unit and General Trials Unit.

The Digital Media Unit is comprised of two skilled professionals who expertly handle audio, video, and photo evidence for all levels of cases. They assist Deputy District Attorneys by creating clear and compelling exhibits for the jury and courtroom presentation, ensuring exhibits are displayed in the most impactful and coherent manner. The unit provides forensic video analysis services, including video enhancement and speed and height estimations. They assist the District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation and local law enforcement agencies during active investigations, ensuring that digital media, especially video evidence, is utilized effectively.

The dedication and expertise of the Digital Media Unit contributes to the modernization of the prosecution process, ensuring every piece of digital evidence achieves its maximum potential in the pursuit of justice.

Our Mental Health Unit is comprised of five attorneys and one paralegal handling mental health treatment courts (Mental Health Court, Mental Health Diversion, and Veteran’s Treatment Court), cases involving individuals that are incompetent to stand trial, gun forfeitures, and civil commitments.

To more humanely address the too-common crossover between mental health conditions and criminal behavior, the District Attorney’s Office created a Mental Health Unit in 2021. With two mental health unit attorney positions having been approved last year by the Board of Supervisors, the unit is currently comprised of four attorneys and one paralegal, who handle Mental Health Court, Mental Health Diversion, Veteran’s Treatment Court, and civil mental health commitments. These specialty courts focus on treatment of the underlying mental illness and successful completion of an approved treatment plan that can result in dismissal of their pending charges.

In addition, cases involving defendants who are severely mentally ill and dangerous, and need to be civilly committed, are handled by a dedicated prosecutor. Some of these offenders are found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI) for crimes charged against them and receive treatment in locked psychiatric hospitals such as Patton State Hospital. They are not released into the public unless they are restored to competency and are deemed to no longer pose a danger to the community.

Other offenders that have been convicted of an underlying violent offense who are deemed severely mentally ill and dangerous at the end of their regular prison commitment may be ordered to remain in a locked facility.

The majority of the criminal prosecutions of misdemeanor offenses are handled within the Misdemeanor Unit. These crimes include driving under the influence of alcohol, theft, being under the influence of controlled substances, possession of a controlled substance, battery, resisting arrest and many others. Over 10,000 cases a year are prosecuted by the Misdemeanor Unit. Misdemeanor cases are typically submitted by local law enforcement agencies for review by prosecutors who then file charges as appropriate. At the initial court date for arraignment, copies of the complaint and police reports will be available to defense counsel or a defendant without an attorney and a calendar deputy district attorney will inform defense counsel of the recommended disposition. Once a misdemeanor case is set for trial, it is assigned to a deputy district attorney.

Questions about cases should be directed to the assigned attorney, since calendar attorneys generally do not depart from recommended case dispositions. The name and telephone number of the assigned attorney may be obtained by calling the misdemeanor records desk at 805-654-3118.

Writs and Appeals

The Writs, Appeals and Training Unit files and responds to writs and appeals in state courts, including the California Supreme Court, California Court of Appeal and Superior Court Appellate Division. The unit also responds to habeas corpus petitions in state and federal courts. The attorneys in the unit handle approximately 100 writs and appeals per year.

Responses to defense writs and appeals in completed felony cases are handled by the State Attorney General. The District Attorney’s Office responds to writs in felony cases that are still pending trial, writs in misdemeanor cases and misdemeanor appeals. The District Attorney’s Office also initiates and handles People’s appeals and People’s writs in misdemeanor and felony cases. The District Attorney’s Office ordinarily does not file briefs or participate in oral arguments in traffic infraction cases.

Additionally, the unit handles post-conviction review of cases under new legislation that allows judicial consideration of adverse immigration consequences.

Conviction Integrity

As the United States Supreme Court recognized in Berger v. United States, the twofold aim of the prosecutor “is that guilt shall not escape nor innocence suffer.” While the trial and appellate process contain important safeguards for those accused of crime, we recognize that the criminal justice system is a human institution and cannot be perfect.

The Chief Deputy District Attorney reviews claims of factual innocence made by persons who have been convicted of a crime. The Conviction Integrity Deputy will be assigned to conduct an initial inquiry to determine whether further review and/or investigation is necessary to evaluate the claim. Where appropriate, the review may include review of transcripts, evaluation of forensic evidence in light of new scientific knowledge, additional forensic tests, witness interviews, or other investigations. This process supplements the appellate process to avoid the possibility of an innocent person being punished for a crime they did not commit.

Defendants claiming that they are innocent of a crime of which they have been convicted have the initial burden to produce evidence of innocence. The request shall be made in writing to Chief Deputy District Attorney Rachelle Dean, at the District Attorney’s main office address listed here. The request must raise a meaningful claim of factual innocence and not be merely a request for re-sentencing, a re-weighing of conflicting evidence or for relief from immigration consequences. The fact that claims have been previously rejected by a trial court or appellate court will not necessarily preclude further inquiry. Whether a case should be dismissed after conviction based upon factual innocence will be carefully considered by a designated review committee.

Training

The training deputy coordinates the ongoing continuing education program for prosecutors, runs the training program for new prosecutors and contributes to training for District Attorney Investigators, other law enforcement agencies and at the Sheriff’s Academy.