Firm Profile
Steve Balash has been a California State Bar Certified Criminal Law Specialist since 1975. He attended college at the United States Naval Academy and law school at the University of San Diego. He also attended the United States Navy Justice School and the Military Judge's School. He began his Criminal Defense practice in June 1971.
He has earned the top rating of A/V by Martindale Hubbell. He is an experienced trial attorney and has been appointed by the local courts on several high profile and death penalty cases. He has appeared as a legal correspondent on 48 hours, Fox News and KEYT. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the London Times, the Independent and the Santa Barbara News Press.
Mr. Balash is an active member of the California State Bar, the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, the American Bar Association and the California Public Defender's Association.
Mr. Balash's reported cases include: Scull v. Superior Court (1988) 206 Cal.App.3d 784, 254 Cal.Rptr.24; People v. Zamora (1976) 18 Cal.3d 538, 134 Cal.Rptr.784; People v. Sweet (Cal.App.2nd Dist. 1989) 207 Cal.App.3d 78, 254 Cal.Rptr. 567
Tara Haaland-Ford has been practicing criminal defense since November of 2000. She completed her undergraduate degree at the Univeristy of California at Santa Barbara. She attended the University of San Francisco School of Law where she graduated cum laude. While in law school she participated in teaching the Street Law Program at the San Francisco Juvenile Hall and represented clients through the Criminal Law Clinic. She also interned at the Bayview Hunter's Point Community Defender and the Santa Clara Public Defender's Office.
Ms. Haaland-Ford is very active within the Santa Barbara community. She is currently the Chairperson of the Juvenile justice Delinquency Prevention Commission and the Vice President of the Santa Barbara Teen Legal Clinic. Ms. Haaland-Ford does most of her pro-bono work through the Teen Legal Clinic representing children and teens with school issues in suspension and expulsion proceedings.
Ms. Haaland-Ford is a former President of the Barristers' Club of Santa Barbara. She is active member of the California State Bar, the Santa Barbara Criminal Defense Association, the Santa Barbara County Bar Association, the California Public Defender's Association, the Santa Barbara Women Lawyer's and the Barristers' Club of Santa Barbara.
Ms. Haaland-Ford is an experienced, knowledgable and aggressive advocate in the area of criminal defense. She represents clients in all areas of criminal defense.
If you have a pending criminal case, have been cited or arrested or there is a pending criminal investigation you need to contact our office immediately.
THE INITIAL CONSULTATION IS FREE.
We can be reached 7 days a week 24 hrs. a day at 805-962-3344.