Robert F. Landheer handles a wide array of serious and high profile criminal cases, frequently garnering the attention of national and local media outlets.  Mr. Landeer’s recent appearances in the news include:

Burning Hot Scoles vs. "Scam" Sanchez

Santa Barbara Independent - February 27, 2009

During his interview at the police station shortly after being arrested last June 27,Wayne Scoles told a detective that a trip to court as a result of what happened earlier that day would be "stupid" and "a waste of everyone's money." But charges against him - two misdemeanors for disturbing the peace stemming from a Shoreline Park encounter with Cam Sanchez, the City of Santa Barbara chief of police, who accused Scoles of using racial slurs and threatening to "kick his ass" - made it all the way to trial, at which a Santa Barbara jury listened to testimony from various witnesses, including Scoles and Sanchez, over a three-week span.

Criminal Defense Attorney Caught Buying Heroin

Santa Barbara Independent - December 30, 2008

A defense attorney who has had run-ins with the law in the past is now facing drug charges in Santa Barbara County after authorities allegedly caught him buying heroin in Carpinteria on December 22. Alan Karow, 48, who practices criminal law in Santa Barbara, was the subject of a weeks-long investigation by the the Sheriff's Department after learning he had "been using heroin and prescription pills and was suspected of coming to court while under the influence of a controlled substance," according to a press release from department spokesperson Drew Sugars.

Overpass Gunman Gets Reduced Bail
Santa Barbara Independent - November 13, 2008

"On November 12, the day after that holiday that honors those who served or are currently serving in the United States military, the fate of one Iraq veteran was the subject of heated discussion at the Santa Barbara County Superior Court, as Judge George Eskin handed down his decision to reduce Edward 'Kyle' Van Tassel's bail from $250,000 to $50,000.  Van Tassel, 29--the man who stood on the La Cumbre overpass on November 3, waving an unloaded 0.38 caliber pistol--appeared in court on Wednesday to find out if he would be released from jail while his trial is underway.... [Robert F.] Landheer said that the $250,000 bail which had initially been set made it impossible for Van Tassel to get the treatment he needed." 

Man Ordered to Stay Away From Tom Cruise
USA Today - December 11, 2008

"An Iraq war veteran who waved a gun and an American flag on a Highway 101 overpass and stopped traffic for hours in Santa Barbara last month has been ordered by a judge to stay away from Tom Cruise....Van Tassel's attorney Robert Landheer told the judge the visits to the Cruise home were harmless.  'He is not there to stalk Mr. Cruise as some sort of fan-obsessed person,' Landheer said.  'He wants to enlist him in his mission to get appropriate remedies for soldiers of the Iraq War.'"

14-Year-Old Pleads Not Guilty in Downtown Gang Murder
Santa Barbara Independent - April 27, 2007

"Ricardo Juarez, 14, pleaded not guilty to murder charges on Friday in Santa Barbara Superior Court.  Juarez is being charged as an adult for allegedly stabbing 15-year-old Luis Angel Linares to death during a large gang brawl that took place in downtown Santa Barbara on March 14.... Robert F. Landheer, who was in attendance outside the hearing and listened to [Senior Deputy District Attorney Hilary] Dozer speak with the media, sent a letter to [District Attorney Christi] Stanley's office asking her to reconsider charging Juarez as an adult.  Citing book references and court opinions, Landheer wrote, 'Ricardo Juarez is not responsible for the culture of gang violence.'"

Murder Comes Knocking
CBS, 48 Hours Mystery - Aired Feb 10, 2007, Updated July 26, 2007

"Jarrod Davidson was gunned down outside of his Santa Barbara apartment in July 2004... As 48 Hours correspondent Maureen Maher reports, Jarrod, 27, was going through a nasty custody battle at the time of his murder... Six months after Jarrod's fatal shooting, his ex-mother-in-law Mindy Jones was arrested for his murder.... [Mindy's attorney, Robert Landheer] says she is completely incapable of assisting in her own defense, like trying to explain why her DNA was on the plant card holder found at the murder scene.  'She asserts to this day that she doesn't remember what happened,' Landheer explains.'"

New Set of Charges Awaits Jackson
USA Today - April 29, 2004

"Entertainer Michael Jackson returns to court Friday to learn what he's charged with in a felony indictment that marks a somber new phase in his child-molestation case.... At a court hearing Aug. 2, Jackson's lawyers handed prosecutors a stack of binders containing 161 exhibits allegedly clearing Jackson.  'It's a Pandora's box and a possible curse,' says Robert Landheer, a Santa Barbara defense lawyer not connected with the case.  'It becomes a laundry-list catalog of all kinds of issues that can be raised against the indictment.'" 

For an experienced, knowledgeable attorney who has been defending constitutional rights since 1981, contact Robert F. Landheer, Attorney at Law, for a free initial consultation.  We are available 24 hours a day.