Criminal Defense Attorneys Ben Rice and Mark Garver
By Noel Smith
One of the more interesting professions in California is that of Criminal Defense Attorney … especially in Santa Cruz.
Attorney Ben Rice has been doing this for over 25 years right here in Surf City. Where else can a defense attorney find clients like Mr. Twister the clown, or WAMM (Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana) or surfing legend Anthony Ruffo.
But being a defense attorney isn’t about unusual or famous clients; it’s about knowing the law and how it is supposed to work. It’s about finding out all the facts and how they will be used not only on the defense side of the courtroom, but also on the prosecution’s side. Rice was a public defender for Santa Clara County and then for Santa Cruz County, but then opened his own law office in 1987.
Rice said, “In 33 years of practice, I have represented thousands of clients around the state. I have had dozens of jury trials – everything from first-degree murder to driving under the influence. While my emphasis in recent years has been in marijuana cases, I continue to handle virtually every type of criminal charge.”
Rice is himself a legal legend for his persistence in seeking justice for his clients. His focus is on seeing his client is fairly treated by the justice system and providing the best defense. Rice feels strongly about the individual. He said, “Sending people to prison is, for many, sentencing them to a life of crime. Almost everyone in our prisons has serious drug, behavior or even mental problems. We need to take a second look at crime and how we treat those who wind up in the criminal justice system.”
The reforms that have recently been instituted in California such as mandatory drug counseling and drug rehabilitation programs Rice says have made a difference. “The lowering crime rates and reductions in jail or prison time for non-violent offenders are beginning to help the individual and save us (the taxpayers) money. I think we are moving in the right direction.”
Rice was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and then moved to Seattle, Washington. After graduating from High School, he lived for a while in Hawaii, graduated from Evergreen State College Olympia Washington, then to Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco from which he also graduated.
Rice has been a resident of Santa Cruz since 1983. He spent his private practice as a sole practitioner from 1987 until January of 2014. “I still have my solo practice, but am now sharing an office suite and working on some cases together with Mark Garver, a highly talented attorney who has over 14 years of successful criminal defense work in his own right.”
Garver told us, “I’ve been a public defender for 14 years and have handled just about every kind of criminal case you can imagine. I feel very fortunate that I was asked by Ben to collaborate with him. It makes becoming a sole practitioner so much easier. He is fantastic to work with. The major difference in having my own private practice is that I have more time and resources to prepare a defense for my clients.”
Much of Rice’s law practice today is devoted to the medical cannabis industry. During this time of much confusion about the legality of growing, selling and using cannabis – especially with the status of current federal laws – it has become a very complex situation for both law enforcement and the citizen. He has represented many cultivators and dispensaries in court whose work allegedly fell outside California’s medical cannabis laws. He still represents WAMM as its Pro Bono lawyer and now along with Mark Garver, continues to represent people facing all types of criminal charges.
As a member of the bar and his community, Rice has been recognized and honored for his many achievements. He has been voted best attorney in two local publications, one of them for seven years straight. Because of his community standing and experience, he was appointed to the Santa Cruz County Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Commission in 2013.
•••
The Law Office of Ben Rice
331 Soquel Ave. Ste 201 (a), Santa Cruz, CA 95062.
Phone: (831) 425-0555, cell: (831) 247-1105, fax: (831) 459-6116
email: [email protected] Website: www.benricelaw.com
The Law Office of Mark Garver
331 Soquel Ave. Ste 201(b), Santa Cruz, CA 95062. Phone: (831) 425-1010, cell: (831) 251-7897