About Richard Addison Steele
Richard Addison Steele II is a licensed attorney admitted to practice law in the State of California. He was admitted to the California State Bar in 1997. His license is currently in active status. Mr. Steele is the principal attorney at Steele & Voss Attorneys at Law, a law firm located at 1226 1/2 State St., Suite 2, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. He has been practicing law for over 28 years, serving clients throughout Santa Barbara County and the surrounding areas.
Mr. Steele earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1996. Prior to law school, he completed his undergraduate education at the University of California, Berkeley, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in History in 1992. During his time at the University of San Diego, he was actively involved in various legal clinics and externships, gaining practical experience in criminal defense and public service.
Mr. Steele concentrates his practice in the areas of criminal defense, domestic violence, and white-collar crime. He represents individuals in matters involving drug crimes, DUI/DWI offenses, expungements, felonies, homicides, juvenile law, misdemeanors, parole and probation, sex crimes, theft, and weapons charges. His practice encompasses all stages of litigation, including initial case evaluation, discovery, pre-trial motions, settlement negotiations, and trial proceedings in both state and federal courts.
Throughout his career, Mr. Steele has handled cases in the Superior Court of California for Santa Barbara County, the United States District Court for the Central District of California, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He has also appeared before the California Court of Appeal on multiple occasions. Prior to founding his own firm, he worked as a Deputy Public Defender in Riverside County and Santa Barbara County, handling a wide range of criminal cases from misdemeanors to serious felonies. In 2009, he was named Statewide Defender of the Year by the California Public Defender’s Association.
Mr. Steele is an active member of the California State Bar Association and the Santa Barbara County Bar Association. He has lectured at attorney trainings for the California Public Defender’s Association on topics such as winning trials by humanizing the client and utilizing neuropsychology in defense cases. Mr. Steele is fluent in Spanish, allowing him to serve the diverse communities of Santa Barbara County effectively.
