Santa Maria License Advocate
Defend your Professional License
If you are notified by the Board or Bureau, which issued your Professional License in the State of California, that you are under investigation or facing a possible denial, suspension or revocation of your license, contact our Office so that we can assist in negotiating and resolving any complaints made against you, or in the alternative aggressively representing you in l litigation at the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH). Attorney Natalia Matusik provides Professional License Defense
throughout the State of California.
When you face a disciplinary action, the vast majority of Boards/Bureaus refer the prosecution of your license to the California Attorney General’s Office at the Department of Justice, specifically the Licensing Section. Because most of the Boards/Bureaus do not have in-house legal counsels, prosecuting professional licenses is handled by a Deputy Attorney General (DAG) within the Department of Justice (DOJ). While the initial investigation is handled by Boards/Bureaus, the
actual filing of disciplinary actions (Accusations) is handled by a DAG. Similarly, litigation of professional licenses including a formal hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) is handled by the California Attorney General’s Office.
As a former Deputy Attorney General in the Licensing Section at the Department of Justice attorney Natalia Matusik can effectively assist you in defending your professional license.Professionals working in California are required by law to hold current professional licenses in order to continue practicing their profession. California has approximately 50 regulatory agencies that license business, occupations and professions, ranging from legal, medical, construction and service
industries. Professionals in these and other fields depend upon their ability to hold a valid license in order to be in business and maintain their practice. Attorney Natalia Matusik is a former criminal prosecutor and a former Deputy Attorney General in the Licensing Section of the California Attorney General’s Office who is an aggressive trial attorney ready to handle your formal Administrative Hearing or Administrative Appeal.
Types of Licenses We Defend
- Board of Accountancy;
- Acupuncture Board;
- Arbitration Certification Program;
- California Architects Board;
- Athletic Commission of California;
- Bureau of Automotive Repair;
- Board of Barbering and Cosmetology;
- Board of Behavioral Sciences;
- Bureau of Cannabis Control;
- Cemetery and Funeral Bureau;
- Board of Chiropractic Examiners;
- Contractors State License Board;
- Court Reporters Board;
- Dental Board of California;
- Dental Hygiene Board of California;
- Board for Professional Engineers, Land
- Surveyors, and Geologists;
- Bureau of Household Goods and Services;
- Landscape Architects Technical Committee;
- Naturopathic Medicine Committee;
- California Board of Occupational Therapy;
- Board of Optometry;
- Osteopathic Medical Board of California;
- Board of Pharmacy;
- Physical Therapy Board of California;
- Physician Assistant Board;
- Board of Pediatric Medicine;
- Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education;
- Professional Fiduciaries Bureau;
- Board of Psychology;
- Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers;
- Board of Registered Nursing;
- Respiratory Care Board;
- Bureau of Security and Investigative Services;
- Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and
- Hearing Aid Dispensers Board;
- Structural Pest Control Board;
- Veterinary Medical Board;
- Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians.
Hiring the right attorney to defend your Professional License
Professional License Defense when facing an Arrest or Criminal Conviction
If your license is subject to a disciplinary action due to an arrest or a criminal conviction, it is imperative that you hire an attorney who is knowledgeable in both criminal law and license defense/administrative civil law. Many criminal attorneys do not have the knowledge and experience in the area of administrative licensing law. Different burdens of proof and different rules of evidence apply in the Office of Administrative Hearings versus a criminal proceeding
in the Superior Court of California.
Licensing cases brought before licensing authorities and professional boards work completely differently than criminal prosecution. However, often criminal prosecution against an individual defendant will inherently adversely affect their professional license. While many criminal defense attorneys might recommend that you settle your criminal case, often they do so without realizing that this can negatively impact the outcome of your licensing case later in time. Finally, criminal
attorneys also could recommend that you participate in a criminal diversion program to get your criminal charges dropped.State licensing boards, however, do not view diversion programs as the same as a criminal dismissal.
Many professionals maintain licenses to practice their professions in multiple states. Multi-state licensure opens you up to California license board disclosure requirements if you are convicted of a crime in another state, or even arrested or are accused of another crime while in another state, this can put your California license at risk.
Automatic reporting of criminal accusations and convictions to licensing boards via the internet now means this can happen virtually immediately. California and state licensing authorities also have no mandatory duty to remove publicly available information about a licensee’s convictions from their websites, including expunged criminal records, e.g. convictions that are eventually dismissed under Penal Code Sec 1203.4 and Sec. 1203.4(a). So, if you are accused or convicted of a crime,
this becomes public information.
Hiring a knowledgeable attorney in these situations is critical since (unlike in a criminal proceeding where if you are arrested you are deemed innocent until proven guilty), in a licensing Accusation, even if you are just arrested for a crime, with automated reporting, you will be asked to immediately explain your arrest to your state licensing Board/Bureau.
It is even more critical to hire an attorney who is skilled in both administrative law (who knows how to defend your professional license) and criminal law. You need to both reduce your risk of a criminal conviction and do so while not endangering your professional license.
If you are a California professional licensed to practice in California or in other states and are being investigated by your Board/Bureau or have received a letter or Accusation, call attorney Natalia Matusik immediately.
Former Prosecutor Defending Your Rights
Criminal Defense
If you have been arrested, you have a right to defend yourself. Both the U.S. Constitution and the laws of the State of California afford critical protections to people who find themselves in the criminal justice system. In addition to the Sixth Amendment right to effective counsel and a trial by a jury of their peers, a defendant in a criminal case also has a Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination, a Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, and the right to due process of law provided by the Fifth and Fourteenth of Amendments. When a defendant i ested, the State has the burden of proving every element of the charged offense beyond a reasonable doubt, the highest burden of proof in a court of law. In a criminal case, a defendant has the right a jury trial. A jury of 12 determines the facts of the case, while the judge makes rulings on the law and makes sentencing decisions.
If you are under suspicion of a crime or involved in an investigation, even if you have not been formally arrested or charged, you should take the time to learn about your legal options. Knowledgeable criminal defense attorney Natalia Matusik can help you review your case and determine a strategy for defeating the charges against you or at least minimizing the adverse consequences of a conviction. If you have been arrested, call attorney Natalia Matusik immediately!
Practice Areas
- Domestic Violence
- Drug Offenses
- D.U.I.’s
- Vehicular Manslaughter
- Sex Offenses
- White Collar Crimes
- Assault and Battery
- Theft Offenses
Practice Areas
If you have been accused of a crime, you will have to appear in court. The accused in this situation is known as the defendant. The prosecution is the government agency, which needs to prove the criminal charges against you. The burden is on the prosecution to prove each element of the charged crime beyond a reasonable doubt. A criminal defendant does have any obligation to present any evidence or present any criminal defense. The burden of proving the
case rests solely on the prosecution.
However, in most cases a skilled criminal defense attorney will likely want to establish some sort of criminal defense to prevent a conviction. A criminal defense is a strategic argument that attempts to challenge the validity and sufficiency of the prosecution’s evidence.The criminal defense you choose to use will depend on the crime you are charged with and the evidence you have at your disposal. If you have been arrested, call attorney Natalia Matusik immediately!
About Attorney Natalia Matusik
Natalia Matusik obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Political Science from UCLA in 1999. In 2001,Ms. Matusik obtained her Master’s Degree in Policy Studies (MPP) from UCLA School of Public Policy, Social Research and Urban Planning (currently UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs). Her concentration and Master’s thesis were in the areas of crime and drug policy.
Ms. Matusik obtained her law degree from University of San Diego in 2004.Ms. Matusik spent nine years working as a Deputy District Attorney in Riverside prosecuting misdemeanor crimes, general felonies, domestic violence cases, child abuse cases, sex offenses and drug related crimes.Subsequently, Ms. Matusik worked at the California Attorney General’s Office in the Licensing Section. As a Deputy Attorney General, Ms. Matusik represented state licensing agencies, both within and outside of the Department of Consumer Affairs, mainly in disciplinary actions filed against licensed professionals before the Office of Administrative Hearings. She handled all phases of complex administrative litigation, including appeals from denials of applications for licensure, prosecution of disciplinary actions against licensees, interim suspension and relief cases, including PC 23 hearings; license reinstatement cases, probation modification and termination cases, and injunctive proceedings against professional, vocational licensees and unlicensed individuals.In her private practice, Ms. Matusik has handled both civil and criminal cases in the areas of family law, civil litigation,and criminal defens