Orange County Sheriff's Department - Rancho Santa Margarita Station

If you, a loved one or a family member have been arrested by or are being investigated by the Rancho Santa Margarita Sheriff’s Department, it can cause a lot of anxiety, mostly just from fear of the unknown.  Moreover, one is dependent upon the competence and honesty of a police officer, who may or may not be experienced or have the same sense of urgency as you.  

Facing such a situation, knowing the bail amount (if any) associated with the offense or offenses at issue if police deny an own recognizance (OR) release may decrease one’s anxiety.  It is also good to know what evidence is needed to convict one for the crime or crimes that allegedly took place, the defenses possible and the sentence a judge can impose if one is convicted of the crime or crimes.  
We at Greg Hill & Associates believe it is prudent to know a few more things before interacting with any branch of law enforcement.  It can be wise to know the size of the police or sheriff’s department, the area’s demographics, the most common types of crimes the department investigates and just a bit about the area’s history to make one’s communication with law enforcement more meaningful, more savvy and perhaps, more respectful.  This can lead to a better outcome than if one lacks such perspective.

This article is presented with these goals in mind.

The Rancho Santa Margarita Sheriff’s Department has an undisclosed number of sworn police officers and an unspecified number of civilian support personnel assigned to it.  

The Rancho Santa Margarita Sheriff’s Department is responsible for patrolling the City of Rancho Santa Margarita, which is 12.94 square miles and has a population of 47,853 as of 2010.

The City of Rancho Santa Margarita has the lowest property crime rate in California according to Safewise and is the safest city in California, also according to Safewise. It has a violent crime rate of 4.8 per 1,000 residents.  

The television series The Real Housewives of Orange County, although based in Coto de Caza, was mainly filmed in Rancho Santa Margarita, where many of the housewives do business, shopping, commuting, dentistry, and dining.

Joy Fawcett, an Olympic gold medalist in soccer, grew up in Rancho Santa Margarita, as did NFL and former USC quarterback Carson Palmer, who attended Rancho Santa Margarita High School. 

Rolling Hills Estates had the longest city name in California with nineteen letters until January 1, 2000, when the title was ceded to Rancho Santa Margarita (20 letters) upon the latter's incorporation.

For arrests along the State Road 241 toll road (called the Foothill Transportation Corridor) crossing Rancho Santa Margarita, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will normally handle this work, although one may be thereafter transported to the Rancho Santa Margarita Sheriff’s Department for processing, a breath test (if a DUI) and booking.  The person may also be held at the Rancho Santa Margarita jail until bail is posted or the person is transferred to the Orange County Jail in Santa Ana.

As of 2020, the city’s population was 75.5% non-Hispanic white, 10.9% Asian, 2.2% African American and 21.7% Hispanic.  During 2009–2013, Rancho Santa Margarita had a median household income of $104,113, with 3.9% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

Most cases arising out of the Rancho Santa Margarita Sheriff’s Department’s areas of responsibility are brought at the Harbor Justice Center (Newport Beach Courthouse), but some are also brought at the Central Justice Center at 700 Civic Center Driver West in downtown Santa Ana.  Cases that may be filed at the Central Justice Center instead of at the Harbor Justice Center would be very serious cases needing specialized prosecutors trained in handling such cases.

Over the last 25 years, our office has handled no cases arising out the Rancho Santa Margarita Sheriff’s Station and brought in the Harbor Justice Center.  However, we would expect that such cases would mostly include DUI, domestic violence, possession of a controlled substance, sales of a controlled substance, shoplifting and violation of a protective order, plus certainly other types of cases.  

Below is the Google Map to the OCSD Rancho Santa Margarita Station.