David Lehr

More than three decades inside California’s criminal courts — 13 years as a prosecutor, and nearly two decades since on the defense side, fighting for the people on the other end of the case number.

If you are reading this, something has happened — to you, or to someone you love — that has put your future on the line. You do not need a sales pitch. You need a lawyer who has stood in this exact courthouse hundreds of times, who knows what the District Attorney is going to do before the DA does, and who will tell you the truth about your case from the first conversation.

That is the practice I have built.

A prosecutor’s perspective, applied to the defense

I began my legal career in 1993 as a Deputy District Attorney for Ventura County. Over thirteen years there, I tried 99 jury cases to verdict and, in 2006 alone, resolved more than 1,000 felony cases. I was named Mothers Against Drunk Driving Prosecutor of the Year in 1996 and was recognized as Senior Prosecutor on the Outstanding Team of the Year in 2006.

In 2007, I left the DA’s office to do something I had come to believe mattered more: give people accused of crimes the same caliber of advocacy the State of California gets every day. I have spent the years since building Strongest Defense into a Ventura-based criminal defense firm that represents clients across the area — in cases ranging from first-time DUIs to serious felonies, juvenile matters, domestic violence allegations, drug crimes, sex offenses, and post-conviction record clearing.

Why clients choose this firm

Read the reviews, and a few themes keep popping up. Clients describe being treated as people, not files. They describe results that beat expectations — dismissals, reduced charges, expunged records, sentences that landed well below what was on the table. They describe straight talk and fair pricing. And they describe what may be the most important thing of all when you are facing a criminal charge: feeling, for the first time since the arrest, that somebody is genuinely on your side.

“He not only cares about the case, he cares about you.”
— M.B., client review, Justia

“Hands down the best attorney in Ventura County… He has great relationships with everyone in the court… he is well liked and respected by everyone.”
— Shawn, client review, Avvo

Recognition and credentials

• California State Bar #165490 — admitted June 17, 1993
• S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit — admitted 2011
• D., Golden Gate University School of Law (1992) — Excellence in Criminal Litigation Award
• A., Law and Society, University of California, Santa Barbara (1990)
• Avvo: 5.0 / 5.0 “Superb” — Clients’ Choice
• Justia: 10.0 Lawyer Rating
• 4.7 stars on Google across 76+ verified client reviews
• Past President, Ventura County Inns of Court
• Member, Ventura County Bar Association; California State Bar Criminal Law Section
• Author, “Five Common Mistakes About Drinking and Driving,” Ventura County Star (December 24, 2016)

Awards and prosecutorial honors

• Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Prosecutor of the Year — 1996
• Victims’ Rights Week Prosecutor of the Year — 1998
• Senior Prosecutor, Outstanding Team of the Year, Ventura County District Attorney’s Office — 2006

If you have been arrested or charged

What happens in the next few weeks of your case will shape the next several years of your life. Do not leave that to chance. Schedule a free, confidential case evaluation — and let’s talk through what you are actually facing, what realistic outcomes look like, and how I can help.

Schedule a Free Case Evaluation — (805) 477-0070

770 County Square Drive, Suite 215, Ventura, CA 93003