Bio
David Lehr
David M. Lehr, Esq., is a defense attorney whose credentials include 13 years of experience with the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office. As a practitioner in the field of Criminal Law, Attorney Lehr has had the opportunity to exercise his legal talents both as a prosecutor and an advocate for offenders accused of criminal misdemeanor and felony charges.
At the onset of his career, Lehr’s focus and aplomb were implemented in pursuits of justice on the behalf of Ventura County and the State of California. During his tenure as a prosecuting attorney, Lehr was able to develop and demonstrate his substantial courtroom skills and work his way from being the new Deputy District Attorney in 1993 to being recognized as the Outstanding Team Prosecutor of 2006. In 2006 alone, Mr. Lehr was responsible for successfully bringing 99 jury trials to verdict and also resolving more than 1,000 felony cases, without going to trial.
By the end of his tenancy with the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, Mr. Lehr had determined that his skills might be better put to use by practicing criminal defense. The insights and experience that he had gained through his work as a prosecuting attorney provided him with an advantageous perspective of the law and the strategies utilized to bring suspected criminals to justice. And his advantageous perspective could be utilized as an invaluable asset to help accused offenders face, fight and, in some cases, even defeat the charges being leveled against them.
Dedicated, steadfast and well-versed with the intricacies of legal procedure, Attorney Lehr has received several acclamations and commendations for his work:
HONORS & AWARDS
- 1996 Mothers Against Drunk Drivers Prosecutor of the Year
- 1998 Victims’ Rights Week Prosecutor of the Year
- 2006 Senior Prosecutor – Outstanding Team of the Year (Ventura County DA’s Office)
COMMENDATIONS
“… [David] served the people of this community well and with distinction. He is very bright and an outstanding trial lawyer. This, combined with his high ethical standards and work ethic, will make him one of the county’s premier private practitioners…I am very proud of his accomplishments!” – Michael D. Bradbury, Esq.
“David is an experienced, top-level trial attorney and will provide excellent representation to any person facing a criminal charge of any nature or degree of seriousness…It is a great advantage to a criminal defense attorney’s client to have an experienced trial attorney who is able to analyze a case from the unique perspective of the prosecutor in planning strategy and anticipating tactical moves.” – Louis “Chuck” Samonsky, Esq.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
- 1993 California State Bar #165490
- 1998 – 2006 Criminal Justice Attorney’s Association of Ventura County, Treasurer
- 1998 – 2006 Ventura County Prosecutor’s Association, Treasurer
- 2006 – Present Ventura County Inns of Court Member, Board of Directors
Jason Nielsen
Attorney Jasen Nielsen grew up in Ventura County, where he still has family, and graduated from Westlake High School in 1992. From there, Mr. Nielsen went on to graduate with honors from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Arts in Law and Society. During and after college, Mr. Nielsen perfected his customer service skills by managing a restaurant/ night club and working as a carpenter focused on residential remodels. Mr. Nielsen graduated with honors from the Santa Barbara College of Law, where he received numerous awards, including the 3rd highest cumulative GPA, as well as the Academic Excellence and CALI Excellence for the Future awards in Remedies, and Academic Achievement awards for the highest grade in Torts, Contracts, Legal Writing and Remedies.
While in law school, Mr. Nielsen worked as a Law Clerk at noted criminal defense firm Sanger & Swysen and Santa Barbara County Counsel, and interned at the Santa Barbara Public Defender’s Office. Upon passing the bar, Mr. Nielsen worked for a brief time at Myer & Fock, a Santa Barbara based construction litigation firm, before moving on to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office. During his time as a Deputy District Attorney, Mr. Nielsen gained invaluable courtroom experience, including numerous jury trials and other contested hearings. During this time, Mr. Nielsen received 24 hours of P.O.S.T. Certified Standardized Field Sobriety Test Instruction, which is the same instruction received by law enforcement officers.
Mr. Nielsen began working for The Law Offices of David Lehr in July of 2008, and his practice has been focused almost exclusively on DUI defense in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties since that time. He prides himself on providing an unmatched combination of knowledgeable, experienced and aggressive DUI defense with courteous, professional and prompt customer service. Mr. Nielsen resides in Santa Barbara with his wife, and in his free time he enjoys playing basketball, surfing, and enjoying the company of his friends and family.