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Kenneth Neil Hamilton
About Kenneth
Biography
Certified criminal law specialist for expertise with DUI defense and appeals in Santa Barbara, Ventura & the entire South Coast.
All of my education and experience has been constitutional criminal defense. I believe in protecting the innocent by providing zelous advocacy to all accused.
I've never been a cop or prosecutor. I've never arrested people or argued to send people to prison. I never had to work for the leviathan, and never wanted to. I've always represented the little guy--the defendant--against the enormous weight of the State. If you think you can work for the leviathan for 10 or 20 years arresting people and sending them to prison and then all of a sudden switch sides and effectively represent defendants like a seasoned defense lawyer, then I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.
I was Valedictorian of my graduting class at law school. While in law school I interned with criminal attorneys for 3 years including a private firm and a public defender's office. I served as a public defender for Ventura County and Tulare County.
I regularly provide consultation to other criminal defense lawyers throughout California and trained public defenders and private lawyers on effectively defending clients accused of a DUI. I am qualified to administer standardized field sobriety tests after competing the IACP/NHTSA student course on DWI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing and understand their limitations.
With regard to appellate law, I have successfully written appeals for clients all throughout my time practicing law, and worked in the appellate division of the Ventura County Public Defender's Office. I am the attorney of record on multiple published opinions (addressing Second Amendment and Fourth Amendment law) and I am currently on the Appellate Panel for the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Finally I have considerable experience pertaning to the intersection of mental health and criminal law. I represented clients detained at mental health hospitals, and defended them in LPS proceedings. I have also received special training to represent clients with mental illness in court and participated on the Ventura County Mental Health Board for over 2 years where I assisted the local behavioral health organizations in formulating and reforming programs and policies developed to assist individuals with mental illness.
When I'm not helping the innocent and wrongfully accused or helping my kids with homework I can be found sailing on the sea, shooting at the range, or brewing beer in my garage.
I am retained to represent clients throughout the South Coast of California but primarily work out of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.
Practice Areas
3
Practice Areas
DUI and DWI
80%
23 years | 500 cases
Appeals
10%
23 years | 50 cases
Criminal Defense
10%
23 years | 1,000 cases
Fees and Rates
Cost
Hourly Rates
$ 50-500 per hour
Payment Methods
- Cash
- Check
- Credit Card
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Chat withLicenses
Licensed in California for 23 years
State: California
Acquired: 2002
Lawyer disciplined by state licensing authority in 2023
Location
Kenneth N. Hamilton
5740 Ralston Street, Suite 300, Ventura, CA, 93003
Exclusive DUI Defense, Inc.
3 W. Carrillo Street, Suite 203, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101-4603
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Kenneth Neil Hamilton's Reviews
Showing 1 - 5 of 19 client reviews from Avvo
Posted by Alex S. | December 1, 2018 | Consulted Attorney
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
Great Lawyer - Most Competent I Ever Spoke With
I needed a quick answer on a California case related to immigration and expungement of a clients criminal history and got it. The answer was provided within 24 hours. I'd recommend Kenneth Neil Hamilton for anyone in Southern Calfornia seeking competent and professional legal counsel.
Posted by anonymous | October 18, 2017 | Hired Attorney
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
Great Attorney
The case was a 22810(g). Even though I had a dash cam video of the road rage incident, the egocentric stand by the DA on felony behavior made the case problematic since the video did not show the actually attempted assault be the road rager. So while I hoped for a dismissal the best Ken could do was ...
Posted by anonymous | September 25, 2017 | Hired Attorney
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
Terrific Advocate in Ventura
I was fighting my case with Jeremy Lessem as my primary lawyer, who is very active in Los Angeles County. As my case was being litigated in Ventura County, Jeremy often partnered with Ken Hamilton to advocate on my behalf during several of my dozen or so appearances. Ken was terrific! He is frien...
Posted by Sherry | May 11, 2017 | Hired Attorney
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
Ventura Courts' superstar attorney!
Ken is bright, sharp, experienced and highly knowledgeable about Ventura court matters! Knows the judges DAs and his way around the criminal case in Ventura court. Was thrilled with his great work ethic and legal savvy. Thank you Ken; in the words of Tina turner, you're simply the best!
Posted by Jacob | March 30, 2017 | Hired Attorney
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
THE go to guy
Ken Hamilton is smart, savvy, and incredibly hard working. He has an insiders view of the court and cases. Ken always takes a unique view on the case and often finds angles that you havent previously thought of. Ken is my go to guy, and if I were in trouble he would be my first call!
Kenneth Neil Hamilton's Lawyer Endorsements
"I endorse this lawyer. Kenneth is a great lawyer! He goes the extra mile for his clients and fellow attorneys. I highly recommend him. He will get the job done!"
"Kenneth is a sharp attorney who is a real go getter. He is not only highly skilled in the area of DUI defense, but he has the passion and intuition to match his skill. I appreciate Kenneth's collegial nature and how he always takes time to impart his legal knowledge and mentorship on fellow attorneys such as myself. I endorse this lawyer."
"Ken is sharp-witted, thoughtful, and intelligent. He is a worthy-adversary for any DA."
"Ken is straight talking and very good at what he does. He is not afraid of taking on difficult cases. I highly recommend this lawyer."
"Ken knows the legal issues that are relevant today and isn't afraid to fight for his clients. His thick skin, pleasant demeanor, and tenacity serve him extremely well and he is an excellent defense attorney that I would recommend to anyone in need."
"I have known Ken for over 20 years. He is a leader in the area of criminal defense and DUI defense. I have participated in chat groups and in conferences with Ken for many years. He is brillant. I recommend him highly."
"Attorney Ken Hamilton is one of the best DUI lawyers in the State of California. He understands DUI law better than most attorneys. Furthermore, he has extensive trial experience and works incredibly hard to get the best results for his clients. I endorse this lawyer."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"I endorse this lawyer. I have know Kenneth Hamilton for many years because of our mutual membership in the NORML Legal Committee. He knows everything there is to know about marijuana law in California."
"It has been my privilege to get to know Ken over a number of years as a fellow member of the NORML Legal Defense Committee. He is very helpful to fellow members and has a nationwide reputation for providing his clients with excellent representation. I endorse this lawyer."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"Ken is a fantastic lawyer and one of the premier DUI specialist in California. He is one of the people I call first in regards to serious felony DUI matters. He is a great resource to the Ventura community. I highly endorse this lawyer."
"Ken Hamilton is an extremely skilled communicator. This skill serves him well both in the court room as well as in his dealings with clients. Ken works extremely hard and truly cares about his clients. As a result his clients get fantastic outcomes. A strongly endorse Kenneth Hamilton."
"I endorse this lawyer. Ken is an experienced DUI trial lawyer, with great results in San Diego and all of the South Coast. He knows the defenses and he's always willing to go to trial. Other lawyers consult with him on their cases, too. I highly recommend him."
"Ken is such a fine lawyer. He's smart, he's honest and he does impeccable work. When he doesn't know the answer to something, he won't say that he does. I have come to rely on Ken in a pinch, and he comes through. Ken stands good with me. He cut his teeth in Ventura County, which is a really tough place to practice criminal law. And it didn't change him: he got results then, and now in private practice, he gets results now. I am mostly in LA County. He's my go-to DUI guy, though, for all DUI's -- and certainly other areas of the law -- in SOCAL."
"Ken is a skilled and concientious advocate for his clients. I started practicing in Ventura County about four years ago, and immediately recognized Ken as a respected and serious criminal defense attorney. I have seen him in trials and was impressed with his knowledge of the law and his skills in applying and arguing the law on behalf off his clients. Many seasoned attorneys learn and borrow from Ken. I endorse this lawyer."
"Iv seen Ken practice for almost 10 years. He is very skilled and adept at litigating dui cases. He is a strong advocate and one of the best dui specialists in southern california."
"I endorse this lawyer. I have worked with Mr. Hamilton for about 10 years and he is one of the leading authorities in DUI law and trials. He is also expert at all aspects of criminal defense."
"Kenneth Hamilton is truly the most hard working, passionate, and knowledge attorneys that I have ever met. Nobody that I have ever met fights DUI cases harder, and nobody gets better results for their clients on DUI case, period, end of story. Kenneth always stays on the forefront of emerging trends in law and science when it comes to DUI defense, and I wholeheartedly endorse him for both DUI defense and general criminal law defense!"
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Experience
Professional misconduct
This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2023.
Disbarment issued in CA, 2023
updated on 09/15/2023Disbarment is the most serious penalty for a lawyer. If this attorney is currently practicing law, you should contact the California State Bar to understand the reasons for disbarment.
Honors
2015
Certificate of Recognition, Ventura County Public Defender
2014
Trial Lawyer of the Year, Private Defenders of California
2013
Certificate of Commendation, Ventura County Mental Health Board
2013
Qualified to Administer Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, La Pier & Associates
2011
Certified Specialist - Criminal Law, State Bar of California
2011
Mental Health Court Practitioner Certification, Ventura County Superior Court
2010
Certificate of Completion, NAMI Court Education Program on Mental Illness
2004
Juvenile Dependency Court Practitioner Certification, San Diego County Superior Court
2002
Valedictorian, Western Sierra Law School
Work Experience
2015 - Present
Founder, South Coast DUI Law Center
2009 - 2011
Board Member, Ventura County Mental Health Board
2008 - 2015
Deputy Public Defender, Ventura County Public Defender
2006 - 2008
Deputy Public Defender, Tulare County Public Defender
2002 - 2006
lawyer, Kenneth N Hamilton Attorney at Law
1999 - 2001
Certified Law Student, San Diego County Public Defender
1999 - 2002
law clerk, Ross & Cotman
Associations
2016 - Present
Los Angeles Superior Court Appellate Division PanelAppellate Lawyer
2015 - Present
National College of DUI DefenseGeneral Member
2010 - Present
California DUI Lawyers AssociationMember
2010 - Present
State Bar of California, Criminal Law SectionMember
2008 - Present
Ventura County Criminal Defense Bar AssociationMember
2005 - Present
US District Court for the Central District of CaliforniaMember
2005 - Present
US Tax CourtMember
2004 - Present
US District Court for the Southern District of CaliforniaMember
2004 - Present
US Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitMember
2003 - Present
California Public Defenders AssociationMember
2002 - Present
State Bar of CaliforniaAdmitted to Practice
2009 - 2014
NORML Legal CommitteeMember
2003 - 2006
National Association of Criminal Defense LawyersMember
2003 - 2006
California Attorneys for Criminal JusticeMember
Sample of Legal Cases
People v. PT
not guilty all sales charges, client got no jail and Prop. 36 probation
People v. AM
dismissed
People v. DE
Case dismissed two times. Client at home with wife and daughter.
People v. Burton
Appellate Court ruled in favor of the government.
People v. Liscotti
Court of Appeal decided case in favor of the government.
People v. WW
Case dismissed after 2 mistrials following 2 deadlocked juries
People v. TG
dismissal after court of appeal reversed trial court's decision denying suppression motion
People v. CN
not guilty
Education
2002
Western Sierra Law School
JD - Juris Doctor
1996
Phoenix College
pursued Liberal Arts Degree
1995
Portland Community College
pursued Liberal Arts Degree
Speaking Engagements
2015
Public Defender MCLE
Speeding but Staying in the Lanes: Effective DUI Representation without Waiving Time
2014
Ventura County Criminal Defense Bar
Challenging Seizure of Client's Blood, Breath and Urine Post-McNeely
2011
2011
Ventura County Public Defender
Strengthening Forensic Science
2011
Public Defender MCLE
Ten Issues to Address with the Jury in Every "Numbers" DUI Breath Case
Publications
2018
Ventura County Star
The trouble with detecting and proving marijuana DUI
2016
AVVO Legal Guides
DUI Arrest in Ventura County? You can Fight your Charge!
2016
2015
2015
2015
Languages
English
Activity
Legal Answers
Legal Guides
Legal Answers
Q&A
Why do I have to pay so much? They must be wrong!
04 Feb 2017
Q&A
I recived a notice to suspend my license for failer to pay court fines and i dont have an income now.
04 Feb 2017
Q&A
Can I install a surveillance camera on my apartment patio?
15 Apr 2016
Legal Guides
Legal Guide
How do I Fix my Criminal Record when I was Convicted of a DUI or Other Crime in Ventura County?
19 Apr 2016
Legal Guide
Ventura County DUI Arrest? You Can Fight your Charge!
18 Apr 2016
Legal Guide
Why should I hire a lawyer to fight a first time non-injury DUI when the BAC results are over 0.08?
12 Nov 2015