California Criminal Defense Attorney Darren T. Kavinoky
California defense lawyer Darren Kavinoky has been recognized many times by colleagues, clients, judges and police for being one of the top attorneys in his area of practice. Los Angeles Magazine named him a “Super Lawyer” in 2010, and in 2005 and 2006 honored him as a “Super Lawyer Rising Star,” which designates the top five percent of the attorneys in California. The American Trial Lawyers Association named him one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in California. He enjoys an “AV” rating in the Martindale Hubbell Registry, an honor by peers that designates lawyers at the highest level of integrity and ability.
Darren is the founding lawyer of The Kavinoky Law Firm and oversees a staff of personally trained and handpicked attorneys and support personnel. The firm has offices in San Francisco, Riverside, Newport Beach, Sacramento, and throughout the state, with headquarters in Encino. The knowledgeable California criminal defense lawyers of The Kavinoky Law Firm fight for the rights of individuals accused of DUI, drug offenses, domestic violence, and other offenses ranging from California petty theft to murder defense. Darren is the legal analyst for the syndicated television program The Insider, and comments regularly on high-profile celebrity justice cases. In addition to The Insider, he appears regularly on programs such as Entertainment Tonight, Dr. Phil, NBC’s Today Show, various programs on CNN Headline News,and many more.
He has been quoted in publications that include USA Today, the New York Times, the Santa Monica Daily Press, the Baltimore Examiner, the New York Post, Men’s Health, Time magazine and CNN.com. In addition, Darren has been used as a regular expert source by the Los Angeles Times on the Mel Gibson drunk driving case and other topics. He has also been a guest on many Los Angeles radio stations, including KFWB, KNX, KROQ, KLSX and KRLA.
Darren is an active member of many legal organizations, including the State Bar of California; a life member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; the Association of Federal Defense Attorneys; California Attorneys for Criminal Justice; and numerous other associations devoted to criminal representation. He is admitted to practice in both California state and federal courts.
Darren has been invited to speak on many topics in forums across the country. He also speaks regularly to attorney groups and non-lawyers about cross-examination techniques, jury selection, DUI / DWI law, ethical issues in criminal defense, and other issues. Other speeches Darren has given over the years include “Ethical Issues in Criminal Cases” at the Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyers Association in Atlanta, Georgia; “The CEO Model: A Business Guide for Attorneys” at the DUI-DWI National Attorney Seminar in Los Angeles, California; “Jury Selection” at the Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice Seminar in Tucson, Arizona; “Cross-Examination of the Arresting Officer” at the Minnesota DUI Seminar in Las Vegas, Nevada; and at Lawrence Taylor’s DUI Defense Seminar in Los Angeles, California; and “Handling the Media in a High Profile Criminal Case” at the Los Angeles County Bar Association in Los Angeles, California.
He avidly pursues new knowledge about criminal defense and has obtained numerous certifications through advanced training. He has studied at the National College of DUI Defense at Harvard Law School and has attended that institution’s summer courses from 2001 to 2007. He is also a certified instructor in standardized field sobriety testing through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and International Association for Chemical Testing. He has received certification from the College of Advocacy, Hastings Law School in San Francisco, California and has completed mastering statistic evidence in Dallas, Texas and breath analysis forensics at Florida International University.
Darren volunteers with many organizations that help individuals with addiction issues, including Genesis House, Liberty House, and Herbert House. He also helps men in sober living environments to obtain expungements and relief from past criminal convictions on a no-fee basis. In his presentation of “Expungement 101” to residents of various sober living homes, Darren teaches those with a criminal past how to clear their criminal records and begin a new direction in life.