Jay Leiderman

Jay Leiderman is a criminal defense lawyer based in Ventura, California. Jay has been practicing for 15 years and was certified as a criminal law specialist by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization in 2006. The Atlantic Magazine called Leiderman the "Hacktivist's Advocate" for his work defending hacker-activists accused of computer crimes, or so-called ("Hacktivism") especially people associated with the hacktivist collective Anonymous. Other noteworthy cases Leiderman defended include People v. Diaz, which went to the California Supreme Court and made law on the ability of police to search a cell phone, Louis Gonzalez, who was falsely accused of rape, attempted murder and torture by the mother of his child and was jailed for 83 days before he was released and ultimately found factually innocent, the Andrew Luster or so-called "Max Factor" heir habeas corpus proceeding, wherein his sentence was reduced by 74 years (his capture launched the career of "Dog the Bounty Hunter). Leiderman tried and won the first-ever trial of medical marijuana defendants in San Luis Obispo County, California County, and is the lawyer for the lead defendant in Ventura County, California's first ever concentrated Mexican Mafia prosecution - the largest case in the history of Ventura County. Leiderman co-authored a book on the legal defense of California medical marijuana crimes, which was published by NORML, the National Organization For the Reform of Marijuana Laws. He is also a founding member of the Whistleblower's Defense League, "formed to combat what they describe as the FBI and Justice Department's use of harassment and over-prosecution to chill and silence those who engage in journalism, Internet activism or dissent." Leiderman frequently comments in diverse areas of the media about criminal and social justice issues. He also lectures around the state and nation on various criminal defense topics.