Scott Bentley
Bio
Scott Bentley is a local Ventura Criminal Defense attorney, whose office is conveniently located right across the street from the Ventura Superior Courthouse. Scott has represented clients in hundreds of cases and has a familiarity with the courts, judges, district attorneys and workings of the Ventura Courthouse. The Ventura Superior Court is widely regarded as unique and Ventura is considered to be one of the most stringent counties judicially. Hiring a local attorney who is familiar with the court, how it works and the people who work within it is vital to achieving the best possible outcome for your case.
Scott attended Pepperdine University School of Law (Class of 2010) and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Clark University (Class of 1996) in Worcester, Massachusetts with dual majors in Government and Spanish and a minor in music. After graduating from law school, passing the California bar exam on the first attempt and being sworn in as a lawyer in 2010, Scott delved into criminal law by working for California Coast Law and making appearances in courthouses throughout Southern California.
Since 2016, Scott has focused his criminal defense practice in Ventura. While he occasionally accepts cases in different courthouses, including Santa Barbara and Van Nuys, there is no substitute for local expertise. Scott is a native English speaker who speaks nearly fluent Spanish, allowing him to be an effective advocate for Spanish speaking Latino clients, a significant portion of the local population.
Scott goes the extra mile in defense of his clients. For example, in a DUI case, he filed a Motion to Suppress under Penal Code section 1538.5 and argued that a blood draw performed on his client was invalid under the Fourth Amendment and therefore should be excluded as evidence as “Fruit of the Poisonous Tree.” The trial court agreed that the search was unreasonable, but applied the good-faith exception in granting the motion but not suppressing the blood evidence. Scott appealed the decision on the basis that the good-faith exception was inapplicable to the facts of the case, the Office of District Attorney’s conceded and the Appellate Division of the Superior Court suppressed the blood evidence.
Scott maintains good relationships with clients, judges, district attorneys and other attorneys. Clients often have the best insight into a case because they are the ones who may know the facts best. A review of the discovery, or evidence in a case, is crucial to investigate what defenses and factual or legal issues may arise. Relationships with the district attorneys and judges and knowing which factors they will key in on is important for having productive discussions about a case, which may lead to a resolution which significantly lessens or avoids all together any jail or prison time a client may face.
Scott has significant trial experience in felony, misdemeanor and restraining order cases and has won at trial. Moreover, he is a panel attorney for the California Appellate Project, which is significant because if there is a basis for arguing that a motion or trial was wrongly decided or impacted by legal error, Scott has the knowledge and experience to challenge that ruling.
Scott was born in Los Angeles, but moved overseas to Cairo, Egypt with his mother, father, and brother at the age of four in 1978 where he attended Cairo American College, a highly reputable international school with students from countries all over the world, from kindergarten through graduating high school in front of the Great Pyramids of Giza in 1991. While living in Egypt, Scott travelled to many countries throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East. After graduating from high school Scott attended a semester at the National Outdoor Leadership School in the Rocky Mountains and spent a semester in Salamanca, Spain studying Spanish. While attending Clark University for college, Scott spent six months studying Spanish abroad in Ecuador during his junior year. Having grown up, travelled and studied abroad gives Scott a unique perspective and comfort level interacting with people of all backgrounds.
Scott lives with his wife, Mariah, and their two sons, Quentin (10 years old) and Preston (7 years old) in Port Hueneme. His hobbies and interests include writing and recording music, swimming at the Ventura Aquatic Center, walks to the Port Hueneme pier, keeping up with current events, following and watching sports, including being a Dodgers and Lakers fan, and spending time in the company of family and friends.