Having impressively dominated both sides of the courtroom aisle, renowned criminal defense attorney L. Lee Lockett has accrued a veritable mountain of experience; first as a prosecutor and then later as defense counsel. His unique perspective affords him substantial leverage as well as a rather humorous outlook on some of the more routine aspects. For example, Lockett’s colorful description of roadside DUI “tests” sums up his opinion in a way we can all appreciate.

“To me, it’s just a better way of determining one’s ability to be in the circus,” he says. “Ultimately, these are very subjective exercises left open to interpretation. Is someone struggling with the exercise because they’re drunk or is it because they’ve had numerous surgeries that affect their legs? Or, is it because they are overweight or elderly? Is it because they aren’t as athletic as the next guy? There are so many reasons why one person at that particular time could not successfully complete the exercises.”

His mistrust extends to Breathalyzer tests as well. “There are inaccuracies,” says Lockett. “Somebody might blow over the legal limit, but they perform well on the exercises and speech isn’t slurred. This opens up the argument that the equipment might be unreliable, so you still have opportunities to argue.”

Lockett certainly doesn’t support impaired drivers on the road, but he does know only too well, how easily an innocent person can be charged with a DUI. And subsequently, he also knows first-hand the pressure young state prosecutors face dealing with victims and office politics.

Entering the Fray

Lockett describes his entrée into law as a natural segue from his undergraduate studies in political science.

“I think it’s a natural progression for many students of social sciences,” he says. “You focus on the law; look at the law. Also, my brain doesn’t seem to work very well mathematically, so that led me away from any scientific field. This became very apparent when I briefly considered following in my father and grandfather’s footsteps, both successful and very proud military men. Because they had instilled in me the idea that Officer Candidate School was a good option, I tried studying for the exams.

“As I poured over these books, it became readily apparent that there was no chance of me getting accepted to Officer Candidate School. The chapters were very mechanical and very heavy in science and geometry, areas that I had zero aptitude for. I was already very fascinated with various aspects of the law, and this just helped make that decision easier,” Lockett adds. “I had become quite fascinated with origins of the law and ramifications; ultimately it just felt like a natural fit for me.”

Upon graduating with honors from the St. Thomas University School of Law, Miami, Lockett was offered a position with the state attorney’s office for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit. During his tenure as an assistant state attorney, Lockett was selected to serve as first chair in more than 30 jury trials and numerous non-jury trials and hearings. After just one year, he was promoted to division chief in County Court Division E where he supervised all attorneys in that division and made DUI filing decisions. Upon leaving the state attorney’s Office, Lockett served with the Public Defender’s office where once again he stood out, receiving the prestigious ROC Award for trial advocacy.

Ironically, it was his work prosecuting DUIs that ultimately served as the catalyst to Lockett jumping to the defense side when he opened his own practice.