Attorney Ned Barnett
If you’re facing a serious criminal charge in Houston, there’s one name that should stand above the others when you want a quality, aggressive Houston DWI lawyer— Ned Barnett.
Ned Barnett is a skilled Houston criminal defense lawyer with nearly 30 years of practical legal experience in the Houston area that includes trying criminal cases as a state and federal prosecutor, as well as more than 20 years as a defense lawyer.
Barnett is dedicated to challenging the government’s power over individuals and defending the constitutional rights of people accused of crimes. He believes that each person’s rights under the Constitution — their rights to an attorney, to a fair trial, and to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures — are precious and worth fighting for when the government attempts to strip those rights from an accused.
“Since opening his own practice in 1994, Ned Barnett has represented countless people charged with criminal offenses in the greater Houston area.”
Barnett is a native of Houston who followed his father, grandfathers, and great-grandfather into legal practice when he pursued his lifelong dream of becoming a criminal defense attorney. After earning his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center in 1987, he sharpened his trial skills as a prosecutor in Galveston County and with the U.S. Attorney’s office in Houston before taking on the mantle of criminal defense.
As an assistant district attorney in Galveston, Barnett prosecuted countless DWI cases, as well as serious felonies including rape, robbery, and murder. During his time as a federal prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s office, he focused on large drug prosecutions and gained a valuable perspective on how the government pursues cases involving international narcotics trafficking.
Since opening his own practice in 1994, he has represented countless people charged with criminal offenses in the greater Houston area. Regardless of the offense, whether it’s a misdemeanor DWI or a felony sex crime, Barnett understands how devastating and disruptive a criminal charge can be for the person accused.
Barnett fights to obtain the best possible result for each person he defends, with the goal of helping defendants to move on with their lives and leave the stress and uncertainty of a criminal charge behind them. He brings a blend of compassion, discretion, superior ethics, and sharp trial skills to each case, as well as a commitment to providing personal, one-on-one service and communication.
* Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters service, 2015-2018
** American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys, part of American Institute of Legal Counsel, 2016, 2015
*** Board Certified Texas Board of Legal Specialization, since 1994
**** deciBel Publishing via best-dwi-attorneys.net, 2016
In addition to the skills and experience he’s earned in Texas and federal courtrooms, Barnett has sought outside education that gives him an edge in criminal prosecutions. He is board certified as a criminal lawyer by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and has certifications in DWI field sobriety testing, operation of breath test machines, and gas chromatography, the process used in DWI blood tests.
His experience, knowledge, and skills have earned him invitations to speak as a leader in Texas criminal defense law and being selected to Super Lawyers as a top rated criminal defense lawyer since 2015. Not only that, but Ned Barnett has achieved a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating for professional excellence.
Outside of his dedication to defending people accused of crimes, Barnett enjoys staying fit and spending time with his family.
Education
- University of Houston Law Center, Juris Doctor, 1987
- University of Texas, Austin, Bachelor of Business Administration, 1984
Bar Admissions
- State of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals
- U.S. Supreme Court
Advanced Trainings
Professional Associations
- Founding Member of the American Association of Premier DUI Attorneys
- Founding Member of the National College for DUI Defense
- Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
- Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association
- State Bar College
- Supporting Member of National Child Abuse Defense Center
- Houston Bar Association
- Montgomery County Bar Association
- Galveston County Bar Association
- Houston Trial Lawyers Association
- Fort Bend County Bar Association