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So what do cowboy boots have to do with the practice of law? Well, the founder of this firm was a lawyer and cowboy. Whenever an attorney wins their first trial they are rewarded with a pair of cowboy boots. They've "earned their boots" which are proudly worn thereafter. The firm understands that only by developing top-notch trial attorneys can it deliver top-notch services to its clients. Each supervising attorney understands the importance of attorney development.
Spotlight on FAC Attorneys
One-on-One Mentor of the Year Award Recipient
Congratulations to the Fresno Office’s Tiffany Pack who was selected as the Mentor of the Year by Fresno Unified School District. Thank you Tiffany for the tremendous service you provide to our community.
ADO’s Anjali Bansal prevailed in another transfer hearing! The minor was previously transferred to adult court to face a homicide charge but with the passage of AB 2361, he got a new transfer hearing and thanks to Anjali’s efforts, his case will now remain in Juvenile Court.
9/11/23
JLC’s Lusine Vardanova prevailed in a trial wherein her client was accused of sexually abusing his stepdaughter, as a result the Department removed his children from his and his wife’s care. After the trial, the found the allegations NOT TRUE and ordered the children returned to the parents. However, the Department asked for a 14-day stay to file a writ. On Friday, the stay was lifted, and the kids were returned to the parents.
9/05/23
The Fresno Wheel’s Gerald Schwab prevailed in a Juvenile Court trial wherein his client was charged with a PC 245(a)(1) with use of a knife and GBI. Gerry’s client was found Not Guilty of everything! As an interesting aside, his client got sworn into the Marines immediately after as his enlistment hinged on the result of the trial.
8/16/23
JLC’s Lusine Vardanova prevailed in another trial wherein the Department was petitioning to terminate family reunification services. After much deliberation and argument, the Judge ultimately ruled in Lusine’s favor and ordered the continuation of family reunification services.
8/11/23
JLC’s Mike Elder won another trial wherein the Department sked that the mother (Mike’s client) be bypassed for services. Thanks to Mike’s efforts with a huge assist from JLC’s paralegal, Heather Jamieson-Brown, the case was dismissed by the Court after the trial.
Lusine Vardanova also prevailed in a trial wherein bypass of services was recommended for the Lusine’s client, the mother.
The Fresno Office’s Taylor Pittman earned non-holding orders on all charges [PC 422 and PC 245(a)(4)]in her preliminary hearing today leading to the dismissal of the case against her client.
4/04/24
Fresno Office’s Richard Esquivel just tried a felony case and achieved a hung jury!
3/29/24
The Merced Wheel’s John Missirlian just had another great jury verdict. His client was charged with a felony PC 273.5, a felony PC 422 and a misdemeanor PC 243(e)(1). 2 prior strikes were also alleged along with the aggravating factors including multiple prior DV related convictions. Due to John’s efforts, the jury came back with NOT GUILTY on all 3 alleged counts. Though, they did hang on the lesser charge in Count 2 of PC 664/422.
3/27/24
The Fresno Office’s Tiffany Pack ran a prelim today on a client charged with attempted murder, mayhem, torture and kidnapping. Thanks to Tiffany’s work, the client was Not Held to Answer!
3/25/24
JLC’s Mike Elder prevailed on his WIC 350(c) motion at a jurisdiction/disposition hearing this past week. The Department petitioned the court to remove his client’s children from her care. Thanks to Mike’s efforts, the court ordered the children returned to his client on a plan of family maintenance.
3/25/24
Merced Wheel attorneys Kojo Moore and John Missirlian represented co-defendants in a jury trial charged with Attempted Murder, Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Shooting at a Vehicle, along with attendant gang and gun enhancements.
Jury can back with NOT GUILTY verdicts on Attempted Murder and the lesser Attempted Manslaughter. The jury hung on the Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Shooting at a Vehicle charges. Kojo’s client was convicted of the firearm possession charge. No convictions at all for John’s client.
3/07/24
Debbie Perez of the Merced Office successfully argued at the jurisdiction hearing that her 12-yer old client lacked the capacity to commit the felony vandalism he was charged with due to his age and developmental disabilities. Thus, the case was dismissed.
2/23/24
Lusine Vardanova appealed a court finding bypassing services for her client for alleged sexual abuse against his child. Well, the 5th DCA upheld Lusine’s appeal and ordered the trial court to provide reunification services for the client.
2/09/23
Chineme Anyadiegwu prevailed in a protracted Dependency trial wherein client’s daughter was removed from his home and services were being denied due to the alleged risk of sexual abuse. Thanks to Chineme and JLC’s social worker, Yolanda King’s efforts, after trial, the case was dismissed, and the child returned to the home.
ADO’s Robert Wyrick represented the mother on Chineme’s case, and thus also prevailed at trial as the child was returned to their home.
2/09/24
Alex De La Fuente of the ADO office in Fresno just showed the value in running preliminary hearings. Her client was charged with a felony PC 594(a) and due to her thorough cross-examination of the victim, the DA’s Office moved to dismiss the case at the HTA Arraignment.
2/09/24
Peter Pacheco, also of JLC, won his trial as well. The county petitioned to terminate his client’s reunification services. However, after trial, thanks to Peter’s efforts, the judge ordered the children be returned to the client (the mother) on a family maintenance plan.
12/21/23
JLC’s Annette Smurr and Chineme Anyadiegwu worked a case together wherein Chineme prepped the case and Annette handled the trial. The county was recommending that their client be bypassed for reunification services but after prevailing on a number of the counts during trial, the judge ruled that providing reunification services to their client (the mother) would be in the best interest of the child.
12/21/23
MAD’s CDA, Bonnie Bitter, in order to help out the Fresno office, took over one of their very many murder cases. She took the case to jury trial and today, her jury hung on both the PC 187 charge as well as the PC 245(a)(2).
12/08/23
Congratulations to the Fresno Wheel’s Linden Lindahl for a terrific jury trial result. His client was charged in Count 1 with a felony assault with gun and GBI enhancements and in Count 2 with a felon in possession of a firearm. The jury’s verdict reflected what Linden argued for which was a NOT GUILTY on the assault charge but guilty on the felon in possession charge.
12/06/23
Congratulations to the Merced Office’s Mark Siegel who earned a NOT GUILTY on his attempted murder jury trial. The jury hung on the lesser of assault with a deadly weapon.
12/06/23
JLC’s Brenda Hook just concluded a very sad trial wherein her client’s one-year old drowned. The Department filed 4 allegations against the client and requested that services not be offered. After hearing the evidence along with Brenda’s strong advocacy, 3 of the 4 allegations were found Not True and the judge ordered that reunification services be provided to the client.
11/16/23
The Merced Office’s CDA, Doug Foster, earned a complete acquittal in his murder trial. After the prosecution rested, Doug prevailed on his 1118.1 motion leading the PC 187 charge against his client getting dismissed. Thanks to Doug’s efforts, his client walks out of the jail today.
11/15/23
ADO’s Leah Alvarez prevailed on Motion to Suppress that led to the felony charges of H&S 11370.1, PC 29800(a)(1), PC 25400(a)(1) and PC 258(a) getting dismissed against her client. Her client was pulled over not having a license plate; however, the Judge agreed wit Leah’s argument and noted that “it’s perplexing that the cops could see no license plate in the dark, but they were unable to see the DMV sticker for the new car in the brightly lit gas station as they drove past the defendant.”
10/28/23
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