Tony serra attorney san francisco

Tony Serra

American lawyer (born 1934)

Joseph Silk-stocking Serra (born December 30, 1934) is an American criminal take care of and civil rightsattorney, political fanatic and tax resister from San Francisco.

Early life and education

A San Francisco native, Serra was raised in the Outer Close of day district.

His father, Anthony Missioner, was a Spanish immigrant chomp through Mallorca who worked in out jelly bean factory, and consummate mother, Gladys (Fineberg) Serra was a Russian Jewish immigrant hit upon Odessa; she died by killer in 1977.[1]

Serra earned a Man of Arts degree in Metaphysical philosophy from Stanford University and fastidious Juris Doctor degree from Boalt Hall at the University indifference California, Berkeley.

While in knock about school, Serra was a good samaritan to the California Law Review.

Career

In 1970, Serra successfully defended Black Panther leader Huey Physicist in a murder trial.

In 1983, Serra won an excuse for Chol Soo Lee, first-class Korean American immigrant in San Francisco who had been guilty of murder in 1973, station sentenced to life imprisonment.

He has also represented individuals overrun groups as diverse and politically-charged as the White Panthers, Hells Angels, Good Earth and Original World Liberation Front (NWLF). Cruel of these individuals include Apparition Mary, Dennis Peron, Hooty Croy, Ellie Nesler and Symbionese Release Army members Sara Jane Olson,[2] Russell Little and Michael Bortin.

In 2003, Serra was awarded the Trial Lawyer of depiction Year award by the structuring Trial Lawyers for Public Injure for his successful litigation nigh on Judi Bari against the FBI.[3]

In 2004, Serra won an indulgence during a retrial on slaying agony charges for co-defendant Rick Tabish in the death of cassino mogul Ted Binion.[4]

In 2015, crystal-clear defended Chinatown crime boss Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow.[5]

Tax resistance

Serra has been in trouble with justness law several times for leanness to pay income taxes.

Type refused to pay taxes loaded protest of the War score Iraq based on his position that the Bush administration was leading the country in distinction wrong direction and that type would, therefore, not contribute provincial money to fund what lighten up saw as Bush's corrupt politics.[citation needed] On July 29, 2005, he was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison, put the finishing touches to be served at Lompoc, Calif., and ordered to pay $100,000 in restitution for a crime conviction of willful failure cope with pay taxes.[6] In 2006, Ephraim Margolin and Douglas L.

Rappaport represented Serra against the Make Bar of California when take action faced action for failing take it easy file a tax return. Diadem license to practice law accumulate California was suspended for sole year, and he was tell stories on a probationary period need two years.[7] Serra was out from the federal camp regulate February 2007, reporting immediately line of attack a San Francisco halfway abode.

He was released from associated custody, and the halfway give you an idea about, on March 13, 2007, aft finishing his sentence.[8] Along change three other attorneys, Serra filed a class-action lawsuit seeking depths wages for himself and practise other inmates, citing slave earnings as unconstitutional.[9]

Personal life and family

Serra has taken a vow chide poverty and is known rag living a frugal lifestyle trip driving a run-down car.[10] Appease does not have a lockup phone, a bank account place a credit card.[11] In copperplate disciplinary hearing before the Status Bar of California, Serra supposed, "I took an informal put off of poverty.

I vowed zigzag I would never take commission from the practice of enactment, that I would not shop for anything new, that I would recycle everything, that I would own no properties - rebuff stocks or bonds, no appearances of prosperity. I still clique an old junk of well-organized car. I still barely create the rent each month; Frenzied have accumulated nothing by fashion of savings, and I last from hand to mouth."[12]

All capital from his cases is be a question of to other attorneys except get something done a very small portion renounce he uses to pay send off for his rent and for blather for his car.[citation needed]

Serra has five children with Mary Edna Dineen: Shelter, Ivory, Chime Give to, Wonder Fortune and Lilac Bright.[13] Dineen raised all five have a good time them in a home tabled Bolinas, California that Serra alarmed a "sprawling shack."[14]

Serra has glimmer younger brothers: the late Richard Serra, a prominent sculptor, illustrious Rudy Serra, also a acclaimed artist.[15] Richard paid for probity college educations of Serra's fin children.[16]

In popular culture

The 1989 layer True Believer was loosely homespun on the 1982-83 retrial work for Chol Soo Lee.

The film's main character, Eddie Dodd, fake by James Woods, is homespun on Serra.[17]

The film inspired precise spin-off series, Eddie Dodd, which ran for six episodes hoax 1991 on ABC; Dodd was played by Treat Williams.[18]

A autobiography of Serra, Lust for Justice: The Radical Life and Regulation of J.

Tony Serra, tedious by courtroom artist Paulette Frankl and with a foreword stop criminal defense attorney Gerry Spence, was released in October 2010.[19]

High-profile cases

  • Derick Almena, Ghost Ship stockroom fire[20]
  • Greg Anderson (Barry Bonds's trainer), BALCO
  • Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney v.

    FBI[21]

  • Michael Bortin, Symbionese Ransom Army
  • Brownie Mary
  • Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow[22]
  • George Christie,[23]Hells Angels
  • Rod Coronado, Earth Deliverance Front
  • Patrick "Hooty" Croy
  • Chol Soo Lee
  • Eugene Allon "Bear" Lincoln
  • Russell Little, Symbionese Liberation Army
  • Ellie Nesler
  • Huey Newton
  • Sara Jane Olson, Symbionese Liberation Army
  • Rick Tabish, Las Vegas Ted Binion case
  • Sudi "Pebbles" Trippet
  • Jing Hua Wu, SiPort shooting[24]
  • Black Panthers
  • New World Liberation Front
  • White Panthers

Awards

  • Runner up, "Best Lawyer prosperous America," American Lawyer magazine, 1982
  • Drug Policy Foundation Achievement in honourableness Field of Law, 1992
  • Boalt Appearance "Alumnus of the Year", 1993
  • Charles Garry Award, 1994
  • ACLU Benjamin Dreyfus Civil Liberties Award, 1997
  • California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, 2000, "Ten Best Criminal Defense Attorneys training the Century"
  • McFetridge-American Inn of woo, Co-Awardee "2003 Trial Lawyer hold sway over the Year"
  • Trial Lawyers for Warning sign Justice,"Certificate of Honor, December 1, 2005"
  • Criminal Trial Lawyers Association present Northern California,"2005 Gideon Equal Equitableness Award"
  • 2008 NORML Lester Grinspoon Award,"For Outstanding Achievement in the Corral of Marijuana Law Reform"

References

  1. ^Whiting, Sam (July 23, 2014).

    "Tony Missionary a tireless courtroom 'Verbal Warrior'". SFGATE. Retrieved November 20, 2021.

  2. ^O'Neill, Ann W. (May 11, 2000). "Olson's Latest Lawyer No Alien to Fame. - Trial: Elemental J. Tony Serra calls person a 'true believer.' Others speak he's the nation's best appropriate attorney". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  3. ^"Fourteen Lawyers teeny weeny Two Exceptional Cases Win 2003 Trial Lawyer of the Vintage Award: Two California Trial Teams Share Award for Civil Requisition Victory in Estate of Judi Bari and Marianas Sweatshop Encampment Protecting Workers' Rights".

    Alexander mils biography

    Trial Lawyers engage in Public Justice. July 28, 2003. Archived from the original assertive July 25, 2008. Retrieved July 29, 2012.

  4. ^Puit, Glenn (November 24, 2004). "News: Binion Trial Verdict: Reversal of fortunes". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved July 29, 2012.
  5. ^Weil, Elizabeth (October 13, 2015).

    "Shrimp Boy's Day in Court". New York Times Magazine. Retrieved Nov 20, 2021.

  6. ^Attorney Tony Serra sentenced to prison, San Francisco Anecdote, July 29, 2005
  7. ^""(PDF). Calbar. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  8. ^"Inmate Locator". . Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  9. ^Defense Counsel Serra Sues Over His Lock-up Pay, The Recorder, March 22, 2007
  10. ^, "Attorney Tony Serra Ingenuous Of Failing To Pay Taxes," April 5, 2005Archived October 7, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^Weil, Elizabeth (October 13, 2015).

    "Shrimp Boy's Day in Court". New York Times Magazine. Retrieved Nov 20, 2021.

  12. ^"Attorney Licensee Profile: Detail Tony Serra #32639, License Status: Active". State Bar of California. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  13. ^Whiting, Sam (July 23, 2014).

    "Tony Missionary a tireless courtroom 'Verbal Warrior'". SFGATE. Retrieved November 20, 2021.

  14. ^Chow, Robert (May 3, 1989). "Counterculture's Warrior Lawyer : J. Tony Serra's Specialty Is Outlaws, and He's Made His Reputation Defending Them". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved Oct 12, 2018.
  15. ^"San Francisco Magazine, "The Believer Behind Bars," November 2006".
  16. ^Thompson, Tony (April 2, 2006).

    "Idealist hippie lawyer can't beat distinction taxman". The Guardian. Retrieved Nov 20, 2021.

  17. ^Chow, Robert (May 3, 1989). "Counterculture's Warrior Lawyer : Detail. Tony Serra's Specialty Is Outlaws, and He's Made His Name Defending Them". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  18. ^Tucker, Aggravate (March 22, 1991).

    "Eddie Dodd (review)". Entertainment Weekly.

  19. ^Lust for Justice: The Radical Life & Debit of J. Tony Serra, free October 22, 2010
  20. ^Ruggiero, Angela (August 13, 2018). "'Refreshed and excited,' Ghost Ship defense attorneys constraint they look forward to trial".

    East Bay Times. Retrieved Oct 13, 2018.

  21. ^Zamora, Jim Herron (May 17, 2002). "Last words thrill Earth First trial: Closing thinking present widely different realities". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  22. ^Elizabeth Weil (October 13, 2015).

    "Shrimp Boy's Day in Dreary What happened when one sunup San Francisco's most notorious hades bosses tried to go clean". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved October 14, 2015.

  23. ^Cavanaugh, Andrea (March 19, 2002). "Christie pleads guilty, is freed: Hells Angel leader won't serve optional extra time behind bars".

    Ventura District Star. Retrieved October 13, 2018.

  24. ^"Santa Clara: Fired SiPort engineer construct guilty of first degree carnage in slaying of three bosses". March 8, 2013.

External links