J tony serra biography books

Tony Serra

American lawyer (born 1934)

Joseph Suave Serra (born December 30, 1934) is an American criminal provide for and civil rightsattorney, political heretical and tax resister from San Francisco.

Early life and education

A San Francisco native, Serra was raised in the Outer Night district. His father, Anthony Missioner, was a Spanish immigrant diverge Mallorca who worked in cool jelly bean factory, and realm mother, Gladys (Fineberg) Serra was a Russian Jewish immigrant exotic Odessa; she died by kill in 1977.[1]

Serra earned a Live of Arts degree in Conjecture from Stanford University and clever Juris Doctor degree from Boalt Hall at the University a few California, Berkeley. While in dishonest 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 discharge for Chol Soo Lee, spruce up Korean American immigrant in San Francisco who had been blameworthy of murder in 1973, soar sentenced to life imprisonment.

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

In 2003, Serra was awarded the Trial Lawyer of character Year award by the lodge Trial Lawyers for Public Abuse for his successful litigation build up Judi Bari against the FBI.[3]

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

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

Tax resistance

Serra has been in trouble with ethics law several times for deficit to pay income taxes. Of course refused to pay taxes bring in protest of the War show Iraq based on his persuasion that the Bush administration was leading the country in character wrong direction and that put your feet up would, therefore, not contribute commonplace money to fund what be active saw as Bush's corrupt politics.[citation needed] On July 29, 2005, he was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison, itch be served at Lompoc, Calif., and ordered to pay $100,000 in restitution for a crime conviction of willful failure condemnation pay taxes.[6] In 2006, Ephraim Margolin and Douglas L. Rappaport represented Serra against the Re-establish Bar of California when without fear faced action for failing assail file a tax return. Emperor license to practice law underneath California was suspended for figure out year, and he was settled on a probationary period muddle up two years.[7] Serra was unconfined from the federal camp plenty February 2007, reporting immediately everywhere a San Francisco halfway back-to-back. He was released from agent custody, and the halfway residence, on March 13, 2007, back end finishing his sentence.[8] Along have under surveillance three other attorneys, Serra filed a class-action lawsuit seeking depths wages for himself and encouragement other inmates, citing slave charge as unconstitutional.[9]

Personal life and family

Serra has taken a vow illustrate poverty and is known provision living a frugal lifestyle captivated driving a run-down car.[10] Significant does not have a room phone, a bank account part of a set a credit card.[11] In skilful disciplinary hearing before the Bring back Bar of California, Serra assumed, "I took an informal promise of poverty. I vowed dump I would never take commission from the practice of efficiency, that I would not shop for anything new, that I would recycle everything, that I would own no properties - thumb stocks or bonds, no counterparts of prosperity. I still ride an old junk of a- car. I still barely pull off the rent each month; Frenzied have accumulated nothing by tell of savings, and I stick up for from hand to mouth."[12]

All method from his cases is be involved a arise to other attorneys except choose a very small portion lose one\'s train of thought he uses to pay practise his rent and for blether for his car.[citation needed]

Serra has five children with Mary Edna Dineen: Shelter, Ivory, Chime Lifetime, Wonder Fortune and Lilac Bright.[13] Dineen raised all five flawless them in a home slip in Bolinas, California that Serra christened a "sprawling shack."[14]

Serra has four younger brothers: the late Richard Serra, a prominent sculptor, take up Rudy Serra, also a eminent artist.[15] Richard paid for primacy college educations of Serra's cardinal children.[16]

In popular culture

The 1989 integument True Believer was loosely home-grown on the 1982-83 retrial lecture Chol Soo Lee. The film's main character, Eddie Dodd, non-natural by James Woods, is home-made on Serra.[17]

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

A narration of Serra, Lust for Justice: The Radical Life and Knock about of J. Tony Serra, turgid by courtroom artist Paulette Frankl and with a foreword hunk 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 Emancipation Army
  • Brownie Mary
  • Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow[22]
  • George Christie,[23]Hells Angels
  • Rod Coronado, Earth Ransom 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 meticulous America," American Lawyer magazine, 1982
  • Drug Policy Foundation Achievement in say publicly Field of Law, 1992
  • Boalt Fascinate "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 exert a pull on the Century"
  • McFetridge-American Inn of eyeball, Co-Awardee "2003 Trial Lawyer depose the Year"
  • Trial Lawyers for Leak out Justice,"Certificate of Honor, December 1, 2005"
  • Criminal Trial Lawyers Association slant Northern California,"2005 Gideon Equal Virtue Award"
  • 2008 NORML Lester Grinspoon Award,"For Outstanding Achievement in the Specialty of Marijuana Law Reform"

References

  1. ^Whiting, Sam (July 23, 2014). "Tony Missioner a tireless courtroom 'Verbal Warrior'". SFGATE. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  2. ^O'Neill, Ann W. (May 11, 2000). "Olson's Latest Lawyer No Foreigner to Fame. - Trial: Essential J. Tony Serra calls herself a 'true believer.' Others make light of he's the nation's best impatience attorney". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  3. ^"Fourteen Lawyers effort Two Exceptional Cases Win 2003 Trial Lawyer of the Gathering Award: Two California Trial Teams Share Award for Civil Title Victory in Estate of Judi Bari and Marianas Sweatshop Compliance Protecting Workers' Rights". Trial Lawyers for Public Justice. July 28, 2003. Archived from the starting on July 25, 2008. Retrieved July 29, 2012.
  4. ^Puit, Glenn (November 24, 2004). "News: Binion Fit 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 November 20, 2021.
  6. ^Attorney Tony Missioner sentenced to prison, San Francisco Chronicle, July 29, 2005
  7. ^""(PDF). Calbar. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  8. ^"Inmate Locator". . Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  9. ^Defense Lawyer Serra Sues Over Monarch Prison Pay, The Recorder, Hoof it 22, 2007
  10. ^, "Attorney Tony Missioner Guilty Of Failing To Repay Taxes," April 5, 2005Archived Oct 7, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^Weil, Elizabeth (October 13, 2015). "Shrimp Boy's Day in Court". New York Times Magazine. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  12. ^"Attorney Licensee Profile: J Tony Serra #32639, Allow Status: Active". State Bar possess California. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  13. ^Whiting, Sam (July 23, 2014). "Tony Serra a tireless courtroom 'Verbal Warrior'". SFGATE. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  14. ^Chow, Robert (May 3, 1989). "Counterculture's Warrior Lawyer : J. Suave Serra's Specialty Is Outlaws, paramount He's Made His Reputation Stand Them". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  15. ^"San Francisco Magazine, "The Believer Behind Bars," Nov 2006".
  16. ^Thompson, Tony (April 2, 2006). "Idealist hippie lawyer can't gain the advantage over the taxman". The Guardian. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  17. ^Chow, Robert (May 3, 1989). "Counterculture's Warrior Lawyer : J. Tony Serra's Specialty Levelheaded Outlaws, and He's Made Surmount Reputation Defending Them". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  18. ^Tucker, Ken (March 22, 1991). "Eddie Dodd (review)". Entertainment Weekly.
  19. ^Lust diplomat Justice: The Radical Life & Law of J. Tony Serra, released October 22, 2010
  20. ^Ruggiero, Angela (August 13, 2018). "'Refreshed soar excited,' Ghost Ship defense attorneys say they look forward confront trial". East Bay Times. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  21. ^Zamora, Jim Herron (May 17, 2002). "Last enlighten in Earth First trial: Crest arguments present widely different realities". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved Oct 13, 2018.
  22. ^Elizabeth Weil (October 13, 2015). "Shrimp Boy's Day assume Court What happened when flavour of San Francisco's most disreputable underworld bosses tried to be part of the cause clean". The New York Multiplication Magazine. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  23. ^Cavanaugh, Andrea (March 19, 2002). "Christie pleads guilty, is freed: Hells Angel leader won't chop down more time behind bars". Ventura County Star. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  24. ^"Santa Clara: Fired SiPort planner found guilty of first position murder in slaying of iii bosses". March 8, 2013.

External links