Elder Abuse cases

          An elder abuse trial can be just as difficult, if not more difficult, than a child abuse trial.  Jurors come to the trial with a predisposition to convict just because of the nature of the charges.

           Addison has done an elder abuse trial that wasn't just an elder abuse case but was an accusation of attempted murder of an elder.  His client was acquitted of all charges despite a prosecution witness who testified that she saw his client "manhandling" his mother.  The jurors came away (as can be seen in the article below) angry that the district attorney had even filed the charges.

          Addison's elder abuse trial success and experience include:

Albert C., RIF129534

• Charges: Attempted murder (Penal Code § 187(a)), elder abuse (Penal Code § 368(b)(1)) and terrorist threats (Penal Code § 422).
• Exposure: Al was facing eighteen years to life in prison.
• Outcome: Found not guilty of all charges.
• Al was featured in a large exposé article on how many trials the district attorney was losing.
  

• Trials become an attractive option, Richard K. De Atley, The Press-Enterprise, front page A1, October 13, 2007.

   "Albert L. Cobb, 66, of Riverside, was acquitted in March on all counts, including attempted murder. Prosecutors said he tried to suffocate his mother, who was in her 80s.

. . .

   The incident stemmed from a confrontation in an assisted living home, said Steele, who represented Cobb. Jurors heard medical testimony that the mother's bruises were age-related, that she had cognitive impairment and that she could be combative with her own son.

. . .

  Cobb was one of five of Steele's clients who have been acquitted on all charges in Riverside County since 2003."

This is the exposé article in which Al's case was featured.

This is the Verdict Form where Al was found NOT GUILTY of elder abuse.

• Have you done an elder abuse trial before?
• This question is important because an elder abuse trial involves complex legal concepts and knowledge of the case law on the subject.
• I have done an elder abuse trial that was actually an attempted murder of an elder, and my client was acquitted of all charges.
• What were the results of your elder abuse trials?
• This question is important because, in an elder abuse trial, there are so many ways to fight hard and attack the district attorney's case. If an attorney has won an elder abuse trial, the attorney has the experience and skills to handle the level of complexity involved in an elder abuse trial.
• Addison has won an attempted murder of an elder trial.  If you find another attorney who has done such a serious elder abuse trial and won, hire that person.  If you want the best possible chance of winning, you should contact Addison.
• Do you train other lawyers in your techniques for winning elder abuse trials?
• This question is important because, typically, only the leading lawyers in a field are invited to conduct training of other lawyers.
• Addison was a speaker at the California Public Defenders Association (CPDA) homicide defense training in 2011 to train on his winning trials by humanizing the client method.  I have also given that same training at the Riverside County Public Defenders Office, the Riverside County Barristers, the Santa Clara County Public Defenders Office, the Santa Barbara County Public Defenders Office, and the San Francisco County Public Defenders Office. I was a speaker at the CPDA homicide defense training in 2012 to train on utilizing a neuropsychologist in a homicide case. The skills that I teach to other lawyers are easily utilized in an elder abuse trial.
• How long were the elder abuse trials you've done, and how many days of defense did you present?
• These questions are important because although some cases just call for a short trial, a short trial can also mean that the prosecution was not sufficiently challenged or that no defense was presented. An elder abuse trial that lasts five or so court days is reason for concern because it's an indicator that the prosecution is not being thoroughly challenged and a complete defense is not being presented.
• I have spent nine court days in an elder abuse trial. I have had success in an elder abuse trial that is really unparalleled.