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Category Archives: Lawyers

Thuan Van Nguyen sentenced for sexually assaulting woman during acupressure

Posted on by Posted in Courts, Crime, Lawyers, Orange County, Santa Ana, Uncategorized, Vietnamese Leave a comment

Thuan Van Nguyen, Photo Courtesy of the SAPD

TONY RACKAUCKAS, ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Date: August 5, 2011
Susan Kang Schroeder, Office: 714-347-8408, Cell: 714-292-2718
Chief of Staff Farrah Emami, Spokesperson, Office: 714-347-8405, Cell: 714-323-4486

Case # 10CM07420: MAN SENTENCED FOR SEXUALLY ASSAULTING WOMAN WHILE PRETENDING TO GIVE ACUPRESSURE THERAPY

SANTA ANA – A man was sentenced today for sexually assaulting a woman in his Santa Ana home under the pretense of
performing acupressure therapy. Thuan Van Nguyen, 56, Santa Ana, was found guilty by a jury July 13, 2011, of one
misdemeanor count of sexual battery by fraud and two misdemeanor counts of sexual battery. He was sentenced to 180
days in jail, three years formal probation, and is required to register as a sex offender. Continue reading→

Correa and Rackackaus go after massage parlor prostitution with SB 285

Posted on by Posted in California, Civic Affairs, Courts, Lawyers, Lou Correa, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 5 Comments

Senator Lou Correa’s Office & Orange County District Attorney

Press Release, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 2, 2011

John Scribner, Capitol Director, Senator Lou Correa’s Office, 916-651-4034
Susan Kang Schroeder, Chief of Staff, Orange County District Attorney, 714-347-8408, 714-292-2718
Farrah Emami, Spokesperson, Orange County District Attorney, 714-347-8405, 714-323-4486

CALIFORNIA PASSES ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING LEGISLATION TARGETING SALE OF FRAUDULENT MASSAGE DIPLOMAS AS FRONT FOR FORCED PROSTITUTION Continue reading→

Has the City of Santa Ana suspended its city manager search?

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Claudia Alvarez, Dave Ream, David Benavides, Latinos, Lawyers, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Santa Ana 12 Comments

Several sources in and around Santa Ana’s City Hall are reporting that the City of Santa Ana has suspended their search for a new city manager.  I am told that this was also conveyed to a reporter from the Voice of OC today.  However, another source reported that there is no suspension.  The truth is likely somewhere in between…

My sources said that an argument will be made that conducting a national search for a new city manager is too expensive and that we ought to just roll with interim City Manager Paul Walters, who also serves as our Chief of Police, to save money.

The downside of this however is that the defacto city manager is now none other than longtime assistant to the last city manager, Jill Arthur.  Apparently Walters is leaning on her a lot – and she is now effectively running the 8th floor. Continue reading→

Santa Ana father on trial for shaking his 2-month old baby daughter to death

Posted on by Posted in Courts, Lawyers, Orange County, Public Safety, Santa Ana 2 Comments

Booking Photo of Christian Trinidad Gonzalez courtesy of the O.C. District Attorney’s office

TONY RACKAUCKAS, District Attorney

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Date: July 19, 2011

Susan Kang Schroeder, Office: 714-347-8408, Cell: 714-292-2718
Chief of Staff Farrah Emami, Spokesperson, Office: 714-347-8405, Cell: 714-323-4486

Case # 09CF0705: FATHER FACES TRIAL FOR MURDERING 2-MONTH-OLD BABY DAUGHTER BY THROWING AND SHAKING HER Continue reading→

Santa Ana City Council at odds over next City Attorney

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Latinos, Lawyers, Miguel Pulido, Santa Ana 9 Comments

I got a call earlier today from a fellow who is very tight with various elements at the Santa Ana City Hall, regarding the search for our next City Attorney. He gave me the name of the Latina he said was going to get the job, and I ran with it – only to get a call later from another City Hall insider saying that the candidate in question was not yet on board, and I needed to pull my post.

So I did. However, I am being told that we are down to two candidates – a Latina who works at a public entity in a very large city, and a Filipino candidate from Los Angeles. Continue reading→

A Latina is in the running to be the next Santa Ana City Attorney

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Latinos, Lawyers, Santa Ana, Women 7 Comments

The city of Santa Ana has made an offer to a candidate for its vacant city attorney position and is awaiting acceptance of the offer, according to City Hall sources, as reported by the Voice of OC Blog.

My own insiders are reporting that the next Santa Ana City Attorney is going to be a Latina candidate.  I don’t know her name yet but I will soon enough and then we will update this post. Continue reading→

Wayne Quint hired by CA Attorney General Kamala Harris

Posted on by Posted in California, Democratic Party, Labor, Lawyers, Politics, Santa Ana 2 Comments

Press Release: June 02, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: (415) 703-5837

Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Announces Top Law Enforcement Appointments

SAN FRANCISCO – Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced a series of appointments to senior law enforcement positions in the Department of Justice.

Larry J. Wallace, a 25-year-veteran of law enforcement, serves as director of the Division of Law Enforcement. He is the first African-American to hold this position in the California Department of Justice. In this role, Wallace has day-to-day oversight of the department’s $238 million budget, 437 special agents, 281 criminalists, and 693 non-sworn personnel. Wallace most recently served as the deputy chief of the bureau of investigations for the San Francisco district attorney’s office. He began his law enforcement career in 1987 with the Berkeley Police Department, where he was named Officer of the Year and awarded the Medal of Valor. Wallace also worked for 10 years as a special agent with the San Francisco Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement.

Wayne J. Quint, Jr., a 29-year-veteran of law enforcement, will serve as assistant for external affairs to Director Wallace. For the past 12 years, he has served as president of the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs. Quint is the longest-serving president in the history of the California Coalition of Law Enforcement Agencies, which represents more than 40 public safety organizations and 80,000 statewide peace officers. He retired as sergeant after 29 years with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

Jerry Szymanski, who spent 37 years with the Los Angeles Police Department and retired as a commander, will serve as assistant for evidence-based law enforcement to Director Wallace. He led LAPD’s Narcotics, Commercial Crimes and Burglary-Auto Theft divisions and helped reduce crime in the city to historic low levels by setting realistic goals and objectives, using best practices and measuring results with COMPSTAT, an accountability process. Szymanski also served as second-in-command to deliver police services in the San Fernando Valley.

Christopher Cunnie, a 30-year-veteran of law enforcement and retired undersheriff of San Francisco, will serve as a special advisor for labor and law enforcement to Attorney General Harris. Cunnie, who has 17 years of experience as a patrol officer with the San Francisco Police Department, is a past president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association (1996-2004). Prior to serving as undersheriff, he was chief of investigations for the San Francisco district attorney’s office and director of the San Francisco Emergency Communications Department. He has received two Medals of Valor and the Labor Lifetime Achievement award from the Golden Badge Foundation.

Suzy Loftus is a veteran prosecutor who specialized in domestic violence, elder abuse and firearms cases in the San Francisco district attorney’s office and served on the San Francisco district attorney’s executive staff. In her current role, Loftus serves as a special assistant attorney general, working on criminal law issues and public safety policy, as well as serving as the office’s primary liaison to local, state and federal law enforcement offices.

# # #

The Brown Act: 50 years of keeping taxpayers informed

Posted on by Posted in Courts, Entertainment, Lawyers, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 1 Comment

“50 Years of Keeping Taxpayers Informed: The Brown Act ”

Speaker: Nick Chrisos, Esq., County Counsel for the County of Orange – The Lawyer to “Orange County”

Please join us for our next installment in our series “Your Top Government Lawyers.” Our speaker and honorary will be Nick Chrisos, Esq. Nick was appointed County Counsel by the Orange County Board of Supervisors in 2009 and he heads the county’s team of lawyers. He is an expert on the rules of open government and transparency. You will not want to miss his presentation.

When: 12:00-1:30
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Lunch served promptly

Where: South Coast Winery Restaurant (3608 Bristol, Santa Ana).  Corner of Bristol & MacArthur.

RSVP: Online or nparikh@law.whittier.edu

Keith E. Rodenhuis
President, Whittier Law School Alumni Assoc.
Orange County Chapter

Nick Chrisos, Esq.
COUNTY COUNSEL, County of Orange

As the head of the County’s civil litigation team, Chrisos manages the legal advisement and representation for The County of Orange, the Orange County Board of Supervisors and all 24 Orange County departments and agencies.

June – Deborah Kwast, Esq., Orange County Public Defender

A voice for the poor, the Orange County Public Defender provides legal representation to those unable to afford a lawyer in criminal, juvenile, mental health and dependency cases. Today over 185 Orange County Deputy Public Defenders, Alternate Defenders and Associate Defenders, with the support of Investigators, Paralegals and Clerical staff, provide legal representation in approximately 65,000 cases annually.

Event Info
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Noon – 1:30 (Lunch served promptly)
South Coast Winery Restaurant
(Corner of Bristol & MacArthur)

Do you know someone worthy of Legal Leader Award?

In 2009 I created the Legal Leaders Award so we could honor attorneys who have made significant contributions in the area of law and/or distinguished themselves in their area of legal practice. Over the past two years the OC Chapter of the Whittier Law School Alumni Assoc. has hosted and recognized an impressive list of judges, elected officials and prominent attorneys – as our list grows in stature, so does our ability to attract high profile speakers and honorees. If you know of someone that fits the mold of a Legal Leader and is willing to be recognized by our law school alumni please contact me so they can be considered. Working together we can ensure the continued success of our Legal Leaders lunches.

Sincerely,
Keith Rodenhuis
Alumni President, OC Chapter
Whittier College School of Law

Find out how to stop Santa Ana’s unjust towing of immigrants’ cars, on May 12

Posted on by Posted in automobiles, Civic Affairs, Civil Rights, Entertainment, immigration, Labor, Latino Leaders, Latinos, Lawyers, Santa Ana 6 Comments

The Orange County May Day Coalition presents:

CHANGING YOUR CITY’S UNJUST VEHICLE CHECKPOINT & IMPOUNDMENT POLICIES

A free training for community-based organizations, conducted by Lucero Chavez, esq.

Thursday, May 12, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
SEIU Office: 1200 North Main St. (at Washington), Ste. 900, Santa Ana

This training is designed to provide advocates with tools that have helped other communities carry out successful campaigns to change their city’s checkpoint and car impoundment policies. We will

  • review relevant cases and vehicle codes that provide the basis for the authority of the police to have checkpoints and impound cars,
  • identify ways to get information on current policies in your city,
  • look at how checkpoints are funded,
  • review key recommendations made in other cities,
  • review provisions of existing policies in other cities,
  • go over existing Know Your Rights information, and
  • review checkpoint observing tools and data collection strategies.

This invitation is extended to community-based organizations from diverse fields — including immigration, labor, faith, and criminal justice — interested in working change unjust vehicle impoundment policies in their communities. This training is not intended for the general public. This training is not open to government officials or members of the media.

Light refreshments provided. Space is limited.

LUCERO CHAVEZ is an immigrant rights attorney with the ACLU of Southern CA based in Orange County. The ACLU of Southern CA opened its Orange County satellite office in 2005. The ACLU is non-profit organization that focuses its resources on impact litigation as well as policy advocacy. As an immigrants rights attorney, Lucero focuses on informal and formal local enforcement of federal immigration laws. On the issue of car impoundments and checkpoints she has worked with PICO CA affiliates, bay area, central valley, and inland empire groups, as well as local communities. She is also a part of the statewide coalition of advocates pushing for legislative change on the car impoundment issue in Sacramento.

Click here to RSVP on Facebook.

Santa Ana reactionaries’ OBP tower lawsuit to be heard on May 12

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Development, Lawyers, Neighborhood Associations, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The same reactionaries who sued Santa Ana over the Station District development, costing our taxpayers thousands of dollars in the process, are at it again – this time calling themselves the “Coalition for Accountable Government Ethics,” or CAGE.  They are suing over the One Broadway Plaza tower – which is being developed by Mike Harrah.

There is going to be a hearing on May 12, regarding their request that a judge overturn the amended developer agreement that Harrah worked out with the Santa Ana City Council last year.  Their argument appears to be that the matter should have gone back to the voters, who approved the OBP development a few years ago, at the ballot box, via Measure A.

This project would create thousands of jobs and insert millions of dollars into Santa Ana’s economy – but apparently that does not matter to the bitter CAGE litigants – who lost at the ballot box and now want to overturn the will of the people, at court.

Here is more info from CAGE’s attorney:

Date: Friday, May 6, 2011, 12:57 AM
Good evening everyone,

The details for the OBP (One Broadway Plaza, 37 story building) hearing before Judge Hunt is below (as provided by Wildish and Nialis attorneys.). The hearing is on May 12 (a Thursday). Feel free to attend and listen to the argument on both sides first hand.

CAGE’s attorney will first oppose an attempt by the city to add a letter (from Harrah) to the administrative record that purports to document his request to the city to amend the development agreement. Following that decision (and at the same hearing) the Judge will likely rule on the lawsuit (whether the City Council had the right to amend the OBP development agreement minus a vote of the public). CAGE asserts the City does not have the right to amend the DA without first asking the public (since it originally approved the project and the DA as part of the special election held in early 2005).

Thank you again everyone for your continued support.

OBP HEARING Information

Hearing on the Petition for Writ, and Motion to Augment Admin. Record has been reset for May 12, 2011 at 8:30 a.m. in Dept. C-24 before Judge Hunt. Please mark your calendars accordingly. Thank you!

Regards,

Denni Coslett
Legal Assistant to DANIEL R. WILDISH, ESQ.
500 N. State College Blvd., Ste. 1200
Orange, CA 92868
Tel: (714) 634-8001 Fax: (714) 634-3869

Lacy group that sued Santa Ana can’t give away a free multi-family building

Posted on by Posted in Affordable Housing, Civic Affairs, Development, Lawyers, Neighborhood Associations, Real Estate, Redevelopment, Santa Ana 7 Comments

The litigious Santa Ana residents who sued the City of Santa Ana, ostensibly to save a few questionably historic homes in the proposed “Station District” are now having a heck of a time giving away one of the “multi-family buildings,” which is an old motor court, which will be otherwise demolished.

It is worth noting that this group, the “Friends of the Lacy Neighborhood,” cost Santa Ana residents thousands of dollars with their ridiculous lawsuit against our City.  The net result?  Instead of building new affordable homes, as was originally proposed in the Station District development plan, we are now stuck with a bunch of old homes that will need a ton of repairs.

That’s right – Santa Ana’s taxpayers took one in the shorts, thanks to this Lacy group, and the folks who will eventually live in these dilapidated homes could have had new homes but will now get stuck in old homes no one wants.

The Lacy litigants were able to get the word out about their free home that on one wants on one of their affiliated websites:

Attention lovers and preservationists of old homes and buildings:

Have we got a deal for you!

The Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society, in our efforts to support the preservation of Santa Ana’s beautiful, historic buildings, would like to bring to your attention an immediate opportunity to save a beautiful motor court in the Lacy neighborhood!

On behalf of the Friends of the Lacy Historic Neighborhood:

Good morning everyone,

Last week the Friends of the Historic Lacy Neighborhoods settled its lawsuit with the City of Santa Ana over the demolition of numerous vintage homes in that neighborhood (south of Santa Ana Blvd, north of First Street, east of Mortimer and west of Garfield).

As a component of the settlement, the Friends agreed to City’s preservation of 10 old homes and the demolition of others. One of the structures to be razed is the vintage motor-court at 611 N. Minter.

This 13 unit building is scheduled to be razed after May 15, 2011. The group of small buildings is available, at no cost, to anyone interested in moving it, in whole or part, to another site.

Proposals for the accelerated time line need to be to the City before the end of the month. You can view pictures of the building at http://www.santa-ana.org/cda/multifamilybuildingforsale.asp.

The contact person at the City is Shelly Landry-Bayle. I only have a general number for the city from which you can be transferred to Shelly. That number is 714-647-6900.

We hoped to save these buildings for use as a public meeting area, artist village and small-business retail or student housing. Perhaps the buildings will find a similar use elsewhere in the city.

Colleen Williams
Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society
Dr. Willella Howe-Waffle House & Medical Museum
120 Civic Center Drive
Santa Ana CA 92701

Here is how this multi-family building was listed on the City of Santa Ana’s website before they took it down:

The Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Santa Ana (Agency) is the owner of a 13-unit, motor court style multifamily residential complex located at 605-611 N. Minter Street in the City of Santa Ana. All 13 are bachelor units. The complex was constructed in 1930, and is unoccupied.

The site needs to be cleared by May 15, 2011 in order to meet the timing requirements of the approved new construction project. The Agency is offering to transfer ownership of the buildings to an individual or group who can demonstrate that they have the resources and experience necessary to effectuate the removal by no later than May 15, 2011. Proposals must be submitted by no later than Wednesday, April 27 at 5:00 P.M. to the following:

Ms. Shelly Landry-Bayle
Housing and Neighborhoods Development Manager
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, M-37
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Proposals may be submitted by mail, courier, fax at (714) 667-2225 or e-mail at SantaAnaHousingdept@santa-ana.org.

Acceptable proposals will include the following:

  • Cover letter identifying the person or persons who would take possession of the buildings and assume responsibility for the move.
  • Resumes for all such persons demonstrating substantial experience in moving and rehabilitating residential structures.
  • Evidence of site control for a proposed receiver site, an analysis demonstrating that the site will be adequate for this purpose, and evidence of jurisdictional approval for this use.
  • Cost estimate for the move and evidence that the individual or group has immediate access to the required funds.
  • Timeline to move structures that include a 14 day public hearing notice prior to a May 2, 2011 City Council approval of the selected proposal.

Questions regarding this matter must be submitted by e-mail via the above link as soon as possible.

Former State Senator Joe Dunn to be honored today with 2011 Legal Leaders Award

Posted on by Posted in Democratic Party, Entertainment, Lawyers, Santa Ana Leave a comment

2nd Annual Legal Leaders Series, hosted by the Whittier Law School Alumni Association, presents: “Top Government Attorneys.”  Speaker: Hon. Joseph Dunn, Exec. Director of California Bar Association & Retired California State Senator

Greetings!  Please join me in recognizing the HONORABLE JOSEPH DUNN with a 2011 Legal Leaders Award.

When: 12:00-1:30
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Lunch served promptly

Where: South Coast Winery Restaurant (3608 Bristol, Santa Ana)
Corner of Bristol & MacArthur

RSVP: Online or nparikh@law.whittier.edu

Keith E. Rodenhuis
President, Whittier Law School Alumni Assoc.
Orange County Chapter

Hon. Joseph Dunn, Esq.

Joe Dunn currently serves as the Executive Director of the California State Bar and is a retired California State Senator from Orange County. When naming him to his most recent post, the State Bar said “as a veteran plaintiff’s lawyer and two-term state senator, Joe Dunn possesses the legal skills and political acumen indispensable for smoothing the waters between the State Bar and California’s legislative and executive branches. With the agency in Sacramento’s crosshairs, the new executive director leaves no doubt he’ll put public protection at the forefront of its regulatory activities.”

Click here for Dunn’s full bio.

Distinguished Legal Leader Award Recipients

2009

JUDGE JAMES GRAY, Retired
Hon. TONY RACKAUCKAS, OC District Attorney

2010

JUDGE SCOTT STEINER
JUDGE LON HURWITZ
JUDGE CHERI PHAM
JUDGE A. MANSSOURIAN

2011

Hon. SHAWN NELSON, OC Supervisor
Hon. JOSEPH DUNN, State Senator (Ret.)
Michael Schroeder, Esq.

CA Supreme Court rejects O.C. appeal on lawsuit regarding Deputy’s pensions

Posted on by Posted in California, Courts, Labor, Lawyers, Orange County, Politics, Public Safety, Republican Party, Santa Ana Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, April 13, 2011

FOR MORE INFORMATION: George Urch (714) 464-9125 (Cell)

CALIFORNIA STATE SUPREME COURT UNANIMOUSLY TURNS DOWN COUNTY OF ORANGE APPEAL ON LAWSUIT REGARDING DEPUTY SHERIFF PENSION ISSUE

After An Extremely Short Deliberation, All 6 State Supreme Court Justices Reject The County Of Orange’s Petition For Review Of Their Legal Case That Had Already Been Unanimously Tossed Out Of Both Appellate And Superior Court
SAN FRANCISCO – After taking only 6 working days to deliberate, the California State Supreme Court today unanimously rejected the County of Orange’s appeal of their lawsuit to overturn 3% at 50 pension benefits for Orange County Deputy Sheriffs (COUNTY OF ORANGE v. ASSOCIATION OF ORANGE COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFFS et al., Case #S191218).

The unanimous decision brings to a close an over three-year, $2.5+ million dollar legal effort by County Supervisor John Moorlach and his former Chief of Staff and “legal advisor,” Mario Mainero, to roll back the pensions of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs.

The County of Orange filed their controversial lawsuit in February 2008, despite having three different outside law firms they had hired for legal counsel, warn them they could not win such a case. They were thrown out of Superior Court twice in 2009 without even a trial and unanimously thrown out of Appellate Court on a 3 – 0 vote this last January.

All six of the State Supreme Court justices (there is presently one vacancy) were appointed by Republican governors. They had 90 days to decide whether to take the case up and formally review the Appellate Court’s decision. They came to a quick, unanimous decision in only 6 working days.

“The Board of Directors of AOCDS and I have been telling the County Board of Supervisors for almost four years now that they didn’t have a case and could not win such a lawsuit,” said Wayne Quint, President of the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs (AOCDS). “We repeatedly told them at every turn of their effort that they were wrong on the facts and wrong on the law.”

“John Moorlach and Mario Mainero owe the taxpayers of Orange County a formal apology. They have spent over $2.5 million in public funds on a political vendetta that their own attorneys told them right from the beginning they could not win.”

“The Deputy Sheriffs Association now plans to file in court for complete payment of our four years worth of attorneys fees for this frivolous, mean spirited lawsuit. By the time everything is over, the vindictive political judgment of John Moorlach and Mario Mainero will have cost the County a tremendous amount of time and money. It is both sad and unfortunate — and a textbook example of abuse of our legal system.”

###

O.C. Supervisor Shawn Nelson to receive Legal Leaders Award on Wed., Feb. 23

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Entertainment, Lawyers, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana, Shawn Nelson Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 22, 2011
Contact: Audra Adams, 714.834.3440, Audra.Adams@ocgov.com

Supervisor Nelson to Receive Legal Leaders Award

(Santa Ana) – Orange County Supervisor Shawn Nelson will be the first in this year’s series of rising government attorneys to be awarded the Whittier Law School Alumni Association’s Legal Leaders Award in appreciation of their contributions to the Orange County legal community.

The award will be presented during an event to be held Wednesday, February 23 from 12 – 1:30 p.m. at the South Coast Winery, 3608 Bristol, Santa Ana. The Whittier Law School Alumni Association’s spring Legal Leaders Series features selected government attorneys presenting information on topics of their choice. Supervisor Nelson’s topic is “The Civic Duties of an Attorney in Elected Office.”

Supervisor Nelson, a graduate of Western State University College of Law, represents the Fourth District and is the only attorney on the Board of Supervisors. He was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2010 after having served on the Fullerton City Council since November 2002. During his time on the City Council, he served as both the Mayor of Fullerton and as Mayor Pro Tem. He is also the managing partner in the Santa Ana law firm of Rizio and Nelson and is an arbitrator for the Orange County Bar Association.

# # #

Event Information:

“Top Government Attorneys”

Speaker: Hon. Shawn Nelson, Orange County Supervisor

Topic: The Civic Duties of an Attorney in Elected Office

Greetings!

Please join me tomorrow noon in honoring Orange County Supervisor Shawn Nelson with a 2011 Legal Leaders Award.

When: 12:00-1:30
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Lunch served promptly

Where: South Coast Winery Restaurant (3608 Bristol, Santa Ana)
Corner of Bristol & MacArthur

RSVP: Online or nparikh@law.whittier.edu

Keith E. Rodenhuis
President, Whittier Law School Alumni Assoc.
Orange County Chapter

Free Health Fair, on Sunday, Feb. 20, in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Charities, Civic Affairs, Entertainment, Health and Medical, Lawyers, Santa Ana, Working Families Leave a comment

The UCI Phi Delta Epsilon Medical Fraternity and the Orange County Legal Defenders are hosting a Free Health Fair, in Santa Ana, on Sunday, Feb. 20, from 8 am to 1 pm, at the law offices located at 1717 N. Broadway.

Medical services that will be provided for free include:

  • Vital signs checks
  • Blood tests
  • EKGs
  • Cholesterol and glucose tests
  • Pap Smear
  • Mammogram
  • Dental Consultations
  • And other services

Click here to read the event flyer.

Phi Delta Epsilon International Medical Fraternity creates physicians of integrity with a life-long commitment to our guiding principles of philanthropy, deity, and education through fellowship, service, mentoring, and formal training in leadership, science, and ethics.

In October of 1904, Aaron Brown and eight of his friends founded Phi Delta Epsilon at Cornell University Medical College. During the first decade of this century there were many doors closed to Jewish medical students and physicians, doors which would not fully open until after World War II. In 1904, it was not uncommon for American medical schools to have quotas limiting admission of Jewish students, and medical fraternities. So Aaron Brown and his friends decided they would start their own fraternal organization, guided by the precepts of philanthropy, deity, and equity.

The success of the Cornell chapter soon led to the organization of other chapters in the East and Midwest. In 1918, Phi Delta Epsilon amalgamated with Alpha Phi Sigma, a medical fraternity organized in 1908, whose ideals and principles were similar to those of PhiDE. Its chapters were in the Midwest and West, making for an ideal union.

Following the amalgamation, the United States was divided into districts and, by 1930, enough members had graduated from medical schools allowing for the formation of graduate clubs. In 1926, an Endowment Fund was started giving the Fraternity long-term stability. In the 1940s the Aaron Brown Lectureship Program was begun and has remained a vital chapter event through the years.

In the late 1960s, the Fraternity opened its membership to women and encouraged recruitment of medical students of all races, nationalities and religious beliefs. The past 25 years have seen the Fraternity’s membership become wonderfully diverse, reflecting the diversity of the medical profession today. The addition of the premedical affiliation in 1994 rounded out the Fraternity’s membership, which now spans an entire lifetime of medical education and practice.

PhiDE celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2004 as a strong, vibrant, professionally directed organization headed for new growth and great excitement. The 21st century beckons us, and we continue operate under Aaron Brown’s guiding principles of Philanthropy, Deity, and Equity.

Phi Delta Epsilon has grown from a small insular group to a diverse, all-inclusive organization. They have done this by making their motto live: Facta Non Verba, Deeds Not Words. And, indeed, we will continue to prosper, grow, and spread the warmth of our fraternalism into the future.