I was born in San Antonio Texas, and moved to California when I was still a toddler. I grew up in a family of migrant field workers, and learned hard work from a young age.
CUrrently, My day starts shortly before 3:30 a.m., when I get up to get ready to go to the gym. I'm really not a fanatic about the gym or about exercise. It's just that my eyes pop open at around 3 a.m., a habit from when I used to be a field worker in the San Joaquin Valley. I can't go back to sleep, so I get up. The gym opens at 4 am and I'm there almost every day.
I have done just about every type of work under the sun in my time, from field worker, to clerical, Mechanic, bus boy, to painter, plumber, electrician, construction worker, factory worker, packing shed worker, roofer, forest ranger worker and even a spy. I was in the military for 4 years as a Mandarin Chinese Linguist in the United States Air Force. I was also trained briefly in Vietnamese and picked up some Japanese along the way.
I spent 7 years in college and law school and have been a defense criminal trial lawyer for 40 Plus years, having tried approximately 550 jury trials, everything from petty theft to murder. In December 2013, I was honored by the Monterey County Bar Association with the Lewis Fenton Award for “Excellence in Advocacy.” I am special counsel and advisor for the Mexican Consulate on criminal matters for Central Coast California, covering Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties.
I've written a couple of screen plays, a couple of books, short stories and lots of poetry. I’ve been the president of LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens and La Raza Lawyers Association. I served six years on the Board of Trustees of the Salinas Union High School District.
I've painted in watercolor and other mediums, including charcoal renderings and pastels. I've even squeezed in running the Big Sur International Marathon at the age of 57 and a bunch of 10 K's. My fastest time in the mile was 4 minutes, 35 seconds when I was 17 years old. I’ve been an avid photographer for 50 years and some of my photographs have been published. I love to hike and I am a strong swimmer. I’ve also co-written songs (with Pamela O’Shaughnessy, the co-author of the Nina Riley books) and had one released that got some airtime but didn’t really go anywhere.
That’s my biography in a nutshell. I feel great about my life, who I am and how I treat people. I’ve been married to the same wonderful woman for 45 years, and have two adult sons who have gone on to have families of their own.
Criminal Justice Podcast © 2017