Cases and Results

CIVIL

Iredale and Yoo have successfully tried and settled many cases over the last decade in cases involving violations of civil rights, police brutality, harassment and misconduct, police shootings, personal injury, and wrongful death. Here are some examples:

$2.2 Million Jury Award for Wrongful Detention and Excessive Force

Plaintiff Sergio Lopez was a twenty year veteran of federal law enforcement who worked for the Department of Homeland Security. On October 18, 2006, Sergio Lopez was a member of a surveillance team that was investigating a possible alien smuggling operation in Chula Vista. Agent Lopez was driving rapidly from one area to another while conducting surveillance.  Defendant Chula Vista police officers pulled Mr. Lopez over and threw him against the car, causing spinal injury. This occurred despite Sergio Lopez notifying them that he was a federal agent and displaying his badge and credentials. The defendants’ vulgar remarks to him reflected that they were angry that he was driving "through their city." These Chula Vista personnel kept Special Agent Lopez handcuffed and seated on the ground for an hour, while demanding that various Customs supervisors appear at the scene.

A jury awarded $1,200,000 in compensatory damages and $1,000,000 in punitive damages.

$2.6 Million Jury Award in Embezzlement Case

A Navy veteran whose business partner embezzled $1.3 million from their company was awarded a $2.6 million jury verdict in San Diego Superior Court. Jurors deliberated less than a day before returning a verdict for Mr. Tony Pizarro.  They awarded $1.3 million in economic damages, and $1.3 million in punitive damages.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060422/news_1b22embezzle.html

Jury Award against a Bounty Hunter and Former Mrs. America

Plaintiff G.E. Scott was married to former Mrs. America Jill Scott. Jill Scott divorced G.E. Scott and married a wealthy auto glass mogul she met in Las Vegas and moved to his million-dollar Arizona estate. G.E. Scott began working in a Taco Bell. Jill Scott then sued G.E. Scott for unpaid child support.  Jill Scott and her husband Rick Chance then hired a lawyer and a bounty hunter to seize G.E. Scott from his home in Kansas and bring him to San Diego to face a charge of unpaid child support. G.E. Scott was shackled at gunpoint and driven to San Diego by the bounty hunters.  The jury awarded a compensatory damage verdict of $215,300 and a punitive damage verdict of $475,000.

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/classics/rick_chance/2.html　

Settlement in Silva v. White

Franklin White, an off-duty police officer, shot Plaintiff Johnny Silva in the leg through the passenger side window after White was involved in a road rage incident with Johnny’s mom. Johnny underwent surgery to remove the bullet from his leg and was unable to walk for a time. The City of San Diego agreed to settle this matter for $500,000.00

Settlement against a Private Prison for Sexual Harassment

Several female prisoners were sexually harassed by defendant Jerry Baldwin who was a drug and alcohol counselor employed by the GRW Corporation in Brush, Colorado. This case settled for a substantial confidential amount.

Jury Award against a Doctor in Failed Tubal Ligation

In a medical malpractice case in which a doctor failed to properly ligate the Plaintiff’s Fallopian Tubes and Plaintiff subsequently gave birth to twins, the jury awarded the Plaintiff $993,308.00.

Settlement in a Jail Hog-Tie Case

Jail deputies hog-tied an overweight inmate, placing their weight on his back.  The inmate suffocated to death.  The case settled for $400,000.00.

Settlement in a Sexual Abuse Case in a Juvenile Facility

Plaintiffs were two seventeen year old girls in a juvenile detention center.  They subjected to sexual misconduct of the corrections staff.  Defendants argued that the sexual contact was consensual and that the girls initiated the contact.  The case settled for $330,000.00.

Settlement in Wrongful Arrest against Chula Vista Police Department

Chula Vista Police Officers came to the Plaintiff’s home in the middle of the night to arrest the Plaintiff’s son for a suspected DUI. Plaintiff asked to see the warrant and the defendant officers dragged her out of her home and placed her under arrest. Chula Vista Police Department settled the case for $250,000.00.

Settlement in a Rape Case in a Colorado Prison

Plaintiff was sexually assaulted by a guard in a Colorado prison. The DOC settled the matter for $225,000.00. 

http://www.westword.com/2005-05-12/news/if-the-shoe-fits/ 

Settlement in Wrongful Death against San Diego Police Department

Defendant officers pulled over the Plaintiff for a driving violation. When the Plaintiff did not immediately comply with orders, one of the Defendants punched him in the face and put a gun to the Plaintiff’s face. The Plaintiff attempted to drive away from the Defendants. Defendants claimed that they saw a toy gun in the car and that the Plaintiff was driving towards them. Defendants shot the Plaintiff multiple times and killed him. The San Diego Police Department settled the case before trial.

Settlement against a Doctor in a Medical Malpractice Case

Defendant doctor performed a laparoscopic bilateral tubal ligation. During the course of the surgery, the doctor perforated Plaintiff’s small intestine causing an infection. This case settled for a confidential amount.

Settlement against the FBI in Wrongful Arrest

A San Diego man wrongly arrested by an FBI received $190,000 from the federal agency.  Julian Christopher Lee was arrested based on a warrant that was issued for his brother. In a separate suit, Lee won an additional $81,000 judgment against the San Diego Sheriff's Department, the agency which locked him up for five days after FBI arrested him.

Click here to read the appelate decision in Lee v. Gregory

Settlement against California Highway Patrol

Plaintiff was under arrest for suspected DUI. She had a pre-existing shoulder injury and asked the officer not to handcuff her to her back. The defendant officer pulled her arm back to place the handcuffs causing a fracture of the greater tuberosity of the humerus. The case settled for $95,000.00.

Settlement in a Harassment Case against a Parole Officer

Defendant parole officer repeatedly asked Plaintiff to come over to his house when his wife was out of town and asked her to accompany him on state sponsored training programs in the mountains. When Plaintiff resisted his advances, Defendant told her she was jeopardizing her freedom. Defendant left repeated messages on Plaintiff’s answering machine. The DOC settled this matter early in the case for $50,000.00

CRIMINAL

 Mr. Iredale has tried numerous murder cases, including a double murder in Carmel Valley, California; People v. Valentine. In that case, former Torrey Pines High School graduate Alex Valentine was accused of murdering his parents so they would not learn that he flunked out of Harvey Mudd College in Claremont. Mr. Iredale also defended the day-care worker from Carmel Valley, California who was accused of shaking a 13-month-old boy to death; People v. Basuta. The case was billed by the English press as Nannygate II, following the notorious Louise Woodward baby-killing in Massachusetts. The trial gained world-wide notoriety and was broadcast both domestically and abroad by the BBC. Mr. Iredale successfully overturned two consecutive life sentences of a Mexican national convicted of murder in an ambush-style slaying in Chula Vista, California; People v. Marron. The Court of Appeal overturned the conviction after Mr. Iredale presented evidence that the jury foreman and another juror argued during deliberations "If a Mexican has a gun, he is guilty", "The illegals... coming here and shooting up... and getting away with it." In overturning the conviction, the court of appeal held that jury bias violates a criminally accused's Constitutionally guaranteed right to a fair and impartial trial. Mr. Iredale also defended a 25-year-old man that was accused of the hammer -slaying of retired Navy officer George Elmer Clark; People v. Avalos. Mr. Iredale pled his client to a four year prison term in that case.

Mr. Iredale won the acquittal of a La Jolla businessman accused of conspiracy to distribute cocaine; United States v. Mores, and the acquittal of an El Cajon businessman accused in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine after 10 pounds of methamphetamine were seized in his automobile repair shop; United States v. Reed. Mr. Iredale has also handled other notorious drug cases involving cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine; United States v. Guiterrez and United States v. Tomacelli.

Mr. Iredale has also successfully defended persons accused of various crimes related to sex and pornography. He successfully defended a fellow lawyer, in a high publicized trial, that was accused of conspiracy with a state-prison inmate to use newspaper advertisements to solicit females under 18 years of age to pose for nude pictures; United States v. Sanchez. Mr. Iredale also defended Helen Klarissa Mueller-Beilschmidt against prostitution and pandering charges related her alleged association with the convicted "Rolodex Madam" Karen Wilkening; People v. Mueller- Beilschmidt. Mr Iredale was retained to defend a licensed physician against accusations by five female patients that they had been raped and sexually battered while under his care; People v. Sinha.

Mr. Iredale is also involved in cases dealing with the rapidly-growing area of sex on the internet. He was retained to defend a Rancho Santa Fe man that was accused of having sex with a fifteen year old boy that he met on the internet; People v. Dahlberg.

Law enforcement personnel spend a lifetime trying to catch and convict law breakers. When law enforcement is accused of breaking the law, even they go to Mr. Iredale for a defense. Mr. Iredale won the acquittal of a United States Customs Service agent who was accused of accepting a $125,000 bribe to let a tanker truck loaded with drugs pass through the Calexico port of entry; United States v. Ramos.  Mr. Iredale won the acquittal of a former Chicago police officer who was accused of trafficking cocaine; United States v. Mores. Mr. Iredale defended a 30-year veteran of the Internal Revenue Service who was accused of taking bribes from a wealthy Imperial Valley grower allegedly seeking to evade paying millions in taxes (United States v. Morales)   Mr. Iredale was hired by a former Immigration and Naturalization Service office (and Navy SEAL), to defend him against charges that he threatened women that he would withhold their border crossing cards unless they had sex with him; United States v. Toothman. In 1987, Mr. Iredale represented a former San Diego and National City police officer who was charged with conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to commit grand theft (People v. Smith). The charges were brought against Smith after he filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the chief of police stemming from a brawl involving former San Diego Chargers defensive end Fred Robinson. Mr. Iredale also defended a veteran United States Border Patrol agent against charges that he and another agent assaulted a physician by the border and then conspired to cover up the beating. United States District Court Judge John Rhoades eventually dismissed the charges against Mr. Iredale's client (United States v. Jarvis).

Mr. Iredale was hired to try a case in which his client was accused of loan sharking and racketeering. The prosecution accused Mr. Iredale's client of having strong ties with the "mob" and a lot of power in the "underworld" (United States v. Matranga). The following year, Mr. Iredale defended a San Diego Chargers football player against charges of assault with a deadly weapon; People v. Rodgers. Mr. Iredale defended a San Diego Chargers defensive back against charges of drunk driving and possession of 1.7 grams of rock cocaine (People v. Walters).

In numerous other high-publicity cases, Mr. Iredale a lawyer accused of aiding a fugitive (United States v. Prantil); a 46-year-old clinical psychologist who worked with troubled youths against charges that he possessed methamphetamine for distribution and possession of a sawed-off shotgun (United States v. Waite); a fortune teller accused of swindling hundreds of thousands of dollars from victims by putting phony curses on them (People v. Marks) and bikers who were charged with stockpiling explosives and unregistered firearms to prepare themselves for confrontations with other biker gangs (United States v. Chavez).