Our Story
The Criminal Courts Bar Association is a county wide organization of criminal defense lawyers in both public and private practice, law students, allied professionals, prosecutors, judges and private individuals. The goals of the Criminal Courts Bar Association are the protection of individual rights and liberties, improvement of the Criminal Justice System, enhancement of the Criminal Law Practitioners, and the continuing education of the Criminal Defense Bar.
The Criminal Courts Bar Association enjoys a position of trust and respect in the criminal justice system and has an important voice in the legal community. The Criminal Courts Bar Association will continue to remain active in both professional and civic affairs that are of importance to the rights of those accused of crimes.
The CCBA continues to seek the support of our core membership and is looking for new members to continue our strong traditions. For those who are already members, thank you. For those who have not yet renewed please consider doing so now.
If you are able, please become a sustaining member. Sustaining Members will be recognized in the monthly newsletter and recognized in the Dinner Dance Program thanking you for your generosity and support for the programs offered by our association. For those of you who have been so long a part of this organization please consider this new category.
For those of you who ask, "Why should I join the Criminal Courts Bar Association?" Please consider the words of our past president, David R. Evans:
"Each weekday morning in the courtrooms of this County, men and women of extraordinary courage and dedication rise on behalf of the accused and challenge the representatives of the most powerful nation in the world to prove their case. The work of those criminal defense attorneys is the reason for being of the Criminal Courts Bar Association. Outside those courtrooms, the Criminal Courts Bar Association is their voice. It functions as lobbyist, educator, and cheerleader. Its leaders--its officers and members of the board--are the leaders of the criminal defense bar in the County of Los Angeles. They include the Los Angeles County Public Defender, the Los Angeles County Alternate Public Defender, the President of California Attorneys of the Criminal Justice, partners from large downtown law firms, sole practitioners, white collar crimes specialist, DUI specialists, and death penalty specialists. They give of their time and money because of their deep shared concern for the rights of the accused and the well being of their advocates. On the second Tuesday of each month, they meet to discuss the pressing issues of the day, to break bread, and to hear talks by the luminaries of criminal practice."
Our Presidents:
1954 Jerry Giesler
1955 Jerry Giesler
1956 Morris Lavine
1957 Philip Erbsen
1958 Richard E. Erwin
1959 Albert C. Garber
1960 Al D. Matthews
1961 Harold J. Ackerman
1962 Earl C. Broady, Jr.
1963 Joseph M. Rosen
1964 Dan O’Neill
1965 Charles C. Hollopeter
1966 Warren L. Ettinger
1967 Paul Caruso
1968 William A. Drake
1969 Burton Marks
1970 David Cunningham
1971 Richard Caballero
1972 Maurice Harwick
1973 James E. Patterson
1974 James G. Cooney
1975 Richard Walton
1976 Howard L. Weitzman
1977 Herbert G. Blitz
1978 Morton Herbert
1979 Robert K. Robertson, Jr.
1979 Nancy Cunningham
1980 Richard G. Hirsch
1981 Robert C. Clark
1982 H. Ronald Hauptman
1983 Larry Fidler
1983 Richard A. Hutton
1984 Steve H. Hough
1985 George V. Denny, III.
1986 Ed Tolmas
1987 Edward J. Horowitz
1988 Charles L. Lindner
1989 David A. Elden
1990 Madelynn G. Kopple
1991 John Yzurdiaga
1992 Donald M. Ré
1993 Robert Schwartz
1994 Carol A. Clem
1995 Rickard Santwier
1996 Mona C. Soo Hoo
1997 Joel S. Peck
1998 Michael Shannon
1999 Donald R. Wager
2000 Barry Levin
2001 David R. Evans
2002 Christopher C. Chaney
2003 Robert J. Wilson
2004 Patrick Lake
2005 Stephen Sadowsky
2006 Steve Escovar
2007 Michael Artan
2008 Andrew Stein
2009 Alison Triessl
2010 Mark Rafferty
2011 Sharon Beth Marshall
2012 John Tyre
2013 Bruce Richland
2014 Michael A. Goldstein
2015 Christa M. Hohmann
2016 Louis S. Sepe
2017 Evan P. Freed
2018 Richard M. Chacon
2019 Victor M. Salerno
2020 Mark Khalaf