Archives : 2012 : March

No Charges to be Held Against Imhoff and Associates Client Wrongfully Accused of Child Molestation

With the help of the Imhoff and Associates Criminal Defense law firm, the potential sex crime case against Luis Galicia, a San Diego resident wrongfully convicted of child molestation, has been officially closed with no charges re-filed.  The Prefile case successful outcome presents a tremendous victory for Galicia and his family.

San Diego, CA, March 05, 2012 – Prosecutors in San Diego announced on February 22, 2012 that no charges would be pressed against Imhoff & Associates client Luis Galicia, who had been wrongfully convicted of child molestation (San Diego County case #SCN242198).  Defense lawyer Shannon Dorvall of the Imhoff & Associates law firm successfully reversed the conviction, presenting a tremendous victory for the law firm. With the announcement, the Galicia Family can now put the nearly four-year ordeal behind them.

On November 23, 2011 Shannon Dorvall secured Galicia’s release from Corcoran State Prison in California and had the sex crime case conviction overturned by the San Diego County Superior Court.  Following a jury trial, which was handled by a different law firm, Galicia was convicted of the sexual molestation of his sister (San Diego County case #SCN242198).  Child molestation is a serious sex crime and Galicia was sentenced to serve two “15 to life” sentences and a lifetime registration as a sex offender.

Following the conviction of the sexual molestation case, Imhoff & Associates was approached by the Galicia family for help in filing an appeal. The criminal defense law firm filed an appeal in the Court of Appeal for the Fourth Appellate District (D056214) seeking to have the Galicia’s sex crime case overturned.  During the course of waiting for the court to rule and at the criminal law firm’s guidance, the family had the sister examined by two other doctors, who disagreed with the state’s doctor’s testimony and asserted that the sister’s hymen was intact, therefore she had never had sex.

The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office agreed to review the case and requested assistance from the Children’s Hospital, who reviewed the trial photos and examined the sister. The hospital corroborated the family’s newly acquired evidence, lending further credence to Galicia’s defense.

Criminal attorney Shannon Dorvall filed a writ of habeas corpus with the Court of Appeal for the Fourth Appellate District (D060586) who then ordered a hearing.  At the hearing, the District Attorney confirmed the invalidity of the evidence presented at the original trial.  The court granted Dorvall’s motion, the sexual molestation conviction was overturned and the court ordered Galicia released from prison.

Ms. Dorvall commented, “We are grateful that this nightmare is over.  It is unfortunate my client was ever charged in the first place, and it was a terrible injustice that he had to spend four long years in prison for a crime he did not commit.  We have said all along that the facts showed my client was innocent, that the facts could not be ignored.  The facts were presented and the truth has prevailed.  We are grateful for the support of so many family and friends who never doubted my client.  Now, it is time to begin to heal and time to regain his life.  I hope this sends a loud and clear message to prosecutors everywhere that the injustice of a wrongful prosecution should never happen again.”

Imhoff and Associates joins Galicia’s family in celebrating this triumph, and believes that no other family should have to suffer such an ordeal. To learn more about Imhoff & Associates Criminal Defense Law Firm, visit http://www.criminalattorney.com or call 1-888-726-0574.

Univision San Diego’s coverage of the case can be viewed at http://www.univisionsandiego.com/noticia/2012/02/22/341228-luis-galicia-es-hombre-libre.html.

About Imhoff & Associates
Imhoff & Associates is one of the largest criminal defense firms in the country, with outstanding attorneys located in various states across the nation. The firm is dedicated to providing excellent quality legal representation, and is open late nights and on weekends. Visit http://www.criminalattorney.com or call 1-888-726-0574 for more information.

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Imhoff & Associates Criminal Attorneys Secure Reduced Charge and Sentence for Parents Accused of Child Abuse

Through the efforts of Shannon Dorvall and Christopher Parkhurst, criminal attorneys from Imhoff & Associates, a young parent was convicted of misdemeanor child endangerment instead of the initial felony child abuse charge.

Sonora, CA- Lacinda Mathiesen-Dunne, a young parent initially accused of felony child abuse, received a misdemeanor child endangerment charge instead, thanks to the hard work of her criminal attorneys, Shannon Dorvall and Christopher Parkhurst from Imhoff & Associates (Case number CRF32050).

According to court transcripts filed in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Tuolumne on 9/28/2011, she and her boy-friend (Steven Beenblossom) gave birth to premature twins in May of 2009. Their daughter, whose injuries revolve around this case, weighed less than two pounds and had an Apgar score of 1. Due to the low Apgar score at birth, the baby girl required special medical care and had pre-existing conditions, including chronic anemia, apnea, vitamin D deficiency, rickets, had difficulty tolerating feedings. The court transcripts also show that she also had severe nutritional deficiencies, as her twin took most of her nutrition while in the womb. Their daughter was discharged from the hospital on June 25, 2009.

Early in July of 2009, the couple took their prematurely born twin daughter to the doctor’s office for a swollen and tender right leg. According to court transcripts, the doctor who saw their daughter was not sure what was wrong with the child’s leg. He later testified that he had never seen anything like it but did not think the bone was broken. An x-ray was recommended by the doctor during their initial visit, which the parents did not obtain, the court documents showed.

A few days later, on July 7, 2009, the baby stopped breathing, and the parents resuscitated her by performing CPR. According to court documents, they immediately rushed her to the hospital after she started breathing again. The hospital seemed to immediately assume that some type of abuse had occurred when they found brain injuries and multiple fractures on the child. The state went on to have the couple’s parental rights terminated, and have the twins put up for adoption. The court transcripts showed that the couple was informed that they were no longer allowed to see the child, who was taken away almost immediately. They have not seen the child since that day. After being placed in foster care, the twins were adopted within a few months.

The mother then sought the assistance of criminal attorneys from Imhoff & Associates. Criminal defense attorneys Shannon Dorvall and Christopher Parkhurst had several doctors assess the case, all of whom agreed that the child’s various pre-existing medical problems were what caused the child’s injuries. At the trial, the couple’s criminal attorney, Parkhurst, pointed these out to the jury, and also argued that there were no external signs of abuse.

After five hours of deliberation, the jury found the mother not guilty of felony child abuse, and instead reduced the charge to misdemeanor child endangerment, as the parents were unable to secure the X-ray the first doctor recommended. This reduced charge means the jury did not believe the mother knowingly put her child in danger. Ms. Mathiesen-Dunne was sentenced to parenting classes, probation, and community service, instead of the District Attorney’s request for the maximum sentence of one year in jail.

Thanks to the efforts of Imhoff & Associates Criminal Attorneys, the parents can now try to get their children back.

For more information on the criminal defense attorneys at Imhoff & Associates, visit http://www.criminalattorney.com. Interested parties may also contact a criminal attorney at the firm by calling 1-888-726-0574.

About Imhoff & Associates
As one of the largest criminal defense firms in the country, Imhoff & Associates employs highly skilled criminal attorneys in various locations around the United States. The firm’s criminal defense attorneys handle a variety of cases, and are available 24/7 to assist clients with their legal needs. Visit http://www.criminalattorney.com or call 1-888-726-0574 to contact a criminal attorney from the firm.