People v. C.C (LAX)
Client was charged with assault with a deadly with a great bodily injury strike enhancement. She had stabbed her boyfriend fourteen times with a sushi knife in an altercation. The client was facing over seven years of jail time.Attorney Allison Margolin negotiated a plea where client would serve community service rather than jail time.
Meet the attorneys of Margolin and Lawrence. We are a law firm built around the idea of collaboration. When you hire this firm, not only do you hire Allison B. Margolin or J. Raza Lawrence - you hire the entire team. All of the attorneys at our office are knowledgeable and will be able to help you in all of your legal issues.
Allison B. Margolin, Esq.
Allison Margolin is a criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles and was an Adjunct Professor of Law at West Los Angeles Law School. She was on the April 2010 cover of California Lawyer magazine and gave an interview.
She is a graduate of Harvard Law School and earned her B.A. at Columbia University with a degree in Political Science and a Certificate in Writing.
She was profiled on the front page of both the Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Daily Journal in 2006 and was recently featured in Hustler Magazine for her work in medical marijuana law.
She has been quoted in magazines ranging from the Los Angeles Daily News, the Los Angeles Times West, LA Weekly, New Yorker, and US Weekly. In addition to Allison’s legal practice, she maintains a written blog, produces videos about well-known legal cases, and has written for the Los Angeles Daily News on such issues as Paris Hilton’s DUI debacle.
Allison has also garnered much praise on the internet and radio, and has received accolades for her unique marketing. In 2004, Allison worked as a legal consultant on the reality jury show “Second Verdict”. She has been featured on the Anderson Cooper Blog, Cal Lawyer, Wall Street Journal blog (twice), and the Jewish Journal.
J. Raza Lawrence, Esq.
Raza graduated from Harvard Law School in 2003, where he served as an executive editor of the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy. From November 2004 to July 2009, Raza worked as an associate in the Los Angeles office of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, where he practiced general litigation, with extensive experience representing individuals, corporations and law firms in cases involving allegations of legal malpractice, employment discrimination, wage-and-hour infractions, products liability, securities fraud, stock options backdating, and First Amendment violations.
Mr. Lawrence received his undergraduate degree with majors in philosophy and physics from Washington University in St. Louis, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and received the Steven Schwarzschild Prize in Philosophy. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Mr. Lawrence completed a clerkship with the Honorable Morris Sheppard Arnold of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Mr. Lawrence has a longstanding interest in protecting civil liberties and individual rights, and has previously worked for the American Civil Liberties Union, the Cato Institute, and the Center for Individual Rights. Mr. Lawrence grew up in Madison, Wisconsin.
People v. J.K. (2012) LAX
Police officers arrested Client after seizing multiple pounds of medical marijuana and grow equipment. At the preliminary hearing, Margolin and Lawrence partner J. Raza Lawrence successfully argued a medical marijuana defense. Client was cultivating for numerous collective members all with valid doctor’s recommendation for medical marijuana. The Court found that there was no probable cause to believe that the Client was illegally cultivating marijuana nor was there probable cause to believe that he was possessing the marijuana for sale.
The Client was able to receive all the marijuana seized (over three pounds of marijuana) and all of his grow equipment back.
People v. J.H (2012) Torrance
In 2011, police officers entered Client’s home unannounced and without a warrant. They claim they were investigating a burglary but there was no signs of forced entry or forced entry. Officers went through the entire home until they found the Client tending to his legally operating medical marijuana grow operating in his backyard. Police officers arrested the Client, demolished the grow operation, and put all equipment into storage.
On a motion to suppress, a judge found that the police officers made an illegal search and seizure of Client’s home. The judge ordered all the evidence suppressed and therefore unusable by the District Attorney’s office - leaving the District Attorney only one option: dismissal. As part of the dismissal, the Client received all of his grow equipment back.
People v. O.J. (2012): Long Beach
Client was pulled over after running a stop sign. He was found in possession of marijuana and a small quantity of painkillers. Unfortunately, he had a previous strike on his record so he faced high criminal sanctions as a result. Through negotiations, the client eventually accepted a plea to running a stop sign and all other charges were dropped.
Dave’s note: Client avoided probation with search terms which would have allowed police officers to search the Client without probable cause or reasonable suspicion throughout his probation period.
In November 2011, Margolin and Lawrence conducted one of the most tumultuous trials in Long Beach history. On repeated occasions, the trial court Judge refused to allow the medical marijuana defense for one of the most distinguished medical marijuana dispensaries in Long Beach. Finally, through an extraordinary alternative writ of mandate, the Court of Appeals ordered the trial court judge to allow the the medical marijuana defense.
The trial court judge, rather than affording more time to prepare for trial after the alternative writ of mandate, ordered an immediate commencement of the trial. Trial lasted for a grueling three week period with Margolin and Lawrence calling in medical marijuana experts and even a tax specialist from the California Board of Equalization. Unfortunately, the jury convicted both defendants. The cards were definitely stacked against the defendants, though.
This was not the end of the story. Margolin and Lawrence brought a motion to disqualify the judge for actual prejudice and a motion for new trial. Before sentencing the judge recused himself and the case was reassigned. A retiring judge was assigned the matter as her last case. After fully reviewing the defense’s motion for new trial and hearing argument from both sides, the court ruled in favor of the defendants and granted the motion for new trial - almost unheard of in a criminal trial.
Newspaper Articles:
People v. Creative Farmer (2010) Placer County
Client was charged with possession for sale and cultivation of marijuana, as well as evading the police, \ after he and his cousins were caught stealing over 1000 plants cultivated by another in a national forest located in Placer County. During the theft, client attempted to evade the police but was eventually apprehended. In the end, Margolin & Lawrence successfully negotiated a deal where the client would merely plead to a misdemeanor theft.
Note from Al: Even if you did not cultivate the marijuana yourself, as the case here, you may still be charged with violating Health and Safety Code § 11358 - cultivation of marijuana.
(People v. J.T. (2012): LAX)
What began as a random and routine traffic stop turned into a full-blown DUI stop leading to our client’s arrest. In the beginning the City Attorney’s Office, who deals with misdemeanor DUI cases in Los Angeles County, refused to give anything but a DUI. Our office shed light on the probable cause regarding the stop as well as the efficacy of the breathalyzer test. After numerous negotiations between the attorneys of Margolin and Lawrence and the City Attorney assigned to the case, as well as supervising City Attorneys, the client go the result he was aiming for - a dry and reckless.
(People v. S.S. (2012): LAX and San Fernando)
Client received House Arrest for Identify Theft in his LAX courthouse case while he was already on probation for identity theft in a non-related San Fernando Case. He was caught with multiple credit cards not under his name and he did not have their permission to have them.
(People v. H.H. (2012): Criminal Courts Building)
Margolin and Lawrence successfully negotiated a deal for psychiatric treatment for sex addiction for client’s third sexual battery offense. Through extensive investigation by our staff and investigators, the district attorney’s office was informed that the police report contained an erroneous narrative from the victim. The rectification of these errors lead the district attorney to agree to psychiatric treatment for the client.