Pasadena's Okorocha Firm Fights Courts Against Forced DUI Pleas
Pasadena Criminal Defense Lawyer Okorie Okorocha is currently battling two DUI cases in the Orange County Superior Court, each presenting scheduling conflicts with one another. The Court refused to honor his requests to reschedule and, as West Law News & Insight reports, Okorocha argues "Judges were singling him out because of his refusal to encourage clients to plead guilty, which has resulted in a heavier caseload for the courts."
Okorocha filed a class-action lawsuit against the Marin County District Attorney, the State of California and a Los Angeles Judge, accusing the system of imposing harsher punishments on defendants who choose a trial over a plea deal.
Okorocha handles a variety of criminal cases including DUI defense, sex crimes defense, and defense of theft and violent crimes.
"It can be frustrating for the prosecution, the court and even the defendants that these cases get delayed, sometimes for an extended period of time," said spokesperson for the Orange County District Attorney's Office Farrah Emami.
As a result of the request denial, Okorocha and his clients were forced to be present in court for ten consecutive days in a row as DUI cases were called to trial.
Okorocha fights for the constitutional rights of his clients, arguing they are stripped of these rights when a request is denied for postponement because of inescapable scheduling conflicts.
"The judge told my client he needs to switch lawyers or plead guilty if I'm not there," Okorocha told Reuters Legal.
In California, the birthplace of Mother's Against Drunk Driving (MADD), DUI lawyer Lawrence Taylor said, "There's a lot of political pressure to resolve these cases favorably." He adds, "Judges who go up for reelection do not want to have MADD say they were not tough on drunk driving."
Okorocha will continue to fight the for the rights of his clients and for just services from the courts as a knowledgeable criminal defense attorney.
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