Law Offices of Louis J. Shapiro

One week from tonight!!

Analysis of Lori Loughlin's plea agreement: The prosecution believes the application of the US Federal Sentencing Guidelines calls for 21-27 months imprisonment... while the defense believes that probation is in order. Their argument hinges on whether it's appropriate to place a dollar amount on her daughter's USC education ie. a gain of $250k-$550k, which would trigger the higher sentence. In the spirit of compromise, the parties have agreed to allow Loughlin to enter a conditional plea for 2 months and 100 hours of community service. It is conditioned on the judge accepting this proposal. If the judge rejects it, then Loughlin can withdraw her plea and she is back where she started, unless of course she gets the Michael Flynn treatment which could could trigger perjury charges. See more

Just moved to 10100 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA 90067

Feel free to tune in, if you're bored.

It's now being reported that all businesses that borrow money through the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) will be audited before the loans are forgive...n and you will have to show that you actually spent the money on payroll and other items that qualify for forgiveness. This will result in criminal and civil investgations. The following is a summary of what to expect: See more

My letter to the presiding judges of Los Angeles County: Good morning, I wanted to bring to your attention that all court staff and attorneys are very concerned... with the outbreak of the coronavirus and have not received any communication from the judicial council or court administration as to what safety measures are being put into place to deal with it. Meanwhile, other jurisdictions have already adapted: https://www.abajournal.com//one-federal-court-suspends-cou Evidently, there are policies and procedures in place to deal with this: https://www.cdph.ca.gov//CDPH%20D/EpidemicsInTheCourts.pdf There is a feeling of abandonment by court leadership in the air. In the interests of safety and professional morale, please assist and communicate. Thank you, Lou Shapiro

Harvey Weinstein: When The Predator Becomes The Prey, by Lou Shapiro, 2/26/20, The jury has spoken. Harvey Weinstein has been convicted of sexual assault and rape in the third degree. There are many fascinating observations and lessons that we can take away from this trial...

I’m pleased to announce that in light of our recent federal criminal case achievements that our firm has been appointed by United States District Judge Michael Fitzgerald to handle federal criminal matters for the Central District of California.

Thank you to everyone who shared my article yesterday on why we need to vote no on Prop 25. As a result, it was published in today’s Daily Law Journal.

Discussing the Harvey Weinstein Guilty Verdict on Kcal 9 News with Sharon Tay & Juan Fernandez Full Segment: https://youtu.be/NAqxs8-JDTg

Why You Should Vote No On Prop 25 By: Lou Shapiro, Esq., Daily Law Journal, 10/14/20 One of the most practically relevant issues on this year’s election ballot ...is going unnoticed. Proposition 25 is a referendum on Governor Newsom’s law that he passed in 2018, SB 10, which has the noble intention of preventing those who cannot afford nominal bail from remaining incarcerated during the pendency of their case. Sounds great doesn’t it? Allow me to explain. Over 1 million people are arrested each year according to the California State Department of Justice’s website. There are about 39 million people who live in California. Therefore, chances are, that you or someone you know has been or will be arrested, and this issue will play directly into their future. Under SB 10, aside from a shortlist of misdemeanors that the police will immediately release subsequent to arrest, one who is arrested under all other charges will have to remain in jail, until they are taken before a judge, who will determine whether to release the accused during the pendency of their case, by applying an algorithmic formula that can magically predict if the accused is a flight risk or poses a risk to public safety. Because the person must remain in custody until arraignment, they will not be able to retain the attorney of their choice to represent them at arraignment. They will not be able to present in court in formal clothes and make their best first impression. They will not be able to gather documentation and evidence that could be helpful in their pitch to the judge to be released. They will embarrassingly be forced to notify family and friends of their unfortunate experience, to help them hire a lawyer and/or prepare for arraignment. All jail calls are recorded so this could result in the recording of incriminating statements. They will have to notify their employer from the jail cell, in the form of a collect call, to explain why they can’t make it to work Monday morning. This will ultimately lead to innocent people pleading guilty to crimes they did not commit, just to get out of jail. Criminal convictions will accrue, and dreams will be ruined, all on account of SB 10. In addition, to the due process violations, SB 10 will also create a public health crisis, by unnecessarily exposing members of the public to Covid 19, where it has been reported to be most rampant in the jails. Further proof that SB 10 needs to be voted down is the fact that defense attorneys, prosecutors, judges, and the ACLU all agree that this is NOT the solution to the problem. The solution is simple. Those who cannot afford to post nominal bail should be released on electronic monitoring on the state’s dime. Problem solved. As a criminal defense attorney, I walk the courthouses almost every day from Ventura County to Fresno County and everywhere in between. Never have I seen, been consulted or know anyone personally that has been consulted by anyone from the Governor’s Office as to the potential effectiveness of SB 10. This is typical ivory tower individuals making decisions for those on the ground level. Fortunately, our system of checks and balances contains a mechanism to prevent this miscarriage of justice from occurring. Voting no on Prop 25 will prevent this constitutional calamity from taking place. Presidents come and go. Before we know it will be 2024 with a fresh set of candidates to bicker over. SB 10 however will remain in place. It will directly impact people’s records, professional careers, and their ability to advance in life. If you have ever wanted the chance to make your vote count, this is it. Louis J. Shapiro, a former LA County Public Defender, is a criminal defense attorney (state bar certified specialist) in Century City and legal analyst.

Discussing OC Board of Education's likelihood of success in their lawsuit against Gov. Gavin Newsom for not allowing in-person class on Fox 11 Los Angeles with Phil Shuman Fox, Elexander Benjamin & Christine Devine

"Many people who have been following this legal soap opera have been critical of Loughlin, chastising her for not accepting responsibility at the earliest oppor...tunity. She has been called all sorts of derogatory names. But one thing you can’t accuse Loughlin of is being weak. It takes a very strong-willed person to weather a year-long social media storm and withstand the wrath of the federal government. Loughlin still gave them a run for their money. Those are one of the things they don’t teach in college.",Lou Shapiro - AttorneyAtLawMagazine.com See more