GTP CLASSIC: Neama Rahmani | United States of America v. Laura Elana Trejo-Macias | Guilty Verdict

This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Neama Rahmani of West Coast Trial Lawyers (https://westcoasttriallawyers.com/).

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Episode Details:

West Coast Trial Lawyers' President and co-founder Neama Rahmani looks back on his days as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and shares how he convinced a California jury that Laura Elana Trejo-Macias intentionally and knowingly tried to cross the U.S.-Mexico border with more than nine pounds of methamphetamine in her car. In March 2011, a trained drug detection dog at the San Ysidro port of entry alerted Customs and Border Protection Officers of contraband in Laura's newly acquired 2003 Chevy Tahoe. U.S. border officials found nine packages of methamphetamine with a street value of $130,000 in a modified shell of the vehicle's radiator. In spite of the defense's attempts to portray Laura as a successful businesswoman who was tricked into being a blind mule by an employee who had access to the car the day before, Neama Rahmani presented evidence that convinced the jury that Laura was, in fact, guilty of trafficking methamphetamine. In 2012, Laura was sentenced to more than 12 years in jail.

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Guest Bio:

Neama Rahmani

Neama is the President and co-founder of West Coast Trial Lawyers.

Neama graduated from UCLA at the age of 19 and Harvard Law School at the age of 22, making him one of the youngest graduates in the 200-year history of the law school. Upon graduation, Neama was hired by O’Melveny & Myers, the largest law firm in Los Angeles at the time, where he represented companies such as Disney, Marriott, and the Roman Catholic Church.

But Neama wanted to help ordinary people, not corporations, so he joined the United States Attorney’s Office, where he prosecuted drug and human trafficking cases along the United States-Mexico border. While working as a federal prosecutor, Neama captured and successfully prosecuted a fugitive murderer and drug kingpin who had terrorized Southern California and was featured on “America’s Most Wanted.” Neama was then appointed to be the Director of Enforcement of the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission, an independent watchdog that oversees and investigates the elected officials and highest-level employees of the City of Los Angeles, including the Mayor and City Council. He held that position until becoming a trial lawyer for the people.

Neama has extensive trial experience. He has led teams of more than 170 attorneys in litigation against the largest companies in the world. Neama has successfully tried dozens of cases to verdict as lead trial counsel and has argued and won before both state and federal appeals courts. Over the course of his career, Neama has handled thousands of cases, obtaining many seven and eight-figure settlements and judgments, and has helped his clients win more than one billion dollars.

Neama is a regular legal commentator on news and television and sits on the UCLA Political Science Board of Advisors. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, an attorney for foster children, son, daughter, and dog, Lola.

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Free Resources:

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2