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THE BAR JOURNAL

SPECIAL 2016 ISSUE:CAREERS OF DISTINCTION AWARDS

Sondra Jean Persons

J. Michael Mullins

32016 CAREERS OF DISTINCTION AWARDS ISSUE

This president’s message is a par-ticularly fun one for me. I get

to talk about a couple of folks Iknow and admire, and concurrent-ly, brag about the practice of law inSonoma County.

This year’s Careers of Distinctionaward winners, Sondra Persons and

Mike Mullins, are perfect examples of what’s best about thepractice of law in Sonoma County.

It may be that I’ve known Mike the longest, having methim when I was a young lawyer and he was DistrictAttorney Gene Tunney’s assistant. Being new to the lawgame, I was pretty overwhelmed by the whole criminal lawuniverse. Like most folks in small practices, regular appear-ances in the Municipal Court kept the doors open.

Mike was always an imposing figure—the DA’s hit man onthe courtroom floor. When big decisions had to be made,the deputy DAs usually looked to Mike for guidance. Thedeference Mike received from the members of that bench,Jim Jones, Frank Passalacqua, and the rest, was an educationfor me in how to navigate the courts.

Since his retirement from public service, Mike has againassumed the role of the good-example guy. His work withSonoma County Legal Aid and now Empire School of Lawastounds me. But, Mike is a man of supreme enthusiasm,and the occasional pithy rejoinder. I’ve really been pleased

to have him serve on the SCBA Board this year. He keepsthings moving.

My association with Sondra goes back to those same dayswhere, again, small firms kept their doors open with fre-quent appearances in front of Rex Sater and the otheroccasional judges who championed the “Sonoma CountyStyle” of family law. Sondra was in that first wave ofwomen entering the practice of law out of Empire LawSchool. Eventually, that group would become much of thefoundation of the practice of family law that we now enjoy.

Sondra was a treasure as a family lawyer since she knowshow to horse-trade with the best of them. I always enjoyedher bottom-line attitude. Being approachable, and willing tohear the other side out, is a hallmark of the post-Rex prac-tice of family law. Sondra has always shown those attributes.Her current work as a mediator brings all those long-acquired skills to the assistance of family law litigants.

Most people who know her know that she is an unbeliev-ably good cook, but perhaps not as well known is Sondra’spenchant for solo world travel.

The bragging part is about the SCBA as it reflects thepractice of law in Sonoma County. Rather than celebrat-ing the careers of moguls and high-dollar super successfullawyers, the COD choices made by the SCBA are, almostuniformly, chosen from the ranks of individuals who havedistinguished themselves not in headlines but rather bytheir commitment to the betterment of the practice of lawhere. The nomination forms submitted on behalf of thenominees are replete with descriptions of selflessness,devotion to the law, and a passion for justice. Both ourCOD winners demonstrate those attributes.

Not a week goes by that I don’t hear from a local judge,or an attorney from outside Sonoma, about how differentthe practice of law is here, versus the balance of the state.Lawyer to lawyer, lawyer to judge, collegiality is the termmost often used when people talk about how we go aboutour business here.

That balance of hard work and respect for other lawyers,judges, and the law, is what distinguishes our COD hon-orees. Sondra and Mike are perfect examples of whylawyering in Sonoma County is an amazing way to earna living.

I tip my hat to both of them, congratulate them, and thankthem for their much-appreciated contributions.

President’s Message: COD is Our Celebration of the

Betterment of the Practice of Law .................................3

Gallery of Careers of Distinction Honorees ................5-9

Remembering Hon. Joseph A. Rattigan:

Our First COD Honoree .......................................10-12

COD Photo Retrospectives 2013-2015..................14-16

2016 COD Event Program ..........................................17

J. Michael Mullins: A Life of Public Service ...........18-21

Sondra Jean Persons: Always Going Forward..........22-26

2015 COD Event Registration Form ..........................29

In This Issue

From the President: COD is Our Celebration of theBetterment of the Practice of Law

By James DeMartiniPresident, SCBA

4 THE BAR JOURNAL


Gallery of Careers of Distinction Honorees

Hon. Joseph A. Rattigan Hon. John H. Moskowitz Francis J. PassalacquaThomas Brownscombe Hon. Joseph P. Murphy

1993 1994 1994 1994 1995

Luda Barham Charles DeMeo Clarendon AndersonNicholas DeMeo B. Scott Foster

1995 1995 1995 1996 1996

John Lounibos Leroy Lounibos Everett H. ShapiroJack Ryersen John F. “Jack” Shea

1996 1996 1997 1997 1997

Hon. Robert Ball Dennis Keegan Hon. Rex SaterCarlton W. Spridgen R. Winfield Achor

1998 1998 1998 1999 1999

6 THE BAR JOURNAL


Gallery of Careers of Distinction Honorees (cont.)

Annette Lombardi Michael O’Donnell John F. “Jack” DeMeoHon. William Boone Alfred F. Maggini

1999 2000 2001 2001 2002

James R. Mazzoni, Jr. Steven C. Neustadter Edwin C. AndersonHon. Lloyd von der Mehden Dee Schilling

2002 2002 2003 2003 2003

Hon. Jeanne M. Buckley Hon. Richard “Dick” Day Harvey W. HoffmanWilliam E. Geary C. Kenneth James

2004 2004 2004 2005 2005

Michael D. Senneff Robert J. Henry Richens L. WoottonJohn A. Klein Gregory J. Jacobs

2005 2006 2006 2006 2007

8 THE BAR JOURNAL


Gallery of Careers of Distinction Honorees (cont.)

Leroy J. Lounibos, Jr. Chris Andrian Hon. Dennis BeamanThomas R. Kenney Hon. William Bettinelli

2007 2008 2008 2009 2009

Larry Scoufos Clayton E. Clement Hon. Gayle C. GuynupArthur L. Lafranchi L. Stephen Turer

2009 2010

Frederic L. Hirschfield Hon. Laurence K. Sawyer

2012 2012

2010 2011 2011

W. Barton Weitzenberg Richard W. Abbey Patrick W. Emery

Christopher Costin David Grabill

2013 2013 2013

Hon. Stephany Joy Les Perry

2014 2014

Kirt Zeigler

2014 2015 2015

10 THE BAR JOURNAL

By Lloyd von der MehdenSonoma County Superior Court Judge*

Note: This posthumous article is written at the request of theSonoma County Bar Association, and the author appreciates theopportunity to write about a long time friend and former associate.It is based on information and details obtained from several sourcesnoted at the end of this article**, as well as the author’s researchand recollection of events and circumstances.

In 1993, the Sonoma County Bar Association honoredJustice Joseph A. Rattigan as the first recipient of the

Career of Distinction award. The dinner ceremony for theevent was held at the Friedman Center in Santa Rosa. It waswell attended, and there were a number ofwell-known speakers and testimonials relat-ing to the long, distinguished career ofJustice Rattigan.

There is an interesting personal and profes-sional history of Joe Rattigan. Joe was bornand grew up in Washington, D.C. In 1940 hegraduated from Catholic University ofAmerica, also located in Washington, D.C.,and earned his A.B. degree. Thereafter, Joeworked as a junior economist in the FarmSecurity Administration of the U.S. Department ofAgriculture. In 1942, shortly after the attack on PearlHarbor, Joe joined the U.S. Navy. He served as a NavyLieutenant, and was initially assigned to a unit in LatinAmerica as an Intelligence Officer. Later, he applied for andwas accepted as a PT boat captain and served in the area ofNew Guinea and the Philippines. He was involved in fivecombat campaigns in the southwest Pacific area. He washonorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in the fall of 1945,a month after the war ended.

Joe was married in 1943. He and his wife, Betty, and their sixchildren resided in Santa Rosa for many years. It should benoted that Joe and Betty met in the second grade.

In 1945, Joe applied for admission to several law schoolsunder the GI Bill, and was accepted at Stanford UniversitySchool of Law. He graduated from Stanford in 1947.Thereafter, he began practicing law in Ukiah, CA. His prac-tice continued for a brief period in that city.

In 1949, Joe left the Ukiah law practice and joined the Santa

Rosa law firm of Geary, Spridgen and Moskowitz. Heactively practiced law with that firm for approximately 10years, with emphasis on civil litigation and other cases.Around 1960, Joe changed his law firm affiliation, joined thelate John D. Fitzgerald and formed a partnership in the prac-tice of law with an office on College Avenue. Commencingin 1962, the law office of Fitzgerald & Rattigan employedthe author as a junior associate, and later as a partner in thelaw firm. At that time, Joe was active as a State Senator, ashereafter explained, and practiced law on a part-time basis.When the Legislature was in session, he was in the office vir-tually every weekend. We had frequent conferences on

Saturdays to discuss pending cases and othermatters. Joe, in effect, was a mentor duringthe author’s early years in the practice of law.The practice so continued through 1966,when Joe was appointed to the appellatebench. Based on the author’s observations,Joe had an excellent work ethic, was thor-ough in his research and reasoned analysisof cases, and was a person of the highestintegrity in the practice of law. From timeto time, Joe was the speaker at various com-munity functions or organization events.Well prepared and knowledgeable regarding

the topic being presented, Joe was an eloquent speaker.

During this time frame, the late Everett Shapiro joined thefirm as an investigator. He was a law student attending anevening law school in San Francisco. Joe and Everett hadbeen friends for some time and often discussed or banteredabout various matters of interest. References were some-times made to the late Groucho Marx, and his brothers; andsome of their jokes and humorous anecdotes were some-times discussed or overheard. It was evident that humor wasa part of the personalities of Joe and Everett. It was anexciting and enjoyable atmosphere in the firm. The authorwishes he could remember more of the jokes or details.

Joe was a member of the State Bar of California and theSonoma County Bar Association. He was also a non-res-ident member of Bar in the District of Columbia; andadmitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. Hewas also active in the Sonoma County Bar Association fora number of years and held various offices. In 1960-61, heserved as its president.

Remembering Hon. Joseph A. Rattigan, Our First COD Honoree

Hon. Joseph A. Rattigan


In the early 1950s, Joe Rattigan became active in localpolitics and community service in Santa Rosa. He servedon the Board of Public Utilities of the City of Santa Rosafor several years. He was also on the Democratic CentralCommittee, and a delegate to the Democratic NationalConvention in Chicago. In 1958, Rattigan ran for officeas the State Senator for Sonoma County and narrowlydefeated the incumbent State Senator, F. Presley Abshire.Rattigan served in the State Senate for two terms endingin 1966. In his first year in the Senate, he was named the“outstanding new legislator.” In 1963, the San FranciscoChronicle referred to him as “the Senate’s most respectedlegal mind.”

During his tenure in the State Senate, Senator Rattigan wasa member of various committees, including the SenateCommittee on Local Government (Acting Chairman), theSenate Committees on Agriculture, Business andProfessions, and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.

As a Senator, Joe was responsible for many importantpieces of legislation, including several that will be reviewedhere. In 1960, Joe introduced a bill to establish SonomaState College/University. Evidently, at the time there wassignificant competition in the Legislature among four ormore counties, for the proposed state college location andas to various sites within each of the counties. It appearsthat Senator Rattigan did a masterful job of moving the billthrough various procedural hurdles in both houses of thelegislature. The bill was moved through the Assembly onthe final day of a special session, and was on the Governor’sdesk 40 minutes after the Legislature had adjourned.Rattigan considered passage of the bill one of his mostenduring achievements in the State Senate.

In 1964, Rattigan co-authored the Rattigan-Burton Act thatestablished medical and hospital care programs for senior cit-izens. This legislation pre-dated the federal Medicare pro-gram and established California as a healthcare pioneer.Rattigan also played a major role in the passage of theRumford Fair Housing Act, which was designed to endracial and other forms of discrimination in public housingand certain other categories. Further, one of Rattigan’s billscreated the State Department of Rehabilitation, which wasstructured to aid the physically handicapped.

In 1966, Senator Rattigan’s second term came to an endbecause his district was reapportioned. The new district wassubstantially larger and extended to the Oregon border. In

effect, Rattigan was reapportioned out of his district, anddecided not run for another term.

In 1996, the Legislature approved a resolution that the StateOffice Building located at 50 D Street in the City of SantaRosa as the Justice Joseph A. Rattigan Building. The lengthyresolutions by the State Senate and Assembly appear on theweb and chronicle Rattigan’s many achievements and pub-lic services. It should be noted that one of the resolutionsrefers to Rattigan’s election to the office of state senatorserving two consecutive terms from 1959 to 1966, and thathe “... earned a reputation for his keen intellect, driving workethic and unwavering integrity.”

In later 1966, former Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brownappointed Joe Rattigan as a justice on the First DistrictCourt of Appeal. He commenced his judicial service inJanuary 1967, and his judicial career continued for 17 years.During his tenure on the appellate bench, Justice Rattiganparticipated in approximately 4,100 decisions, plus writ pro-ceedings. He authored more than 1,000 opinions, publishedand unpublished, in addition to concurring and dissentingopinions. Justice Rattigan devoted extensive time in researchand writing of his own opinions in a variety of cases, bothcivil and criminal. The quality of his research and writing isevident in the several cases reviewed below. He was alsoappointed by the Chief Justice of California to serve twoterms as a member of the California Judicial Council.

During his tenure on the appellate bench, Justice Rattiganwas probably the most frequent patron at the SonomaCounty Law Library, located at the time in the SonomaCounty Hall of Justice. In fact, there was a law library tablethat he normally occupied often piled high with boundvolumes of the official reports and advance sheets. Joe saidthat he usually commuted from his home in Santa Rosa tohis office at the State of California Court building in SanFrancisco two days per week to hear oral arguments onpending cases and to attend various conferences. The otherdays he seemed to work in the Sonoma County LawLibrary. The late Sonoma County Superior Court JudgeJoseph P. Murphy recalled “I used to observe him (JusticeRattigan) in the law library here” and commented that“Law students and young lawyers would come up and talkto him and he was without exception, generous in hisadvice and ability to share their concerns. He was simplyalways available for counsel.”Continued on page 12

Justice Rattigan wrote opinions in a number of notablecases. Three of the cases illustrate his thorough approach andreasoned analysis. In 1968, Rattigan wrote the majorityopinion in Fletcher v. A.J. Industries, Inc.(1968) 266Cal.App.2nd 313[72 Cal.Rptr. 146], a case that presented anissue of first impression: whether a plaintiff in a shareholderderivative action that has been settled may be entitled to anaward of attorneys fees under the private attorney generaldoctrine when a substantial benefit has been derived, butwithout the existence of a common fund. The publishedopinion by Justice Rattigan held that the substantial benefitrule may be applied in California to permit the award. It isnotable that the California Supreme Court in a later deci-sion, Serrano v. Priest (1977) 20 Cal.3d 25, 38 [141 Cal.Rptr.315, 569 P.2d 1303], cited the Fletcher opinion (by J.Rattigan) and commented that it was “the seminalCalifornia case on this subject.”

In 1970, Justice Rattigan wrote the opinion in People v.Newton (1970) 8 Cal.App.3rd 359 [87 Cal.Rptr. 394]. In thatcase, defendant Huey Newton appealed from a judgment ofvoluntary manslaughter in the shooting of a police officer inAlameda County. Rattigan’s opinion, which garnered theunanimous support of the Court of Appeal, reversedNewton’s conviction on several substantive and proceduralgrounds, and held that the lower court had denied Newtonhis constitutional right to have a jury determine the materi-al issues shown by the evidence.

Finally, there is the notable decision in Mandel v. Hodges(1976) 54 Cal.App.3d 596 [127 Cal.Rptr. 244]. The decisionreviewed a judgment enjoining the Governor from orderingthe closure of State offices on Good Friday between thehours of 12 noon and 3 p.m., with pay for State employeesduring that three-hour period. The opinion by JusticeRattigan affirmed the lower court judgment, and held thatthe Governor’s order was unconstitutional because it wasrooted in Christian theology with a primary effect ofadvancing religion, that it lacked any clear secular purposeand constituted excessive government entanglement withreligion. Again, Rattigan was able to write an opinion thatgarnered unanimous support on the appellate bench, despitethe controversial nature of the ruling.

In 1984, Justice Rattigan retired from the First DistrictCourt of Appeal. Nevertheless, he continued his public serv-ice by being appointed and serving a full four-year term onthe California Fair Political Practices Commission. He was

the only former legislator and the only former judge toserve at the time on the Commission. On May 12, 2007,Joseph A. Rattigan passed away at the age of 87.

The Sonoma County Bar Association should be compli-mented for initiating the Career of Distinction event in1993, and for its wisdom is selecting the first honoree.

The Honorable Joseph A. Rattigan was indeed one ofSonoma County’s truly outstanding and distinguished citi-zens and member of the legal community. His career as anattorney, State Senator and Justice on the Court of Appealwas extraordinary, and his dedication to public service wasexemplary.

** Lloyd von der Mehden is a retired Sonoma County Superior CourtJudge, was President of the SCBA in 1978, and was a 2003 Careersof Distinction Honoree.

* The author specially credits and thanks Gaye LeBaron, noted SonomaCounty historian, columnist and long time friend of Joe Rattigan, for herassistance and references to the interview record with Joe Rattigan andother information. The author also thanks Morgan Prickett, senior judi-cial staff attorney at the First District Court of Appeals, for his assistancewith the citations and information regarding Justice Rattigan.

12 THE BAR JOURNAL

Joseph A. Rattigan (continued from page 11)

2013 Careers of Distinction RecipientsRichard W. Abbey • W. Barton Weitzenberg • Patrick W. Emery

Photos courtesy of Owen Scott Shirwo

2013 Honorees with theirCOD awards, L to R: SCBA

Past President Patrick W. Emery,W. Barton Weitzenberg,

& SCBA Past PresidentRichard W. Abbey

Past COD Honoree & past SCBA President Tom Kenney, Congressman Mike Thompson & 2013 Honoree W. Barton Weitzenberg

SCBA Vice President Bonnie Freeman &the Emcee for the COD Awards Program

Malcolm Manwell with Teresa & Scott LewisPast Honoree Mike Senneff & 2013 Honoree& SCBA Past President Richard W. Abbey

2014 Careers of Distinction RecipientsCommissioner Stephany Joy (Ret.) • Les Perry • Kirt Zeigler


Rob Rutherfurd, Honoree Kirt Zeigler & SCBA President Bonnie Freeman

SCBA President Bonnie Freeman,Honoree Les Perry & Patrick Emery

Chuck Ogilnuk, Hon. Ken Gnoss & Bill Marioni

Jack & Judy DeMeo

SCBA PresidentBonnie Freeman,

Honoree CommissionerStephany Joy (Ret.),

Commissioner CynthiaDenenholz (Ret.) &

Hon. Lawrence Ornell

2015 Careers of Distinction RecipientsChristopher Costin • David Grabill


SCBA President Carla Boyd Terre,Honoree David Grabill, & Brien Farrell

Audience gives the honorees a standing ovation

L to R: Margaret Senneff, Mike Senneff, Kim Clement & Ann Hancock

Commissioner Stephany Joy (Ret.) & Peter Trombetta

SCBA President Carla Boyd Terre,

Honoree ChristopherCostin, & Clay Clement

2016 PROGRAM

2016 Careers of Distinction Awards DinnerOctober 7, 2016 • Hyatt Vineyard Creek

Honoring J. Michael Mullins & Sondra Jean Persons

7:00 P.M.Presentation begins during dinner with welcome by

SCBA President Jim DeMartini

Presentation in honor of J. Michael Mullinswith Introduction and Comments by

Jim DeMartini and Kathleen Mullins Henderson

Presentation in honor of Sondra Jean Persons with Introduction and Comments byJim DeMartini and Rose M. Zoia

8:30 P.M. - Closing Comments by Jim DeMartini

5:00 P.M.Registration

5:30 P.M.Reception & No Host Bar

6:30 P.M.Dinner

18 THE BAR JOURNAL

“…The educated person has an obligation to serve thepublic. He may be a precinct worker or President. Hemay give his talents at the courthouse, the state house,the White House. He may be a civil servant or a sena-tor, a candidate or a campaign worker, a winner or aloser, but he must be a participant and not a spectator.”

– John F. Kennedy

I looked forward to interviewing my old boss, formerSonoma County District Attorney Mike Mullins, and

now, a Career of Distinction honoree. When I recentlytalked to him, I found out how little I really knew aboutthe man that I worked with in the D.A.’s office for 28years. Certainly, I knew very little of hischildhood, early schooling, and what ledhim from Southern California to thiscounty.

Mike’s folks emigrated from the Dustbowlof the 1930’s to a small family farm in theL.A. area. He was born in 1942, and grewup in El Monte where his dad eventuallybought a gas station. Mike worked at thestation from junior high to the end of lawschool. He told me that he was a good stu-dent in high school, “most of the time,” andplayed on the tennis team. He was not themost graceful member of the team, but Iwas not surprised when he described himself as a human“wall” on the tennis court, “because they could not getthe ball past me.” He still plays a fair game of racquet ball,where both strategy and that self-described tenacity arerequired. One highlight for him in high school camewhile he wrote for the school paper. He was honoredwith a journalism award, having gained local notoriety forreporting on the vandalism of a synagogue. He was unde-cided about a career after graduation, but his purchase ofa Corvette at the end of high school definitely meant hecould not afford to go away to college.

Mike attended Citrus J.C., and Cal Poly Pomona, playingon tennis teams, and not sure where he was headed. Aftera little research, he decided on the law as the way to go.“I might make some money,” he mused. He transferred toUCLA where he majored in history, and planned oneventually going to law school there. He graduated withhis B.A., and was accepted at U.C.L.A law school. Afterfive weeks of law school, however, he was not sure he

made the right choice. He was overwhelmed, “even witha Black’s Dictionary constantly at my side,” but when hecalled his dad for some sympathy, the response was,“Don’t worry, son, there is always the gas station.” Giventhat choice, Mike stayed in school. Mike’s dad alwaysknew exactly how to “encourage” him. Since he hadtaken five years to complete college, he knew his defer-ment was ending, so he signed up for the Army ROTC.They were happy to allow him to continue in law school,in exchange for summers in such pleasant climes as FortKnox, Kentucky. No summer legal internships for Mike!

After he graduated from law school, and passed the bar in1968, the Army assigned him to the Presidio to take over

a special military police unit. As a sec-ond lieutenant, he was in charge oftraining local police agencies abouthandling anti-war demonstrations.Because there was not enough roomfor him at the Presidio, he rented anapartment in Sausalito for three years.As his M.P. tour of duty wound downin 1970, he realized he was not goingto Vietnam, and he wanted to cele-brate. He went next door to “bum adrink” off his friend, who was a realestate broker and definitely much bet-ter off financially. They got to talking

and his friend told Mike about the girls upstairs in hisapartment building. “They were very nice, and short.” Hesuggested that if Mike wanted to meet them, he should goupstairs to their place, and tell them he was returning abowl of ice his friend had borrowed for a recent party.When Mike knocked on the door, Liz, the woman hewould soon marry, answered and listened skeptically tothe story. (Liz Mullins told me that when she met Mikeshe told him, “You must be Irish,” with a line like that.)

After three dates, he proposed, and they were married inApril of 1970. Mike was honorably discharged inOctober of 1970, and went looking for a job. He and Lizreturned to L.A., because Mike’s dad was seriously ill. Hedied shortly after they moved. He was bored after a shorttime in a local general practice firm so he signed up foran interview with both the Orange County D.A. andP.D. offices. It was the D.A. who called. Mike and Lizlived in Seal Beach for a while when he worked forOrange County. (As an aside and testament to Liz’s polit-

J. Michael Mullins: A Life of Public Service


ical skills, she managed the only successful McGoverncampaign in the county! More on her later.) When theirfirst daughter, Jessica, was born, both Mike and Liz want-ed to go back to Northern California to raise a family.The opportunity soon presented itself. While assigned tojuvenile court in Orange County, Mike helped a localcivil attorney, Steven Gallagher, on a case, becauseGallagher was a little out of his element. Impressed byMike’s courtesy, Gallagher told Mike that his son, John,was the Assistant D.A. in Sonoma County, and that Mikeought to talk to him about a job. Mike promptly calledJohn, and after an interview with Gallagher, CountyCouncil John Sawyer, and Deputy P.D. Roger Sanborn,he was hired. Thus began a thirty year career in theSonoma County D.A.’s office.

Mike’s first boss was John Hawkes, who within a matterof months, was on his way out. Gene Tunney was electedto the first of his five terms in 1973, the year Mike start-ed in Sonoma County. Mike actually tried a case againstGene when Tunney was in the P.D.’s office. Although hehad told Gene before the election he was supportingHawkes, he was not worried about losing his job becausehe thought “Tunney was an honorable man.” Just twoyears later, Mike found out how honorable Tunney was.Mike had a severe illness requiring two surgeries that usedup his sick leave. “On his own, Gene Tunney went to batfor me before the Board of Supervisors, and they voted 3-2 to give me additional leave. I never forgot that.”

Mike recounted some early Sonoma County D.A. adven-tures like prosecuting pornography cases under Hawkes.He was supposed to try the owner of the old theater indowntown Petaluma, who was showing “Behind the GreenDoor,” and “Deep Throat.” Mike chuckles when hedescribes how he ran up against a “slick attorney” fromBerkeley, and his expert on “contemporary communitystandards.” That expert was both a minister and sex thera-pist from The City. Needless to say, the case never got totrial, (probably a blessing in disguise), because the judge dis-missed the case. But that was not the end of it. A small butdetermined group of very conservative ministers demand-ed Mike be fired for “his incompetence.” Fortunately forLiz, Jessica, and the rest of the citizens of Sonoma County,Mike kept his job. Under Tunney, Mike was assigned tosupervise Muni Court Deputies, and try felonies until1981, when Gary Antolini left the DA’s office to become ajudge. Mike became Gene Tunney’s assistant.

One of Mike’s greatest career challenges was People v. JoeJohnson. This case occupied Mike off and on for over tenyears while he was Assistant D.A. He convicted Johnsonfor the murder of an elementary school teacher in hisown home, and the rape of a woman in a local church,and obtained the death penalty. The case was tried inSacramento, where Mike was fortunately able to stay withhis in-laws. In the mid 80’s, however, the “Rose Bird”court reversed both convictions. After a rehearing, themurder conviction was reinstated, but the rape convictionand death penalty verdict were not. Another penalty trialwas set in Sacramento. The Sonoma County Deputy D.A.assigned to the case was struggling during jury selection,and Mike agreed to go to Sacramento to “see what wasgoing on.” He ended up staying, and helping to put onthe case. The jury hung 11 to 1 for death. Mike returnedto Sacramento for a third time, this time alone, and final-ly obtained a death verdict. Over 35 years after the crimewas committed, the case is still on appeal.

But the Johnson case was not the only one Mike had tohandle in Sacramento. I asked Mike if Johnson was hismost significant case, and he said “No, it was KentuckyPendergrass, because of its sensational nature.” Pendergrasswas a local personality, including being a Fair BoardDirector, who was being prosecuted for harassing his for-mer mistress. She had gone back to her husband. Whilethose charges were pending, Pendergrass went to her res-idence and ambushed her, her husband, and a familyfriend while they were eating dinner. He shot and killedhis ex-girlfriend, and her husband was killed by the friendin a crossfire. Because of the publicity, Mike had to againpack his bags for Sacramento. Mike said, “Our officereceived a tremendous amount of pressure from certainparts of the community who wanted to give Pendergrasssome kind of a break, but the facts clearly supported acharge of first degree murder.” Mike convictedPendergrass, and he remained in prison until he wasreleased at the age of 90 for health reasons. He died eightweeks later.

These change of venue cases were also hard on Mike’sfamily. Liz Mullins told me that “the drama was not alwaysin the court room, but in the home.” During thePendergrass trial, Liz had the flu while she was taking careof her one-month old baby. She had Mike ask the

Continued on page 21

20 THE BAR JOURNAL


Sacramento judge for just two days off. Incredibly, thejudge refused at first, and said, “Can’t you get a woman tohelp?” (Nice guy.) Liz prevailed, however, and the two-dayabsence was duly noted in the Press Democrat. Duringthe Pendergrass trial, Mike again stayed with Liz’s parentsin Sacramento. When he came home on the weekends, heand Liz would prepare meals for the kids for the followingweek. Fortunately Liz Mullins had grown up with a fatherwho was a high profile lobbyist in Sacramento, so she wasalready familiar with the life in the public eye. She had alsobeen an intern in the state legislature at age 17, where herfather insisted she visit the legislature in session to hearwho her father called the “greatest orator of our time,” JoeRattigan.

Mike was elected District Attorney after Gene Tunneyretired, and served two terms. I was Mike’s Assistant from1994 to 2002. Mike was D.A. when I went to Santa ClaraCounty in 1996 to try Richard Allen Davis for the kid-nap-murder of Polly Klaas. He knew exactly what I wasgoing through when my family and I had to deal with thedemands of a high profile case while I was away fromhome for the six month trial. I could not have asked fora better boss during the trial. He was very supportive, andalways made sure I had all the help I needed. And like JoeJohnson, the Richard Allen Davis case is still on appeal. Ihope there is no retrial for either case.

While he was D.A., he helped set up the child abuseinterview center at Los Guilicos, establish child deathreview and domestic death review teams, a multi-countyforensic computer investigative team, and oversaw a verysuccessful Child Support Division. Our office was alsoinvolved for several years in Operation Black Widow, alaw enforcement operation involving federal and stateofficers who infiltrated the Nuestra Familia, a prisongang, which was responsible for local crime across thestate. Mike oversaw the high profile prosecutions of sev-eral Catholic priests for child sexual assault. And he stillfound time to teach at Empire Law School and partici-pate on various boards for the California DistrictAttorneys Association.

Although Mike loved being D.A., he was defeated aftertwo terms by Deputy D.A. Stephan Passalacqua. On theday I interviewed Mike, we did not dwell on the issuesswirling around the office during Mike’s second term.Although another person might be bitter about losing

office, Mike is not. This is truly one of his strengths. AndLiz, ever the daughter of the lobbyist, said she knew fromthe very start that there “is no free ride,” and that “you doeverything you can to do a good job, but that might notbe enough.” Mike, Liz, and their four children, Jessica,Ann, Michael, and Kate, moved on. After the election,Mike immediately went to work for the Solano CountyD.A.’s office, where he tried cases just like any otherdeputy, and then was assigned to supervise the Vallejooffice. The Vallejo assignment shortened his commutefrom Kenwood considerably. In fact, Liz said that Mikewould get up early, stop for a work out in Sonoma, meetnew friends, have breakfast and then go on to Vallejo.Mike loved it.

After eleven years with Solano County, he accepted a“golden handshake,” and finally retired. (Well, you neverknow.) But his Career of Distinction returned to SonomaCounty, where he volunteered for Catholic Charities, andadvised those enmeshed in immigration difficulties. Healso volunteered for Legal Aid, and drafted D.V. restrain-ing orders, and civil harassment orders—“I even went tocourt.” Last year he received a phone call from DistrictAttorney Jill Ravitch, who told him they were lookingfor a dean for Empire Law College. He got the job, andfrom what I have heard, it seems like a perfect fit. Mikehas always been a student of the law, and he loves to men-tor the students and work with the faculty.

Mike’s daughter, Kate, who is now an attorney, expressesa great deal of love and respect for her father, who, despitethe demands of the D.A. career, was “always there for her.”From her parents, she and her siblings learned that it is an“honor and privilege to work for the good of the com-munity. There is not a greater purpose than to serve.” Andher dad has been doing it for 43 years.

By Greg Jacobs

Greg Jacobs is a retired Assistant District Attorneywho worked for the Sonoma County D.A’s Office for35 years and a 2007 Career of Distinction honoree.

J. Michael Mullins (continued from page 19)

22 THE BAR JOURNAL

If there is one word that describes Sondra Persons, it ismother. Or is it grandmother, attorney, advocate, plan-

ner, organizer, leader, innovator, professional, mentor,confidante, or friend, Sondra Persons fills all of these roleswith joyful enthusiasm.

The motto of Sondra Persons’ family, “Sempre Avanti,”(always going forward), defines Sondra in every aspect ofher life. She is hard working, generous, and relentless.Sondra is actively involved in every group of which she isa member; she is a “take charge” person who will lead thegroup where it needs to go, and she always deflects cred-it from herself to others who have worked hard to makethe group’s success possible.

I have known Sondra since her earlydays as an attorney. After opposing heron several cases, we became friends andlater shared office space for 18 years.Sondra has earned a reputation for hercommon sense, reasonable fees, andeffective, vigorous, and compassionaterepresentation of her clients. She repre-sents them in a professional manner thatis appreciated and admired. In my yearsworking with Sondra, I have had thepleasure of watching her build a respect-ed and successful practice, become avaluable leader in the Sonoma County Bar Associationand legal community, enjoy her children and grandchil-dren, and travel the world.

Sondra is fiercely proud of her Italian heritage. Family isvery, very important to her. Spend any time speakingwith Sondra and the conversation will turn to family.She has a large extended family and treasures the fact thatshe has close ties to so many of her cousins in both theUnited States and Italy. She communicates regularly withher family in both countries and frequently travels toboth the Pacific Northwest and Italy to maintain herfamily ties.

Sondra is a first generation American. Her maternal fam-ily had very humble beginnings, as sharecroppers in theTuscany region of Italy for generations. Her grandparentswere illiterate and came to the U.S. with nothing. Hergrandfather's sister remained in Italy, and went to work asa young teenager for a well-to-do family in their area.She saved the money she earned and loaned it to

her older siblings, one by one, so that each could purchase passage to America. After finding employment in America, each then repaid her, enabling most ofSondra’s grandfather’s siblings to immigrate to the U.S.Sondra’s grandfather immigrated to Portland, Oregon.Sondra’s mother was born in Italy and immigrated whenshe was 21 months old.

The living descendants of her grandparents now number80, including 22 spouses. In addition, there are manymore cousins who are the descendants of her grandpar-ents’ siblings, many of whom live in Italy. During her mostrecent trip to Italy, in May 2015, she visited with 49 fam-

ily members, from Arezzo to Livorno toGenoa. There are four generations inSondra’s family (there were five until2010). Every two years the extendedfamily has a week-long reunion inSunriver, Oregon. Sondra anticipatesthat approximately 60 of her relativeswill attend this year.

Seven years ago, on the 100th anniver-sary of her mother’s birth, Sondra tookher children, their spouses, and grand-children to Italy for two weeks. Shewanted to show them their Italian her-itage, to meet many of their cousins,

and experience the joy of travel to a foreign country.They stayed in a small Tuscan town. They visited the oldstone barn where their ancestors had lived as sharecrop-pers and the local cemetery where their great-great-great-grandparents are buried. The trip also provided thevenue for the wedding of Sondra’s youngest son, withmany of their Italian cousins joining in the marriage cer-ebration.

Sondra attended St. Mary’s Academy, a Catholic girls’high school in Portland and the oldest high school in theState of Oregon. She received a superb education forwhich she is very grateful. Sondra continues to attendreunions and other activities, and is a proud alumna of St.Mary's Academy.

Sondra graduated from the University of Portland with aBA in foreign languages and five minors. She lived athome, worked 20 hours a week, and went to school yearround for four years. She was the first woman and secondmember in her family to graduate from college; one male

Sondra Jean Persons: Always Going Forward


cousin had graduated before she did. Today, about 70% ofher family has earned college degrees.

Sondra became involved in the Bennett Valley UnionSchool District before her four children even startedschool. It was a small one-school rural school district, butwith a growing and changing population. Parents werevery engaged and were willing to roll up their sleeves tomake things happen without substantially increasingexpenses. The district grew from one school to three andfrom a very average district to a district widely acclaimedfor its educational achievements. As a result of her exten-sive community involvement, Sondra was elected to theBennett Valley Union School District Board of Trustees in1975. She was the third woman to sit on that board. Sheserved two terms as president of the school board, from1979 to 1981, and worked diligently after the passage ofProposition 13 in November 1978 to make sure that theschool district had sufficient operating funds.

In the 1970s, Sondra was one of six women who spentmore than a year developing the First Communion cur-riculum for St. Eugene’s Cathedral CCD program. Shetaught in that program for seven years and the parishcontinued to follow that program for many years there-after. In the early 1980s, Sondra was the Rent ControlCommissioner for the City of Cotati, where she con-ducted hearings and resolved disputes between landlordsand tenants.

Always moving forward, Sondra enrolled as a member ofthe first class in the Sonoma State University paralegalprogram. During the second semester, she was hired as aparalegal by the attorney teaching the class. Sondraworked as a paralegal in several law offices throughoutSonoma County from 1980 through 1987. Continuing tomove forward, Sondra chose a mid-life career changewhen she enrolled at Empire Law School. She was a sin-gle mom, working during the day and going to lawschool at night, while raising her family. When she beganlaw school all four of her children, 11-16 years of age,were still at home.

Sondra was admitted to the State Bar in 1987. She began aprivate practice in family law, which she continues today.

After passing the bar, Sondra immediately becameinvolved with the Sonoma County Bar Association,(SCBA), and as a person who never sits and watches the

world go by, she became an active participant, determinedto make a difference. When something is not going rightor should be better, she steps in to fix it.

Sondra served on the Bar Association’s program commit-tee from 1987 to 1990. She was a member of the Boardof Directors for many years and was a member of theExecutive Committee from 1991 to 1996. She served asSecretary (1992) and Finance Chair (1993) and was elect-ed Vice President and President Elect in 1994.

Mark Peters was SCBA President when Sondra served asVice President. Well before Mark’s term as President com-menced, he and Sondra spoke often about the opportuni-ty they had to make substantial changes in the BarAssociation. Together, they spent many hours discussing,planning, and working to improve the Bar Association. Atthat time, the Association had one part-time employeeand a very small office. Mark and Sondra spent manyhours on the telephone in the evenings discussing thepossibility and logistics of moving the Bar Associationforward. Many of the improvements to the BarAssociation started when Mark was President, and cameto fruition during Sondra's presidency.

During this time period, the Bar Association went from apart-time Executive Director to a full-time ExecutiveDirector and moved the office into a much larger space onTalbot Avenue. The Association helped Legal Aid get on itsfeet, reclaimed the Lawyer Referral Service, and startedThe Careers of Distinction Awards Program. As VicePresident in 1994, Sondra undertook the resurrection andimprovement of the Bar Association newsletter. It had pre-viously been an informal photocopied newsletter called theBar Bulletin. She changed the name to the Bar Briefs andthe Association began publishing it on a regular basis, fourtimes a year, making it the precursor for the professionalpublication we now receive, the SCBA Bar Journal whichstarted in 2006. In her continuing interest in expandingthe scope of legal representation to those who did nothave access to it, during her Presidency her quarterly“President’s Column” focused on pro bono work.

During this time, Legal Aid was a small, struggling organ-ization. It relied on volunteers and provided clinic typeassistance. Occasionally, attorneys, including Joel Rubin,an early proponent, would take cases to represent peopleunable to afford counsel.


24 THE BAR JOURNAL


Legal Aid was able to raise only small amounts of money,so an attorney volunteer would appear at a BarAssociation meeting almost monthly and beg for thefunds to pay the telephone bill, the rent, or other basicobligations. Attorneys and firms made contributions toLegal Aid, but there was no organized fundraising mech-anism. Sondra saw the problem, thought of a solution, andbegan working. She went down the list of SCBA mem-bers and made telephone calls to ask for contributions.She would ask each attorney if he or she would be will-ing to give one hour per year to Legal Aid. How can anattorney say “No” to that simple request? Then sheexplained that she wanted it in dollars, i.e., donate toLegal Aid an amount charged for one hour of legal work.That simple solution worked. The system became muchmore sophisticated over the years and this year Legal Aidraised over $100,000 in its phone-a-thon. This is pureSondra: recognize the problem, develop a plan to resolvethe problem, and carry it out.

The SCBA Executive Board spent considerable time andeffort trying to find ways to help Legal Aid. The Board didnot want to jeopardize the IOLTA money Legal Aid wasreceiving or risk its non-profit status. One of the ways theBoard discovered it could help Legal Aid was to subletoffice space to them at a very reasonable rate and throwin some tenant benefits.

Sondra is very proud of what the Bar Association accom-plished for Legal Aid. I originally wrote this sentence as“Sondra is very proud of what she and her ExecutiveBoard accomplished for Legal Aid.” But Sondra typicallyedited out the reference to herself.

Sondra was elected SCBA President in 1995, only thefourth woman to hold that office. During her presidency,Sondra led the concerted effort to regain the LawyerReferral Service, which was then being operated by anoth-er agency. Since its return to SCBA, Lawyer ReferralService has generated in excess of $1.3 million dollars inrevenue from 1997 through 2014. It now accounts forbetween 17 and 19 percent of SCBA revenue.

The first Careers of Distinction (COD) was in the fall of1993, just before the end of Richard Ingram's term asPresident. Mark was Vice President at that time. Sondracredits Eric Koenigshofer for much of COD’s success. Erichad come to the Executive Committee with the idea,

which the Board approved. Sondra volunteered to helpEric and together they ran the event for the first nine years.Eric shaped and managed the COD presentation program.Sondra created and managed the budget, selected the cater-er, the menu, the floral decorations and linens, the wines,both donated and bought by the Association, and arrangedfor the bar, sometimes asking attorneys to volunteer as bar-tenders. The event is the biggest annual function of the BarAssociation and is now in its twenty-fourth year.

In 1995, the Sonoma County Superior Court recognizedSondra for her role in assisting in the resolution of fami-ly law disputes. Sondra has twice been honored by theSonoma County Bar Association for her Pro Bono work.

At the 2012 Bench-Bar Retreat, Sondra conceived theidea of what is now the Bar Association’s Family LawInterim Child Custody Mediation Program, in whichfamily law attorneys serve as mediators for early interven-tion in child custody issues.

For many years, Sondra has tirelessly participated in LawWeek. She regularly takes on more than one speakingengagement and volunteers for the vacant speaking slots.She has made as many as five presentations is a single year.Sondra is one of the “go to” people when a speaker isneeded. She enjoys interacting with high school studentsand informing them of the role of lawyers and the law inAmerican society.

Sondra is well known for mentoring young family lawlawyers and for being available and accessible for advice.Young lawyers frequently consult with her, not onlyabout cases and the status of the law, but also on how torun a small family law practice, and how to balance a lawpractice with family life.

Sondra is a life-long learner. She is forever taking classes,especially at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute pro-gram at Sonoma State University and Santa Rosa JuniorCollege. She has taken many courses over a wide range ofsubjects, including Celtic Myths, Michelangelo andLeonardo, Astrology, the Supreme Court, Art of AncientRome, the Issues and Cases Shaping American Politics,World War I, and the Grateful Dead.

Sondra says that if she is ever stranded on a desert island, allshe wants is a solar charged laptop and internet connectivity.


Sondra Jean Persons (continued from page 23)

26 THE BAR JOURNAL

For Sondra, travel is another form of education. She lovesto travel, especially to ancient and historic sites, and sheloves adventure travel to third world or emerging coun-tries to experience their culture.

Sondra is not much of a camper, but she did camp twonights in the Sahara Desert in Morocco near the borderof Algeria during the Arab Spring. She stayed in a lodgein the Amazon Rain Forest in Peru, where they had noelectricity and no running hot water. She fished for pira-nha in the Amazon River and completed a physicallychallenging two-hour canopy walk in the Amazon RainForest of Peru, eleven stories above the ground in extremeheat and humidity. She has canoed the caves of PhangGna Bay, Thailand, white water rafted on the AmericanRiver, and parasailed in Mexico. She has braved the skiesin a hot air balloon and a glider airplane.

She has been to many Latin American ruins sites, includ-ing Machu Picchu, Uxmal, and Monte Alban, and manysmaller and lesser-known sites. She has climbed to thetop of the pyramid in Chichen Itza. Sondra has stood onthe equator, with one-half of her body in each hemi-sphere. She has cruised the Galapagos Islands, climbedancient temples in Burma, and visited Angkor Wat. Shehas been to numerous mosques in three Muslim coun-tries (Turkey, Morocco, and Indonesia). She had lunch atthe home of an imam, as well as meals in the homes ofseveral Muslim families.

With four friends, she was a guest at a private tea in the“Map Room” in the home of the American ConsulGeneral in Casablanca, where Winston Churchill mappedout the Allied war plan in World War II and whereChurchill, President Roosevelt, and General De Gaullemet at the Casablanca Conference in January 1943. Shespent two days observing a trial in a court in London. InBali, she was an honored guest at a Hindu wedding.

Sondra has eaten guinea pig, camel, alpaca, and frog skin.She passed on the fried tarantula. But she never turnsdown champagne and cheesecake.

Throughout her career, Sondra has been a tireless andvigorous advocate for her clients and for the indigent andunderrepresented members of our community. Sondratreats all people as she does her family, with wisdom,sometimes with a firm hand, and always with courtesyand tact.

She brings to her advocacy and representation commonsense, a keen eye for finding practical solutions to vexingproblems, and she does it all with generosity, courtesy, andgrace, always going forward.

Sondra Jean Persons (continued from page 25)

By Peter Trombetta

Peter Trombetta has been an attorney since 1972 anda Certified Family Law Specialist since 1980.

28 THE BAR JOURNAL

30 THE BAR JOURNAL


The Bar Journal is published quarterly by the Sonoma County Bar Association.Editors: Malcolm Manwell, John Borba

Project Management, Advertising Sales, Graphic Design & Printing: Caren ParnesEditing: Joni Boucher & Susan Demers; Photography: Owen Scott Shirwo;Content: Malcolm Manwell, John Borba, Jim DeMartini, Joni Boucher,

Jeff Lyons, Peter Steiner, Susan Demers & Amy JarvisCover artwork, Caren Parnes

SCBA BAR JOURNAL

The editors and the Sonoma County Bar Association (“SCBA”) reserve theright to determine in their sole discretion whether material submitted forpublication shall be printed, and reserve the right to edit all submissions asneeded in any respect, including but not limited to editing for length, clarity,spelling, grammar, compliance with all laws and regulations (including notlimited to libel), and further at the sole discretion of the editors and SCBA.The statements and opinions in this publication are those of the editors andthe contributors, as applicable, and not necessarily those of SCBA. This pub -lication is made available with the understanding that the editors and SCBAare not engaged in rendering legal or other professional advice. If legal adviceis required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

Submissions for the Bar JournalThe Bar Journal editorial staff welcomes articles submitted by its members. Allsubmitted articles should be educational in nature, and can be tailored forthe new practitioner or experienced lawyers. Feature articles should bebetween 750 to 1,000 words in length. Citations should be within the article’stext (no footnotes). A byline must be included and articles must be submittedelec tronically. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit material submitted.For further information contact Malcolm Manwell at 707-525-8800 or PeterSteiner at 707-542-1190 x22. Submit all editorial materials by email to:[email protected]. To place an ad contact Caren Parnes at 707 -758-5090 or [email protected]. All advertisements are includ -ed as a service to members of the Sonoma County Bar Association. Theadvertisements have not been endorsed or verified by the SCBA.

37 Old Courthouse Sq. Suite 100, Santa Rosa, CA 95404(707) 542-1190 x18 • Fax (707) 542-1195

www.sonomacountybar.org • [email protected]

2016 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE & BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Executive Committee

Directors at Large

Section Representatives

ADR Section: Brian Purtill Bankruptcy Law Section: Brian Barboza

Barristers Club: Carla HernandezBusiness Law Section: Trevor CodingtonCivil Bench Bar Section: Michael Miller

Criminal Law Section: Walter RubensteinFamily Law Section: Anthony Zunino

Intellectual Property & Technology Law Section: Grace NeibaronLabor & Employment Law Section: Valorie Bader

LGBTQI Law Section: Kinna CrockerPublic Law Section: Joshua Myers

Real Property Law Section: David BerryTrusts and Estates Section: Carmen Sinigiani

Affiliated Organization Representatives (Non-Voting)Collaborative Council of the Redwood Empire (CCRE)

Susan Barrett Redwood Empire Association of Paralegals (REAP)

Deborah Cain, CPSonoma County Women in Law (SCWiL)

Carla Hernandez

SONOMA COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION STAFF

Peter J. Steiner, Executive DirectorWinifred L. Rogers, Legal Programs Manager

Amy Jarvis, Seminar & Events ManagerSusan Demers, Membership & Communications Coordinator

Gina Stateler-Calhoun, Bookkeeper

Laura DunstJeffrey DuplickiStephanie BarberHess

Marla Keenan

Jeffrey LyonsAllison McNeilRoy MillerJoshua MyersDebra Newby

Kathleen PozziDeirdre KingsburyJill RavitchCarmen SinigianiMichelle Zyromski

James DeMartini, President Gregory Spaulding, Vice-PresidentMitchell Greenberg, TreasurerSuzanne Babb, SecretaryCarla Boyd Terre, Immediate Past President

Ex OfficioJ. Michael Mullins, Dean, Empire School of Law

bar journal januaryrev - sonoma county bar …€¦ · the bar journal special 2016 issue: ......

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