Ridley-Thomas Selects Attorney & Advocate Richard P. Fajardoto to Fill Senior Justice Deputy Slot

 

 

  NEWS

                                          Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas

                                                                                L.A. County Board of Supervisors, 2^nd District

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

May 5, 2009                                                                                                                                        Contact:       Aurelio Rojas   213-974-2222

 

 

Ridley-Thomas Selects Respected Attorney,

Advocate to Fill Senior Justice Deputy Slot

 

Richard P. Fajardo brings to the Second District more than a quarter century of civil litigation experience and advocacy

 

LOS ANGELES COUNTY – Richard P. Fajardo, a respected lawyer and advocate who was the lead attorney in a voting rights case that resulted in a court-ordered redrawing of supervisorial districts in Los Angeles County, has joined the staff of Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas as his Senior Deputy for Justice and Public Safety issues.

 

Mr. Fajardo has more than a quarter century of civil litigation experience and advocacy and will advise the supervisor on matters relating to the Sheriff’s Department, District Attorney’s Office, and Public Defender’s Office.  He will also be the Supervisor’s point person on probation issues and gang prevention and suppression efforts.

 

In his most recent job, Mr. Fajardo was an attorney with a private practice in Los Angeles. Besides his civil litigation experience, including over 16 years of corporate and business litigation, he has extensive experience in legislative advocacy.

 

Mr. Fajardo made his mark in redistricting and voting rights cases, as well as election law matters.  As an attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), he was lead attorney in the historical voting rights lawsuit, Garza v. Los Angeles County.

 

The 1990 case demonstrated a history of discrimination against Latinos in the County. It resulted in the redrawing of County Supervisorial Districts and the subsequent election of Gloria Molina to the Board of Supervisors.  Mr. Fajardo has represented candidates in election recounts, contests and other election related matters

 

 “Richard Fajardo is well equipped to deal with justice and public safety issues as he has work on many cases involving law enforcement,” Supervisor Ridley-Thomas said. “I know him be a diligent worker with broad policy experience at various levels of government.  Richard has already begun doing the hard work of reducing violence by joining LA County's new gang violence reduction initiative.”

 

Mr. Fajardo received his B.A. and M.A. in Economics from University of California, Santa Barbara, and his law degree from UCLA.  He has earned a number of awards in his career, including the 1995 Distinguished Alumni Award from U.C. Santa Barbara and the 1990 Distinguished Alumni Award from the Minority Alumni Association of U.C. Santa Barbara. He also received the 1992 Pro Bono Legal Services Award from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the 1992 Cruz Reynoso Award from the Mexican American Bar Association.

 

Fajardo is the author of The Status of Women and Minorities in California State Government Employment 1977 to 1992 (September 1996), and Latino Businesses & NAFTA in Southern California:  Perceptions of Latino Chamber Leaders (1995).

 

#    #    #    #