Daniel Horowitz
Encyclopedia
Daniel Horowitz is an American defense attorney who has represented several high-profile clients including talk show host Michael Savage
and is a frequent commentator in the media on criminal cases in the news.
from Hampshire College
. In 1980, he earned his Juris Doctor
(J.D.) from Southwestern University School of Law
in Los Angeles, California
. He was admitted by the State Bar of California
that same year. He is a Certified Specialist in Criminal Law (the State Bar of California
Board of Legal Specialization). He was a frequent TV commentator during the Scott Peterson
trial. He has appeared as a regular legal commentator on CNN
, MSNBC
and Fox News. Horowitz married Valerie Northup, his third wife, in June, 2007. Horowitz and Northrup had a son, Isaac Aaron, in April, 2009.
in Savage's lawsuit against CAIR
. The judge sided with CAIR and dismissed Savage's lawsuit in 2008
Horowitz represents San Francisco Police officer Andrew Cohen in Cohen's personal injury lawsuit against San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom
and police chief Heather Fong
. This lawsuit arises out of Cohen's so called comedy video tape that led to the "VideoGate" controversy.
Horowitz also represented Kimberly Bell, the former girlfriend of San Francisco Giants slugger, Barry Bonds. Bell testified against Bonds before the Grand Jury that later indicted Bonds for perjury arising out of his denial of steroid use.
Horowitz' defense of husband killer Susan Polk
was portrayed on Dateline NBC
.
Horowitz also represented Dr. Wilmer Origel, a chiropractor who was accused of 11 felony charges, of using anesthesiology without a medical license, money laundering, and insurance and workers' compensation fraud totaling $5 million. The case became controversial because Horowitz's legal fees were paid by local taxpayers once his client ran out of money to pay for his own representation. Many felt Horowitz's bill would rapidly deplete county funds that were "used to pay local attorneys who represent criminal defendants too poor to hire lawyers themselves." Horowitz argued that the fees paid to appointed attorneys in Stockton were so low that it almost guaranteed that the clients would receive substandard representation and won the battle over fees. The jury hung 10-2 for acquittal and all charges were later dismissed.
Recently Martin Garbus and Horowitz had mixed results on a case involving author Terry McMillan ("How Stella Got Her Groove Back") who sued her ex-husband for $40 million. The Court of Appeal ruled that McMillan could proceed in her lawsuit against her ex-husband for his alleged misconduct at the time of their divorce but could not proceed against his attorney who they alleged used television publicity to force a settlement of the divorce.
On June 21, 2009, Horowitz hung another jury (8-4)in a high profile murder case involving a PC World editor killed in a home invasion robbery involving marijuana. One co-defendant pled guilty and testified against the other two. The jury convicted one defendant but hung against Horowitz' client.
Vitale was a single mom raising a 15-year-old daughter and an 18-year-old son. The two began dating long distance. They were married in 1994 on a rainy day in November. Vitale moved to the Bay Area with her daughter, Marisa, and took a job working for Pacific Bell
. She eventually became an executive at Informix
. When the company was sold, Vitale took her severance pay and began working in Horowitz's law firm maintaining databases.
in Contra Costa County, California
. The couple had lived in the mobile home since they were married although the dream home they had been building on the same acreage was near completion when Vitale was murdered. At the time, Horowitz was defending Susan Polk
in her murder trial. Medical examiners have concluded that Vitale died from blunt trauma
to the head. When contacted via cell phone by a Bay Area newspaper, Horowitz said, "I can't talk, I can't. It's beyond words."
On October 20, 2005 police arrested a 16-year-old boy, from Lafayette, California
, Scott Dyleski
, in connection to the crime. Horowitz had never met the boy but had done free legal work for Kim Curiel who was a co-owner in the house where Dyleski lived. Curiel was partners with Dyleski's mother in the business.
Dyleski was convicted of killing Pamela Vitale on August 28, 2006. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole on September 26, 2006.
Michael Savage
Michael Savage may refer to:* Michael Savage , American radio host, author and conservative political commentator* Michael Joseph Savage , Prime Minister of New Zealand, 1935–1940...
and is a frequent commentator in the media on criminal cases in the news.
Background
Horowitz was born in New York City. He received his Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Hampshire College
Hampshire College
Hampshire College is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1965 as an experiment in alternative education, in association with four other colleges in the Pioneer Valley: Amherst College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, and the University of Massachusetts...
. In 1980, he earned his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
(J.D.) from Southwestern University School of Law
Southwestern University School of Law
Southwestern Law School is a private ABA-accredited law school located in Los Angeles, California , with about 1,000 students. Its campus includes the Bullocks Wilshire building, an admired art deco National Register of Historic Places landmark built in 1929...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. He was admitted by the State Bar of California
State Bar of California
The State Bar of California is California's official bar association. It is responsible for managing the admission of lawyers to the practice of law, investigating complaints of professional misconduct, and prescribing appropriate discipline...
that same year. He is a Certified Specialist in Criminal Law (the State Bar of California
State Bar of California
The State Bar of California is California's official bar association. It is responsible for managing the admission of lawyers to the practice of law, investigating complaints of professional misconduct, and prescribing appropriate discipline...
Board of Legal Specialization). He was a frequent TV commentator during the Scott Peterson
Scott Peterson
Scott Lee Peterson , an American, was convicted of murdering his wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn child in Modesto, California, in 2002. Peterson's arrest and subsequent trial dominated the American news media until 2005, when he was sentenced to death by lethal injection...
trial. He has appeared as a regular legal commentator on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
and Fox News. Horowitz married Valerie Northup, his third wife, in June, 2007. Horowitz and Northrup had a son, Isaac Aaron, in April, 2009.
Media
Horowitz became a national media personality when he became a regular television commentator during the Scott Peterson trial. Since the Peterson trial, Horowitz has been a commentator on other high profile cases such as the Michael Jackson trial, the Mellissa Huckaby trial in Tracy, California, and the Anna Nicole case.High Profile Cases
Horowitz, recently represented conservative talk show host, Michael SavageMichael Savage (commentator)
Michael Savage is a conservative American radio host, author, and political commentator. He is the host of The Savage Nation, a nationally syndicated talk show that airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network...
in Savage's lawsuit against CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is America's largest Muslim civil liberties advocacy organization that deals with civil advocacy and promotes human rights...
. The judge sided with CAIR and dismissed Savage's lawsuit in 2008
Horowitz represents San Francisco Police officer Andrew Cohen in Cohen's personal injury lawsuit against San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom
Gavin Newsom
Gavin Christopher Newsom is an American politician who is the 49th and current Lieutenant Governor of California. Previously, he was the 42nd Mayor of San Francisco, and was elected in 2003 to succeed Willie Brown, becoming San Francisco's youngest mayor in 100 years. Newsom was re-elected in 2007...
and police chief Heather Fong
Heather Fong
Heather Jeanne Fong is the former chief of police for San Francisco, California, United States. Her ancestral roots are in Ho Chung village, Chung Shan County , Guangdong Province, China. She is the first woman to lead the San Francisco Police Department, and the first Asian American woman to...
. This lawsuit arises out of Cohen's so called comedy video tape that led to the "VideoGate" controversy.
Horowitz also represented Kimberly Bell, the former girlfriend of San Francisco Giants slugger, Barry Bonds. Bell testified against Bonds before the Grand Jury that later indicted Bonds for perjury arising out of his denial of steroid use.
Horowitz' defense of husband killer Susan Polk
Susan Polk
Susan Polk is an American woman convicted in June 2006 of second degree murder in connection with the 2002 death of her husband, Dr. Frank "Felix" Polk. Polk's trial, described by one Associated Press correspondent as "circus-like", drew extensive media attention with its sensationalist...
was portrayed on Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC, or Dateline, is a U.S. weekly television newsmagazine broadcast by NBC. It previously was NBC's flagship news magazine, but now focuses on true crime stories. It airs Friday at 9 p.m. EST and after football season on Sunday at 7 p.m. EST.-History:Dateline is historically notable for...
.
Horowitz also represented Dr. Wilmer Origel, a chiropractor who was accused of 11 felony charges, of using anesthesiology without a medical license, money laundering, and insurance and workers' compensation fraud totaling $5 million. The case became controversial because Horowitz's legal fees were paid by local taxpayers once his client ran out of money to pay for his own representation. Many felt Horowitz's bill would rapidly deplete county funds that were "used to pay local attorneys who represent criminal defendants too poor to hire lawyers themselves." Horowitz argued that the fees paid to appointed attorneys in Stockton were so low that it almost guaranteed that the clients would receive substandard representation and won the battle over fees. The jury hung 10-2 for acquittal and all charges were later dismissed.
Recently Martin Garbus and Horowitz had mixed results on a case involving author Terry McMillan ("How Stella Got Her Groove Back") who sued her ex-husband for $40 million. The Court of Appeal ruled that McMillan could proceed in her lawsuit against her ex-husband for his alleged misconduct at the time of their divorce but could not proceed against his attorney who they alleged used television publicity to force a settlement of the divorce.
On June 21, 2009, Horowitz hung another jury (8-4)in a high profile murder case involving a PC World editor killed in a home invasion robbery involving marijuana. One co-defendant pled guilty and testified against the other two. The jury convicted one defendant but hung against Horowitz' client.
Marriage to Pamela Vitale
Horowitz said he and Pamela Vitale met earlier than 1993 when Vitale worked in Hollywood as an independent movie producer after taking film classes at the adult extension school at the University of California Los Angeles. He had written a screenplay about one of his cases and was shopping it around. Mutual friends brought the two together. According to Horowitz, "she was interested in reading my script," he remembered. "But once I met her I fell completely in love and no longer cared about the script."Vitale was a single mom raising a 15-year-old daughter and an 18-year-old son. The two began dating long distance. They were married in 1994 on a rainy day in November. Vitale moved to the Bay Area with her daughter, Marisa, and took a job working for Pacific Bell
Pacific Bell
The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company was the name of the Bell System's telephone operations in California. It gained in size by acquiring smaller telephone companies along the Pacific coast, such as Sunset Telephone & Telegraph in 1917...
. She eventually became an executive at Informix
Informix
IBM Informix is a family of relational database management system developed by IBM. It is positioned as IBM's flagship data server for online transaction processing as well as integrated solutions...
. When the company was sold, Vitale took her severance pay and began working in Horowitz's law firm maintaining databases.
Pamela Vitale's murder
Vitale and Horowitz had been married nearly 11 years when, on October 15, 2005, he found his wife dead at the mobile home in LafayetteLafayette, California
Lafayette is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 23,893. It was named after the Marquis de Lafayette, a French military hero of the American Revolutionary War...
in Contra Costa County, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The couple had lived in the mobile home since they were married although the dream home they had been building on the same acreage was near completion when Vitale was murdered. At the time, Horowitz was defending Susan Polk
Susan Polk
Susan Polk is an American woman convicted in June 2006 of second degree murder in connection with the 2002 death of her husband, Dr. Frank "Felix" Polk. Polk's trial, described by one Associated Press correspondent as "circus-like", drew extensive media attention with its sensationalist...
in her murder trial. Medical examiners have concluded that Vitale died from blunt trauma
Blunt trauma
In medical terminology, blunt trauma, blunt injury, non-penetrating trauma or blunt force trauma refers to a type of physical trauma caused to a body part, either by impact, injury or physical attack; the latter usually being referred to as blunt force trauma...
to the head. When contacted via cell phone by a Bay Area newspaper, Horowitz said, "I can't talk, I can't. It's beyond words."
On October 20, 2005 police arrested a 16-year-old boy, from Lafayette, California
Lafayette, California
Lafayette is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 23,893. It was named after the Marquis de Lafayette, a French military hero of the American Revolutionary War...
, Scott Dyleski
Scott Dyleski
Scott Edgar Dyleski was convicted of murdering his neighbor, Pamela Vitale, the wife of prominent attorney Daniel Horowitz. He received the maximum penalty allowed by the law, life in prison without parole. As a juvenile at the time of the murder he did not qualify for the death penalty...
, in connection to the crime. Horowitz had never met the boy but had done free legal work for Kim Curiel who was a co-owner in the house where Dyleski lived. Curiel was partners with Dyleski's mother in the business.
Dyleski was convicted of killing Pamela Vitale on August 28, 2006. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole on September 26, 2006.