Ellen Leonida
Encyclopedia
Ellen Valentik Leonida is an American criminal defense attorney
best known for defending Scott Dyleski
, a young high school student accused of murdering the wife of prominent attorney Daniel Horowitz
. She served as a Deputy Public Defender
for almost ten years at the Contra Costa County, California
Public Defender's Office. She is currently a partner at the San Francisco firm Badami, Hartsough & Leonida.
, as an undergraduate majoring in American Studies. In 1993, she received a Bachelor's degree with College Honors and Highest Honors in the major and was admitted to Phi Beta Kappa.
She attended law school at UC Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law in Berkeley, California
. In law school she was director of the Homeless Outreach Project and a founding member of the Boalt Hall Chapter of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
as well as a volunteer at the California Asylum Representation Clinic. Ms. Leonida received her JD
in 1996. On December 3, 1996, she was admitted to California State Bar.
and felony
cases. Before leaving, Leonida handled a felony caseload in the Richmond
branch of the Public Defender's Office.
. In the fall of 2005, Dyleski, then 16, was accused of beating the wife, Pamela Vitale, of prominent criminal defense attorney Daniel Horowitz
to death in their Lafayette, California
home. She became his attorney after the Dyleski family fired their attorney, Thomas McKenna due to a conflict of interest. McKenna had defended the driver of a car that killed Dyleski's sister and another passenger in 2002. Dyleski was later convicted of the charges and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The trial received so much press attention that the Judge issued a gag order
, something that has not occurred in Contra Costa County in at least forty years.
In May, 2011, current counsel for Scott Dyleski submitted a habeas corpus petition with several claims of Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
in his initial trail representation by Ellen Leonida
.
, saying "This is a really great job, but I did it for long enough. I wanted to leave while I still love it." Leonida is joined a firm founded by two other former Contra Costa County public defenders. Leonida is also a licensed real-estate broker in Oakland, CA.
Subsequent to the dissolution of Badami, Hartsough & Leonida, Leonida returned to public service by joining the Federal Defenders for the Northern District of California.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
best known for defending 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...
, a young high school student accused of murdering the wife of prominent attorney Daniel Horowitz
Daniel Horowitz
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.-Background:...
. She served as a Deputy Public Defender
Public defender
The term public defender is primarily used to refer to a criminal defense lawyer appointed to represent people charged with a crime but who cannot afford to hire an attorney in the United States and Brazil. The term is also applied to some ombudsman offices, for example in Jamaica, and is one way...
for almost ten years at the 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...
Public Defender's Office. She is currently a partner at the San Francisco firm Badami, Hartsough & Leonida.
Education
Leonida attended University of California, Santa CruzUniversity of California, Santa Cruz
The University of California, Santa Cruz, also known as UC Santa Cruz or UCSC, is a public, collegiate university; one of ten campuses in the University of California...
, as an undergraduate majoring in American Studies. In 1993, she received a Bachelor's degree with College Honors and Highest Honors in the major and was admitted to Phi Beta Kappa.
She attended law school at UC Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
. In law school she was director of the Homeless Outreach Project and a founding member of the Boalt Hall Chapter of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers is an American criminal defense organization. Their stated mission is to "Ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime. Foster the integrity, independence and expertise of the criminal defense profession...
as well as a volunteer at the California Asylum Representation Clinic. Ms. Leonida received her JD
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...
in 1996. On December 3, 1996, she was admitted to California State Bar.
Early career
In 1997, Leonida joined the Contra Costa County Public Defender's Office, initially working as a law clerk after she graduated from law school. Prior to joining the office she interned at the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights and the Youth Law Center. Since 1997, she has had experience doing both misdemeanorMisdemeanor
A misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
and felony
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
cases. Before leaving, Leonida handled a felony caseload in the Richmond
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
branch of the Public Defender's Office.
Scott Dyleski
Her most famous client was Scott DyleskiScott 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 the fall of 2005, Dyleski, then 16, was accused of beating the wife, Pamela Vitale, of prominent criminal defense attorney Daniel Horowitz
Daniel Horowitz
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.-Background:...
to death in their 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...
home. She became his attorney after the Dyleski family fired their attorney, Thomas McKenna due to a conflict of interest. McKenna had defended the driver of a car that killed Dyleski's sister and another passenger in 2002. Dyleski was later convicted of the charges and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The trial received so much press attention that the Judge issued a gag order
Gag order
A gag order is an order, sometimes a legal order by a court or government, other times a private order by an employer or other institution, restricting information or comment from being made public.Gag orders are often used against participants involved in a lawsuit or criminal trial...
, something that has not occurred in Contra Costa County in at least forty years.
In May, 2011, current counsel for Scott Dyleski submitted a habeas corpus petition with several claims of Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
Ineffective assistance of counsel
Ineffective assistance of counsel is an issue raised in legal malpractice suits and in appeals in criminal cases where a criminal defendant asserts that their criminal conviction occurred because their attorney failed to properly defend the case...
in his initial trail representation by Ellen Leonida
.
Current Work
On September 27, 2006, Leonida announced that she has resigned from the Contra Costa Public Defender's Office to join the firm of Badami, Hartsough & Leonida in San FranciscoSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, saying "This is a really great job, but I did it for long enough. I wanted to leave while I still love it." Leonida is joined a firm founded by two other former Contra Costa County public defenders. Leonida is also a licensed real-estate broker in Oakland, CA.
Subsequent to the dissolution of Badami, Hartsough & Leonida, Leonida returned to public service by joining the Federal Defenders for the Northern District of California.