Mr. Mesereau defended a prominent Los Angeles newscaster who was indicted by a state grand jury for numerous counts alleging securities fraud. The state claimed the celebrity defendant had knowingly participated in a deceptive, fraudulent “high-yield” investment program in which the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other international agencies were participants. Following a twelve-week jury trial in San Bernardino County, California, the presiding judge dismissed all counts “in the interest of justice” against Mr. Mesereau’s client. The defendant was completely exonerated.
Significance: This was the first time this presiding criminal courts judge had ever dismissed a criminal case “in the interest of justice” on his own initiative.
