James Reilly

Attorney James T. Reilly is a veteran criminal defense attorney with more than 50 years of legal experience representing clients in both California state courts and federal courts. Over the course of his career, he has handled cases in 29 California counties and five federal court districts, building a reputation for thorough preparation, dedication to his clients, and an unwavering commitment to achieving the best possible results.

Complex Criminal Defense

Mr. Reilly focuses his practice on criminal defense, including serious felony matters such as murder, gang allegations, sexual assault, and complex drug cases. His approach to representation is strategic and results driven. Depending on the circumstances of a case, this may mean negotiating a favorable plea agreement or aggressively taking the case to trial. Having completed approximately 175 jury trials throughout his career, he is fully prepared to litigate cases when doing so serves his client’s best interests.

Prior Legal Experience

Before entering private practice, Mr. Reilly served as a Deputy District Attorney in Orange County, California from 1976 to 1985. During his tenure, he held several trial and supervisory positions, including assignments in the Career Criminal Prosecution Unit and the Special Prosecutions Unit. In that role, he supervised the countywide Narcotics Task Force and was responsible for training new deputy district attorneys as well as providing ongoing legal education to prosecutors and local law enforcement officers. As a prosecutor, he tried more than 100 cases to jury verdict and prepared hundreds of trial and appellate briefs.

After moving to Marin County in 1985, Mr. Reilly entered private practice where he focused primarily on criminal defense while also handling personal injury, civil litigation, and corporate law matters. During this period, he served on the First District Appellate Project indigent criminal appeal panel and prepared approximately 40 appellate briefs for the California District Courts of Appeal. He also spent nearly a decade serving as general counsel to several private companies and taught Legal Writing and Research for four years at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

Mr. Reilly joined Summit Defense in 2008, where he continues to represent individuals facing serious criminal charges with the benefit of decades of courtroom experience on both sides of the criminal justice system.

Education

• Graduated from United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, 6-7-67
• Graduated from Pepperdine University School of Law (then in Anaheim, CA, now in Malibu, CA), 5-24-1975

Awards & Membership

• Years in Practice: 41 years (admitted 12-18-75; began working as a DDA in Orange County January 1976)
• Pepperdine University School of Law:Graduated cum laude, 3rd in classDean’s Honor Roll every semester
• Earned five American Jurisprudence awards, first in my class in:TortsContractsConstitutional LawConflict of LawsLabor Law
• President of the Student Bar Association, Academic Year 1973-74
• Vincent J. Dalsimer Award as the Top Advocate of the 1975 Pepperdine Moot Court Competition
• Participant in the 1975 Roger J. Traynor California State Moot Court Competition

Practice Areas

Case Results

• Federal Mail Fraud Charges - US v Deborah Loudermilk; Acquitted following an 11-day jury trial in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. Notable that this was the first jury trial acquittal in the 23 years of the judge's time on the bench.
• Sexual Assault of a Minor - People v. Salvador Villasenor; Acquitted on one count with jury hung on 13 remaining counts; prosecution declined retrial and remaining charges were dismissed.
• Sexual Assault on a Minor - People v. Cody Castro; Acquitted on two counts; remaining counts resolved through plea to false imprisonment with no sex offender registration and 90 days home confinement.

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