Laura M. Petty is dedicated to the defense of those individuals charged with criminal offenses, both in the trial court and courts of appeal. Ms. Petty is highly experienced in criminal defense and she has successfully defended clients charged with first degree murder, 'three strikes' and other life-term cases, as well as serious felony and other matters. She represents both adults and juveniles, and her areas of practice also include successful misdemeanor and traffic representation.
She is a former deputy public defender in Sonoma, Siskiyou and Solano Counties.
She currently is a named partner in the firm Petty and Warshawsky, Attorneys at Law. The law firm is located in Vacaville, California, which is in the northern portion of Solano County. Ms. Petty is a native Californian and has lived in both northern and southern California. She attended the University of California at Riverside and later transferred to, and graduated from, the University of California at Santa Cruz. Ms. Petty completed a double major in Politics and Women's Studies, and graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 1993 with highest honors.
Ms. Petty attended Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco, receiving her Juris Doctor degree in 1996. While in law school, she was a member of the Law Review, a board member for the Public Interest Law Foundation, and clerked at the California Supreme Court. She also completed internships with the Prison Law Office and Consumer's Union and studied abroad in the Czech Republic. She graduated as the Valedictorian of her class, receiving the J. Lani Bader Award for academic excellence.
Prior to her employment as a deputy public defender, Ms. Petty was a senior staff attorney for the San Francisco County Superior Court. She held this position for two years, and during that time, she worked closely with the Superior Court Judges on a wide variety of matters.
As a deputy public defender in Sonoma and Solano Counties, Ms. Petty handled a wide variety of criminal cases, and was recognized as a diligent and forceful advocate for her clients. She had substantial trial experience in these counties and enjoyed numerous trial victories. In 2005, Ms. Petty began work in the Siskiyou County Public Defender's Office and was immediately assigned a felony caseload of serious and complex matters.
While employed in Siskiyou County, Ms. Petty was assigned the task of representing a defendant charged with first degree murder after the shooting death of his brother. A local newspaper described the extreme difficulty of the case when it stated that'Laura Petty was faced with a nearly impossible task. To mount a defense for her client, this Siskiyou County deputy public defender had to convince a jury that Everett Super used self defense when he shot and killed his brother George Super, while George was unarmed....' However, not only did Ms. Petty mount a defense for Everett Super, she was able to secure a complete acquittal for him in less than three hours of jury deliberation.
Since 2007, Ms. Petty has been in private practice in Solano County, where she regularly handles cases of all levels in both the Vallejo and Fairfield divisions of the Solano County Superior Court. Ms. Petty also represents clients in Siskiyou, Colusa, and other northern California counties.
Aside from her criminal law practice, Ms. Petty is a former Adjunct Professor at Golden Gate University School of Law, in San Francisco, where she taught Legal Writing and Research. In addition, she formerly served on the Board of Directors of the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce.
She is a member of California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, the California Public Defenders' Association, the National Association for Criminal Defense Lawyers, Women Defenders, the Solano County Bar Association, and the Siskiyou County Bar Association. Ms. Petty also currently serves as the chairperson of the Solano County Barristers, is a member of the Board of Directors for the Solano County Bar Association and is also a graduate of the prestigious Leadership Vacaville Program.
Attorney Petty has further distinguished herself by becoming certified by The 'State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. This certification is given to those who have completed extensive courses related to criminal law, so only a very small percentage of attorneys can claim specialization.
Some quotes from recent jurors...
One juror commented, 'Ms. Petty did an excellent job. She was organized, direct, and easy to understand. Everything she said had a purpose and a witness or other evidence to back it up.'
Another juror said, 'Ms. Petty believed in her client and it showed.'
A juror on one of Ms. Petty's cases indigated that a primary factor in reaching a verdict of acquittal was 'the integrity of the defendant and the ability of Ms. Petty to bring that out.' That same juror indicated 'Ms. Petty was very well prepared and professional. I was very impressed with her.'
One juror in one of Ms. Petty's jury trials pointed to 'Ms. Petty's belief in the innocence of her client shining through' as a major reason for the juror's decision to vote for acquittal.
Contact a Solano County criminal defense attorney for effective and zealous legal representation when charged with a crime.
