Gang Related

A recent disbarment is summarized in the October 2014 California Bar Journal

In 2013, Markman pleaded no contest to conspiracy to commit a crime and multiple counts of bringing drugs into jail and possession of a controlled substance in jail. Markman also admitted that his offenses were committed for the benefit of, in association with, or at the direction of a criminal street gang.

Markman represented defendant Jorge Zaragoza, an active and admitted member of a criminal street gang. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office got word that someone had been smuggling drugs into the North County Correctional Facility where Zaragoza was housed and that Zaragoza had been receiving the drugs during his courthouse visits with Markman.

When Markman walked into the client-attorney interview room to meet with Zaragoza on Oct. 21, 2011, an investigator, deputies and a drug-sniffing dog met him. Markman acknowledged he had a package with him but said he did not know what was in it. Later, after the drug sniffing dog alerted officers to drugs in the package, Markman acknowledged that it might contain cocaine or methamphetamine. He also admitted that his client’s girlfriend had paid him to bring the package to Zaragoza. The package contained 26 small balloons filled with methamphetamine and tar heroin, a chunk of marijuana and three hypodermic syringes.

The following month, an officer working the screening area at Antelope Valley Superior Court was looking at items going through the X-ray machine when he noticed two crack pipes in Markman’s wallet. When confronted, Markman tried to leave the courthouse but the officer detained him. In addition to the pipes, two bindles of crack cocaine were discovered in his wallet.

In mitigation, Markman had no prior record of discipline and entered into a pretrial stipulation with the State Bar.

(Mike Frisch)