The Challenge
Our office represented an investigative journalist in a high-profile criminal case that tested the boundaries of California privacy law and undercover journalism. Following the release of undercover videos exposing practices within the fetal tissue procurement industry, the California Attorney General’s Office initiated an aggressive prosecution alleging 15 felony violations of California Penal Code §632, the state’s confidential communications recording statute. The litigation drew intense national interest and continued for nearly eight years. During this time, the undercover reporting led to significant legislative and congressional impact, including the enactment of Assembly Bill 1671 and a nationwide inquiry by the United States House Select Investigative Panel on Planned Parenthood. This case was documented extensively by major international and national outlets, including: CBN News; Associated Press; BBC News; NPR; Fox News; Courthouse News Service
Our Strategy
Our defense focused on the intersection of First Amendment protections and the technical requirements of California’s recording laws. We systematically challenged the prosecution’s narrative, arguing that the recordings were made in public or semi-public settings where there was no reasonable expectation of confidentiality. By meticulously analyzing the context of each encounter and the specific intent of the investigative process, we positioned the case as a matter of protected journalistic activity. This prolonged, aggressive defense through years of litigation and multiple court levels ultimately created the leverage necessary to dismantle the prosecution’s felony case.
Media Coverage
The Result
ALL 15 FELONY CHARGES DISMISSED; 1 MISDEMEANOR; ZERO PUNISHMENT
Your Case Belongs at the Southwest Justice Center.
Your Defense Belongs Here.
If you were arrested in Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Wildomar, Lake Elsinore, Winchester, or French Valley, your future will likely be decided at the Southwest Justice Center (SWJC) on Auld Road. In these courtrooms, local knowledge is the ultimate advantage. Since 1999, Nic Cocis has been a weekly fixture in the SWJC, appearing before the same judges and negotiating with the same Riverside County prosecutors for over 25 years. We don’t just know the law — we know the specific nuances, procedural quirks, and judicial tendencies of the Southwest District. Whether you are facing a felony or a misdemeanor, you need a firm that treats the Southwest Justice Center as its home turf.
