Mario Trujillo honored as Attorney of the Year

DOWNEY - Downey resident Mario Trujillo has been named Attorney of the Year by the Southeast District Bar Association.Trujillo, a deputy district attorney who currently manages the Bellflower office, received the award Saturday at the Rio Hondo Event Center. He was introduced by Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley. Trujillo graduated from UC Berkeley and received his juris doctorate degree from Southwestern University School of Law. Prior to becoming an attorney, he was employed by the Los Angeles Unified School District as a bilingual elementary school teacher. Trujillo has spent the last 14 years primarily serving the Los Angeles County southeast region. He tried more than 120 jury trials - 30 misdemeanors and over 90 felonies - including more than a dozen murder cases with a 95% conviction rate. His last trial assignment in the DA's office was with the Hardcore Gang Division, responsible for prosecuting the most serious of crimes and gang-related murders. Trujillo also served as a felony prosecutor in the Victim Impact Program, where he handled sensitive cases primarily prosecuting child sexual and physical abuse cases. A father of two, Trujillo is immediate past lieutenant governor of Kiwanis Division 13, which includes Downey, Bellflower, South Gate and Long Beach, and serves on the Downey Kiwanis Foundation board. He was named Kiwanian of the Year by Downey Kiwanis Club last year. He has also served on the board for the Latino Prosecutors Foundation of Los Angeles County and the Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse in Santa Fe Springs. Trujillo currently sits on the board for the Downey YMCA. Judge Thomas McKnew, meanwhile, was recognized as Judge of the Year and Judge Peter Espinoza received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Irvine School of Law, delivered the keynote address.

********** Published: February 03, 2011 - Volume 9 - Issue 42