Vu Trinh for San Francisco DA. November 8, 2011

http://informant.kalwnews.org/2011/10/qa-candidates-for-district-attorney-part-v/

http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2011/08/new-da-contender-piques-san-franciscos-interest

Vu Trinh, a graduate of University of California Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, is a former deputy public defender and veteran trial lawyer who has served for over twenty years in the state and federal criminal justice systems, in his community, and in government. He is the current Commissioner for the State Bar of California's Criminal Law Advisory Commission (CLAC) to the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.



Like so many others, Trinh and his family immigrated to America in 1975 to pursue the promises of a better life, a life free from government oppression and corruption. Since then, Trinh has been able to achieve the American dream. Upon receiving his law degree and passing the bar in 1992, Trinh worked as a deputy public defender in Orange County where he handled a high volume of criminal law cases. Even after his tenure there, he continued to represent indigent clients by serving on the Orange County Homicide Panel, an organization that appoints attorneys for indigent defendants facing homicide charges.



Trinh is dedicated to finding ways to improve his legal skills and knowledge. In 2000, Trinh was certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization as a specialist in the area of criminal law and began building his private criminal defense practice, handling cases investigated by some of government's best investigative agencies. Within the legal community, Trinh has established a reputation for being a tenacious advocate for those whose voices are often ignored by society. Throughout his career, Trinh has not merely taken on cases, but causes. In 2009, due to his vast experience in the criminal justice system, the State Bar of California Board of Governors appointed Trinh as a commissioner for the Criminal Law Advisory Commission (CLAC) to the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. His term ends in 2012. Trinh is committed to fighting for truth, equality, and fairness in the criminal justice system.



As the only candidate that is a certified criminal law specialist and has extensive criminal defense experience, Trinh has seen first-hand that the phrases "innocent until proven guilty" and "to serve and protect" are law enforcement mottos that have long been forgotten. Rather, by fault of both prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys, the criminal law field has become more adversarial, unconcerned with finding the truth and more concerned with winning the case. Trinh has the well-being of others firmly in his heart and truly believes in establishing justice. This is why he is running for district attorney: to achieve justice and ascertain the truth.



Vu and his wife, Helen Phan, live in the SOMA district of San Francisco with their two children, Chloe and Daniel, both of whom are attending San Francisco public schools.