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13/3/09
David and Goliath
Pamelyn Ferdin, an animal rights protestor and actress, best known as Felix Unger's daughter in the TV's Odd Couple and as the "classic" voice of Lucy Van Pelt in the Peanuts TV specials, had her November 6, 2008, Contempt of Court conviction voided Wednesday in the Santa Monica Superior Court. Ferdin was convicted of acting in concert with others, who, by a preliminary injunction, were prohibited from certain activities while peacefully protesting "primate research" at U.C.L.A.
George N. Seide, Esq., a certified family law specialist and a partner in the boutique Encino Family Law firm of Adelman & Seide, LLP took on the behemoth law firm of lrell and Manella, LLP, who represented the Regents of the University of California in the Contempt prosecution.
Seide, who was recently appointed to represent Ferdin in a Motion to Vacate the guilty verdict, successfully argued that the Court and lrell and Manella violated Ferdin's 6th Amendment Constitutional right to counsel and 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination and won. The conviction, for which Ferdin could have been jailed, has been vacated.
Seide
stated afterwards, "I am appalled that the Regents, after spending
approximately $30,000 in the prosecution of Ms. Ferdin, are preparing to
waste a similar amount for a second trial; those funds can be put to better
use, in financial aid, grants or in the classrooms. U.C.L.A. is not a private
college and the money the Regents continue to waste on this litigation comes
out of the taxpayers pockets."