Zachary Merliss Gets Results

My client faced life in prison for attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon resulting in great bodily injury, and battery with serious bodily injury. The alleged victim and one eyewitness said that my client stabbed the alleged victim in the gut without provocation. My client protested his innocence from the beginning, claiming self-defense. We investigated and found other eyewitnesses who were closer to the scene than the DA’s eyewitness. They saw my client getting beaten with a metal form stake. My cross-examination of the alleged victim and the prosecution eyewitness revealed great inconsistencies with the physical evidence and with the eyewitnesses we found. Ultimately, in under 2 hours, the jury acquitted the client of all charges and he was released from jail after years of incarceration. Continue reading →

My client’s driver’s license was suspended for driving under the influence. I contested the suspension at a DMV hearing and called the forensic toxicologist as a witness. After hearing testimony, the hearing officer set aside the suspension and reinstated my client’s driving privilege. Continue reading →

My client is a veteran who I believed qualified for military diversion on his charges. The DA objected, but I was able to convince the judge to divert my client out of the criminal justice system. Continue reading →

My client faced five felony charges, subjecting him to a possible prison sentence. I felt there was a lack of evidence against my client, so I contested the charges at a preliminary hearing. The judge dismissed four of the charges and reduced the fifth to a misdemeanor. The case resolved for one misdemeanor with no jail time. Continue reading →

My client was charged with driving under the influence. I investigated and prepared the case for trial. My preparations and communication with the the DA before trial demonstrated that the DA did not have enough evidence to dismiss the case. The charges were dismissed. Continue reading →

My client’s driver’s license was suspended based on an allegation of driving under the influence. I challenged the suspension at a DMV hearing and won, because the time of driving could not be established. My client’s driving privilege was reinstated. Continue reading →

I challenged geofence tracking evidence at a preliminary hearing. The court found the evidence was insufficient to support a charge and dismissed my client’s case. Continue reading →

My client was charged with a felony theft which threatened his immigration status. I litigated the case at a preliminary hearing and the judge reduced the charge to a misdemeanor. Because I was able to avoid the felony, my client’s immigration status was preserved. Continue reading →

The judge dismissed my case after a hung jury, finding it unlikely that a retrial would result in a guilty verdict. Continue reading →

At trial, a jury was unable to find my client guilty of DUI. The judge declared a mistrial and the DA did not obtain a conviction. Continue reading →