Stephen W. Solomon

Ralph B. Saltsman

Stephen A. Jamieson

R. Bruce Evans

Ryan Kroll

Julia H. Sullivan

Hadley V. Vactor

Current Employment Position

Senior Partner

Areas Of Practice:

Indian Gaming/Sovereignty and ABC Law
Land Use Planning - Liquor Law
Administrative/Governmental Relations
Constitutional Law

Litigation Percentage:

100% of Practice Devoted to Trials

Cases in California Supreme Court:

Appellate Cases in California Supreme Court

Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control v. Alcoholic Beverage Control Appeals Bd. 
40 Cal.4th 1, 145 P.3d 462
Cal.,2006

The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control petitioned for review of decisions by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Appeals Board that reversed decisions of the Department to suspend three licensees' licenses. The reversals were based on the ground that the Department had violated the accused licensees' due process rights in conducting its administrative hearings. 

People v. Sanchez
26 Cal.4th 834, 29 P.3d 209
Cal.,2001.

Car passenger was convicted in the Superior Court, San Bernardino County, Michael A. Smith, J., of first-degree murder of innocent bystander during gun battle with co-defendant, a rival gang member. Passenger appealed. The Supreme Court granted review, superseding the opinion of the Court of Appeal. The Supreme Court, Baxter, J., held that: (1) passenger's commission of life-threatening deadly acts by shooting at co-defendant was a substantial concurrent, and hence proximate, cause of the death; (2) evidence established premeditation; and (3) the conviction did not rest on the unsupported theory of provocative act murder with implied malice.

Calatayud v. State of California
18 Cal.4th 1057, 959 P.2d 360
Cal.,1998.

Police officer sued state and a highway patrol officer to recover for injuries sustained when police officer was assisting in subduing suspect and patrol officer's shotgun accidentally discharged. Following jury trial, the Superior Court, Los Angeles County, No. GC 002592, Robert M. Olson, entered judgment for police officer. Appeal was taken, and the Court of Appeal affirmed. The Supreme Court granted review, superseding the opinion of the Court of Appeal, and held in an opinion by Brown, J., that under statute making “any person” responsible for negligently injuring a public safety member known to be present, “any person” does not include fellow public safety members jointly engaged in discharging their responsibilities

Peterson v. City of Long Beach
24 Cal.3d 238, 594 P.2d 477
Cal., 1979.

Wrongful death action was brought against police officer and city following fatal shooting. The Superior Court, Los Angeles County, Max Z. Wisot, J., entered judgment for defendants, and plaintiffs appealed. The Supreme Court, Newman, J., held that: (1) when city manager and police chief promulgated police department manual, they were acting as heads of a “public entity,” and provision of manual governing discharge of firearms was a “regulation” within meaning of Evidence Code provision giving rise to a presumption of failure to exercise due care when person violates the regulation of a public entity, with result that such presumption of lack of due care arose where police officer fatally shot person under circumstances where firing weapon violated the provisions of the manual, and (2) thus, trial court should have considered whether presumption of lack of due care was rebutted by evidence that officer did what might reasonably be expected of a person of ordinary prudence acting under similar circumstances who desired to comply with the law.

Sonoma County Organization of Public Employees v. County of Sonoma
23 Cal.3d 296, 591 P.2d 1
Cal., 1979.

A labor organizations representing employees of local government agencies sought writs of mandate to compel such local agencies to grant cost-of-living wage or salary increases embodied in labor agreements despite provisions of a statute, passed in reaction to enactment of “Proposition 13,” declaring null and void any agreements by local agencies to pay cost-of-living increases in excess of that granted to state employees. The Supreme Court, Mosk, J., held, inter alia, that the statute in question unconstitutionally impaired the obligation of contracts.

Peremptory writ of mandate issued.

Bagley v. City of Manhattan Beach
18 Cal.3d 22, 553 Cal 1976

After city council refused to place initiative measure on ballot, petitioners sought writ of mandate to compel council to do so. The Superior Court, Los Angeles County, Campbell M. Lucas, J., denied relief, and petitioners appealed. The Supreme Court, Clark, J., held that legislature intended that city council of general law city fix its employees' compensation, precluding fixing of compensation by arbitrator; and that where city possessed no power under existing state statute to provide for arbitration of wage rates, such power could not be created by local initiative.

Ector v. City of Torrance
10 Cal.3d 129, 514 P.2d 433
Cal. 1973

Former city librarian petitioned for writ of mandate to compel charter city to vacate order terminating his employment on ground that he did not reside within borders of city as required by city charter. The Superior Court, Los Angeles County, Max Z. Wisot, J., denied petition and the petitioner appealed. The Supreme Court, Mosk, J., held that statute generally prohibiting residence requirements for city employee is not applicable to charter cities and charter provision requiring residence of municipal employees within city limits is not unconstitutional.

Bar Admissions:

California, 1964
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
U.S. District Court Central District of California
U.S. District Court Northern District of California
U.S. District Court Southern District of California

Education:

UCLA JD 1964
UCLA BA 1961 Economics & Political Science

Media

Television Co -host and Co- creator, "Cheap Eats"™ 
2009 to date - Channels 16 & 36 

Television Co-host "Legal Help Live" 
2005 to date - Channels 16 & 36

Television Co-host "It' Your Call"- homeless issues in Southern California 
2007, 2008  - Channels 16 & 36

Television Co-host "Get Out" - fun things to do in Santa Monica
2008 - Channel 16

Radio Talk Show Host for "Legal Help Live"
2000 to 2006 - KRLA Radio AM 870 

Published Works:

Recent Articles

"Identity Swap: California and Amsterdam” - Los Angeles Daily Journal, 2009 Co-Author

“Into the Cookie Jar” - 2009 Los Angeles Daily Journal, Co-Author

“Indian Casino Liquor: Licensing Impacted by Anti-Indian Forces” – 2006 Indian Country, Co-Author

“The Wal-Mart Way - The Nation's Largest Retailer Should Inspire Respect Instead of Animosity” – 2006 Los Angeles Business Journal, Co-Author

“Extreme Makeover: Identity Upgrades” – 2006 Los Angeles Daily Journal, Co-Author

“Who's the Judge? Or, How Those Backroom Decisions Are Made” – 2004 California Beverage News, Co-Author

“Sovereign Indian Nations and California’s ABC” - Nov 5, 2003 Indian Country, Co-Author

“Native American Nations Should Set Their Own Liquor-Licensing Rules” – 2003 Los Angeles Journal, Co-Author

“Judges Should Not Permit Consultants to Practice Law” Los Angeles Daily Journal, Co-Author 

“Administrative Law, Alcoholic Beverage licensing” (Chapter 18) – 1994 Matthew Bender, Co-Contributing Editor

Classes/Seminars Taught:

Speaker and co-creator of Alcohol Beverage Law and Land Use Planning Seminars,- continued education of the State Bar Approved 1994 To 2008

Speaker, "The Trips & Traps of Alcoholic Beverage License Ownership"
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals, LA Chapter
September Meeting, 2007

Speaker "How to Select a Qualified Attorney" Projustice Summit, 1996

Speaker, Legal Rights Seminar, San Bernardino, CA, 1996

Speaker "Understanding the Laws, Rules, and Regulations of the ABC and Growing Problem With Use Permits", Business Opportunity Council of CA, April 1996

Speaker: "Zoning and Use Permits by Cities and Counties to Regulate or Abolish Retailing of Alcoholic Beverages", National Association of Beverage Retailer Convention, Las Vegas, NV 1996

Speaker "Protect Your Business From Police and Decoy Stings" CA Grocers' Association, Retail Food Industry  Show, Oct. 1996

Instructor, Labor Relations, UCLA Extension

Instructor, International Association of Chiefs of Police

Lecturer, ABC Law and Land Use Planning Seminars, 1994 to present

Speaker, 19th Annual State Convention, "How to Survive in Business Under the new ABC Statutes and Land-Use Planning".

Professional Associations and Memberships:

American Bar Association
Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice
Committee on Beverage Alcohol Practice

UCLA
Coaches Roundtable

UC Santa Barbara
Chancellor Associates, Past Member

UCLA
Chancellor Associates, Past Member

Windward High School
Past Member, Board of Trustees

Crossroad High School
Past Member, Board of Trustees

Pepperdine Law School: Moot Court Program Judge

UCLA Law School: Judge, Moot Court Program

Administration Bar Association: Past President

Long Beach Police Officers Honorary Association

Contact Info:

426 Culver Blvd., Playa del Rey, CA 90293

Phone
(310)822-9848
(800)405-4222

Fax:
(310)822-3512

E-mail:
ssolomon@ssjlaw.com