“If there is one characteristic that defines me, it is my belief in human dignity, my belief that my client's life is just as important now as it was on the day they were born.” - Michael Guisti
(a) Every person who forcibly, or by any other means of instilling fear, steals or takes, or holds, detains, or arrests any person in this state, and carries the person into another country, state, or county, or into another part of the same county, is guilty of kidnapping.
One day I was sitting in my office on a late, sunny afternoon when I received a call from a young Vietnamese man. For the sake of this story, I will call him Wayne. Wayne told me that he needed help because the sheriffs were looking for him.
The Orange County jail system continues to disappoint Southern California, many months after the death of Danny Pham.
Pham, an inmate, was killed in an OC jail cell in July of 2017. Attorney Michael Guisti filed a wrongful death claim on behalf of Pham’s family against Orange County in January 2018, which alleges that the OC Sherriff’s Department placed Pham in a cell with an admitted double-murderer, who then strangled him. In addition, the jail staff did not follow protocol in housing locations and mandatory cell checks, only discovering the murder three hours later. Read the rest »
A story with all the twists and turns of a feature film or an episode of “Dateline,” and as diabolical and convoluted as the plot of Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl” came to an end on January 9th, 2017—or at least it did for Michelle Suzanne Hadley of Ontario, California, whose life has been a surreal nightmare for the last eight months. Here is her bizarre story in a chronological timeline:
Reviewing all of these scholarship applications certainly kept us busy, especially this last month or so! Now, the moment all of our applicants have been waiting for. After receiving more than 1200 applications and selecting 10 finalists, our law firm is proud to announce that the winner of the Law Office of Michael L. Guisti 2016 Scholarship is…
We were quite impressed with the near 1200 applications we received from talented students across the country! We’d like to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to visit our website and share your inspiring essays with us for the Law Office of Michael L. Guisti 2016 Scholarship. It was long, meticulous process, but after careful consideration, we arrived at our list of finalists. So here, in no particular order, are those finalists: Read the rest »
For Michael Guisti, being a successful attorney comes down to determination – and it shows. Over the past 15 years, Mr. Guisti has made a name for himself as one of the most formidable criminal defense attorneys operating in Southern California.
Whether you’ve been charged with DUI, juvenile offenses, federal crime, gang related issues, or assault and battery, you can count on the Law Office of Michael L. Guisti to be there every step of the way. He is so active in the community that Avvo recently named Michael one of the top attorneys in the area. The featured article can be found in Coast Magazine – a regional publication that explores a variety of different topics, from community events to local news, impacting Orange County. Read the rest »
We all know how trials work on TV and in the movies. The prosecution and the defense make their opening statements, question some witnesses and then after a few closing remarks the jury renders a verdict. On a show like Law & Order, the whole thing might take half an hour or less.
And even though we all know intellectually that drama can’t be complete accurate, it can set up certain expectations when we find ourselves in a new situation. For example, on TV suspects are read their Miranda rights as soon as they’re arrested, but in real life police don’t have to inform you of your rights until they intend to question you.
Whether you're facing a felony or a misdemeanor, don't risk a conviction. Act quickly to redeem your reputation and protect your record by consulting with our Orange County criminal defense lawyer. Call today to schedule your free consultation.
Dear valued clients, due to the COVID-19 virus and out of respect for the community, our office is offering our services remotely via phone and video. Please call or email us through our web contact form and we would be happy to discuss your case. Watch Michael L. Guisti's COVID-19 Public Service Announcement.
Cal Pen Code § 207. Kidnapping defined:
The Orange County jail system continues to disappoint Southern California, many months after the death of 
It’s been a high-profile year for the Law Office of Michael S. Guisti. 
What kind of attorney do you need?
For Michael Guisti, being a successful attorney comes down to determination – and it shows. Over the past 15 years, Mr. Guisti has made a name for himself as one of the most formidable criminal defense attorneys operating in Southern California.
