Back in January, I met a lawyer who answered to Rico Suave. His real name was Damon Alimouri, and he was representing a member of the so-called Justice 8, internet-famous for confronting people they accused of harassing street vendors, videotaping the loud aftermath, then calling on followers to support the vendors. San Bernardino County prosecutors had charged the eight with a potpourri of felonies ranging from false imprisonment to conspiracy to assault and had successfully convinced a judge to deny bail to all but one.
In court, Alimouri stood out from his fellow defense attorneys, and not just for his colorful nickname, coined by fans who swooned over his tailored suits, shiny pompadour and oratorical skills. His passionate yet unpretentious style contrasted with the showboating of some of the other lawyers. He framed the Justice 8 case as a danger to civil liberties, frequently referencing the U.
S. Constitution and the Founding Fathers. The son of an Iranian father and Mexican mother got sheriff’s deputies to contradict what they had written down in their arrest reports.
His client, Vanessa Carrasco, faced 13 felonies and a maximum of 17 years in prison. Last month, she and six others pleaded guilty to the same single charge — assault with intent to commit great bodily harm. They’re free on bail and await sentencing in December, leaving only their leader, Edin Alex Enamorado , fighting his case.
(Another defendant’s charges were dropped Tuesday after he agreed to.