Like most things in life, the answer, I suppose, is influences.

I was born in San Francisco, CA. Shortly thereafter, one of my biggest childhood influence was Perry Mason. Not so much the courtroom drama, but Perry's lifestyle. He was a sole practitioner of general litigation. Such diversity seemed interesting to me even as a kid. Opening sequences would have Perry involved in some civil dispute relating to contracts, business, family law and the like. After resolving those issues, a dead body would come about. Perry would then shift into criminal law gear and kick butt. Likewise, I have a general litigation practice [I discuss it in detail at "My Practice" page]  which includes some juicy criminal cases now and again.  Unlike Perry though, I have yet to have anybody break down at a Prelim, confess, and exonerate my client,  but there's always next time.

Perry had a really cool office. For a while I even had one with a separate exit: "Here, let me show you out this way."  What I liked most, Perry would go with his investigator Paul Drake and traverse all segments of society. My investigator is named Everett. We go and interview a wide range of witnesses just like Perry and Paul.  Everett even drives a T-Bird just like Paul. He refuses, however, to wear tacky sports coats, no matter how much I ask him to.  You'd think he would engage my fantasy, just once.  It's not like I'm asking him to wear latex for cryin' out loud.

I was a teenager in San Francisco in the late 60's. So, let's just say that I had the run of the mill counter-culture and rock n' roll influences. Besides all that, I lucked out and got a seat for a session at the murder trial of Black Panther Huey Newton. I saw defense lawyer Charles Geary in action. That was, indeed, an influence, a supreme gladiator of the courtroom. Though, the "good guys" also had an influence on me. Shortly thereafter, I saw a great prosecutor Bud Meloling single handedly take on two of the best defense lawyers and cream 'em. No doubt, there must be lawyers who can take command of a courtroom and a case like Bud, but I've never seen them. Later on in my adulthood, I had the privilege of Bud befriending me.  At that time though, both those guys had been practicing law way over 20 years. So, that should have been a clue to me that one doesn't become Perry Mason overnight. A clue I overlooked, thankfully, or I might never had started law school.

The idealism of the 60's mandated, to those of us coming of age in the 70's, to solve social problems. So I said: "Hmmmm. Let me pick a social problem to solve."  Let's see there was pollution, but the only thing I knew about that was when an ill tuned Muni bus would drive by. Then there was hunger, I looked around and everybody was eating. Poverty? Nope, that was my personal problem back then, not a social one. How about crime? Eureka! Man, my neighborhood was full of criminals. Crime was a big social problem, even the President was getting busted back then.

So off I went to San Jose State University where in 1977 I received my bachelor degree in criminal justice administration. While an undergraduate I developed an innovative law enforcement management concept which was published in a national law enforcement periodical. Not exactly putting on a cape and fighting crime type stuff, but I got me $75.00 and it made interesting for me the most boring subject of management.

Right at about the time of graduation, the Alameda County Sheriff's Department hired me. Shortly thereafter, I was offered a supervisory position in the Identification Bureau. Of course, there was the "B" plan of following the career path of a deputy sheriff and getting puked upon by drunk drivers at the county jail.

Thus, I decided to learn fingerprints. Indeed, I even took advanced FBI courses and became a fingerprint expert. Though once I did do a cape crusader caper and the Sheriff gave me a commendation for it.  I apprehended two armed robbers while I was unarmed off duty.  I  tried telling everybody I didn't know the robbers were armed, lest they think I was nuts, but they gave me the commendation just the same.  Anyhow, I was content with my career decision, but just content. The Perry Mason theme music echoed within me and was seducing me like a Siren's song.

I woke up one Saturday morning and took the LSAT.  I looked around at the law schools whereby I could keep my job while attending. Lest my then wife and 2 kids would have had to sacrifice while I pursued that jealous mistress - the law.  I learned Charles Geary had graduated from San Francisco Law School. For that matter so did the great civil trial lawyer Marvin Lewis. Heck, he convinced a jury that a woman had become a nymphomaniac in a cable car accident. That was good enough for me. I also had learned that some heavy-duty politicians had graduated from there too. Like the original Governor Brown, Jerry's dad, Pat. As well as Lieutenant Governor Leo T. McCarthy. So, I thought, if I failed as a lawyer I could always become a politician.

Therefore, off I went to San Francisco Law School. Like most first year students, I wondered what the hell I had gotten myself into. Surely, Perry didn't brief 60 cases a week. Anyhow, at the end of first year, I received an award for being tops in my class. That told me I might have a knack for the law, so I hung in there. I indeed graduated and passed the bar exam. I have been making a living at it for the past 24 years.

Anyhow, that's why I became a lawyer.
 
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Law Office of Frank D. Presto III                                     E-Mail: Frank@PrestoLaw.com
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Pleasanton, CA  94588
Telephone: 925-846-4006
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