Alexander "Alec" Henderson was born in Berkeley, California in
1959 while his father, Eliot "Skip" Henderson was earning his MSW from UC Berkeley.
Mr. Henderson spent his early childhood years with his family on the front lines of
the Vietnam anti-war movement, the free speech movement at Berkeley, and the UFW movement headed by Cesar Chavez.
Mr. Henderson's commitment to social justice derives in large part from lessons taught
within his own family. He learned much of what forms his personal ethics and identification with the disenfranchised and marginalized
persons from his late uncle, The Reverend William Sloane Coffin Jr. and his aunts, Joan Baez and the late Mimi Farina.
After high school he attended UC Berkeley for one year then moved to New York City where he studied acting at the prestigious Bergoff Studio in Greenwich
Village.
When He returned to California,
Mr. Henderson completed his undergraduate studies at UCLA where he received an honors BA in Linguistics, Cum Laude.
The following year he entered UCLA Law
School. Mr. Henderson received his Juris Doctor degree in June of 1988
and was sworn in as a member of the California State Bar in December of that year.
As an attorney, Mr. Henderson spent 15 years in the Los Angeles County Public Defender's
Office. Mr. Henderson honed his skills as a felony trial attorney. He also headed the Office's Civil Division where
he became an expert in handling civil contempt matters. Additionally, Mr. Henderson was appointed to the prestigious Public
Integrity Assurance Section, the office vested with the responsibility of reviewing all past cases involving LAPD officers
implicated in the Rampart Division Corruption Scandal.
Mr. Henderson has acted as lead counsel in more than 70 felony jury trials. His clients
have enjoyed receiving verdicts of NOT GUILTY OR DISMISSAL in more than 60% of all charges brought and tried to a jury*. Most
cases in criminal court can be successfully handled without the expense of a jury trial. Mr. Henderson successfully negotiates
favorable results for his clients in the vast majority of cases. Common case settlements include a wide range of possible
results including, outright dismissal, reduction of charges from felony to misdemeanor, treatment programs in lieu of jail
or prison, and significant reductions in jail terms.
In many other matters, a jury trial can be avoided through litigation
of pretrial issues such as motions to suppress evidence and motions related to due process of law.
In the final
analysis though, the strength of your attorney rests on his ability to win in A JURY TRIAL.
Mr. Henderson is
known for his tough and aggressive trial practice. Many prosecutors would rather settle or dismiss a case than face Mr. Henderson
in jury trial.
Since the vast majority of all trials result in conviction, Mr. Henderson's record
is indeed impressive.
Interested parties must
be aware that every case is different and Mr. Henderson's past performance is not a guarantee of any result in future
cases.