Whether it was as a former Deputy DA or private attorney or Deputy Public Defender, Ben McLaughlin goes to bat for his clients

(Ben McLughlin)

Former Deputy District Attorney, private attorney and now Deputy Public Defender Ben McLauglin was in a jury trial for four days. His client, James Ford, charged with a felonyPC 422, criminal threats and a misdemeanor PC 148, resisting arrest.


Not a case that made any headlines or press but for Ford, it was a big deal. After a four day jury trial, Ford was acquitted by a jury on the criminal threat charge. He was convicted of the resisting arrest charge.

Penalties for PC 148 can include up to one year in County jail and/or a maximum $1,000 fine.

As a private attorney, Mr. McLaughlin was retained by former Miss Hoopa, Kayla Brown. As a private attorney,  one of his more well known cases is David Anderson,
who plead guilty before his third trial to human trafficking, statutory rape and false imprisonment charges. Despite three jury trials and this being the first major human trafficking case in Humboldt County, no other local media covered this case.

As a Deputy District attorney, Mr. McLaughlin, successfully prosecutedseveral cases. One high profile case was Maggie Wortman. She  was sentenced to six years in state prison  for voluntary manslaughter. This was California's first case where a woman was sentenced for passing a lethal dose of methamphetamine to her child through breast milk while nursing.