People v. Jesus Cianes Hernandez - California State Defender SPD-98-SA-7302

- State court habeas of capital murder conviction.

- Result: death verdict overturned by California Supreme Court in 2003. Penalty phase trial returned to Stanislaus County for retrial. Sentenced to life without parole in 2006.

People v. Norman Whitehorn - Sacramento Superior Court Case #03F01273

- Penalty phase investigator retained as expert consultant by the Sacramento County Public Defender's Office to conduct penalty phase investigation and to assist with DNA issues. This 1978 homicide case came to be after a cold hit through the California DOJ DNA data base.

- Result: Resolved for life without parole prior to trial in September 2006.

People v. Joseph M. Nissensohn – El Dorado Superior Court Case #PO8CFF0055

- Mitigation and limited dual guilt phase investigator appointment in 2010. El Dorado County homicide joined with Monterey County double homicide.

Summary of Qualified DNA Investigative Experience

Appointed “Expert DNA Investigator” by Sacramento Superior Court for work on People v. John Bertsch in 1999.

People v. Sidney Olden - Sacramento Superior Court Case #113497

- Serial rape case involving circumstantial and DNA RFLP evidence. Received compensation for 350 investigative hours directly related to development of opposition to the FBI DNA evidence (RFLP). The crime scene evidence was processed by the FBI. The rape cases were dismissed prior to trial, primarily due to the expert witness line up obtained to testify against the FBI DNA evidence. Mr. Olden was then prosecuted for being a felon in possession of a firearm and acquitted at jury trial.

People v. Robert Johnson - Sacramento Superior Court Case #94F03242

- Conducted investigation of fraudulent and careless activities of prosecution scientific expert witnesses and DNA laboratory that processed the scientific evidence.

People v. John A. Bertsch - Sacramento Superior Court Case # 94F07295

- See above summary.

People v. Timothy Brantley - Shasta Superior Court Case #96-3305

First degree murder prosecution based primarily on DNA evidence. Reviewed and investigated chain of custody concerns; reviewed and reported on facts of case; obtained witness statements, investigated and assisted in the development of the defense case.

Highlights of Civil Investigation

31 Plaintiffs v. Sacramento Catholic Diocese - Sacramento Superior Court

Conducted investigation over 3 years into sexual abuse, child molestation and cover-up by catholic priests and the church. Settlement of $35,000,000.00 reached in June 2005.

Amber Perry v. Budget Rent-A-Car - Sacramento Superior Court

Conducted plaintiff civil investigation leading to plaintiff jury award in the Sacramento County. Record Sacramento County single plaintiff award of $8,875,000.00.

Education

-Bachelors of Arts Degree - California State University Northridge - Radio/Television/Film - 1980

- Legal Education: Completed 25 units of formal law school studies to enhance and complement both my professional and legal knowledge of criminal law, torts, contracts, agency and legal writing.

- Continuing Professional Education – Have attended numerous investigator association conferences and seminars to obtain legal updates, ethics and privacy rights training.

Military Service

- U.S. Army, Honorable Discharge 1974

- Battalion Clerk, Chaparral Missile Systems Battalion

- Security Clearance: Secret

- Military Awards: National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Clasp, Certificate of Achievement

Licenses

- Bureau of Security and Investigative Services - Private Investigator=s license #PI-12961 - 1988

Affiliations (Current and Past)

- The PI Group, 2011 Legislative Advocate for 4,000 member network

- Professional Investigators of California Association (PICA) – Legislation Chair 2010, 2010 & 2011 Capitol District Director, 2010 Editor - PICA Investigative Reporter

- California Association of Licensed Investigators (CALI) – Past Member 1998 - 2010, 2004-5 District Governor, Legislative Committee Member 2005, 2006 & 2007, Executive Director Search Committee 2006

- Federal Criminal Defense Panel – Eastern District

- Office of the State Public Defender - Contract Investigator

- Northern California Innocence Project - UC Santa Clara Law School – Pro Bono Investigator

- Conflict Criminal Defenders - Sacramento County

- Investigative & Security Professionals for Legislative Action (ISPLA) – Member

- National League of Licensed Investigators (NLLI) – Member

Published Articles - Referenced and Authored

- The Business Journal, Week of March 23, 1992 - For a Private Eye, Marketing is Best Done by Word-of-Mouth (Subject of Article)

- Docket, Sacramento County Bar Association, Volume 92, Number 10, October 1992 - Hiring an Investigator (Author of Article)

- News & Review Feature Story, Volume 6, No.4, May 5, 1994 - Genetic Justice (Referenced Investigator)

- The Business Journal, Week of December 5, 1997- Contractor or Employee? Private Eye is on the Case (Subject of Article)

- The Daily Recorder, June 15, 2001 - Old News Equals Bad News For Sacramento Prosecutor, Cover Story, Vol. 91, No. 115 (Referenced investigator)

- News & Review,, Cover Story, Volume 13. No. 31, November 1, 2001 - The Mystery of O, (Referenced investigator)

- News & Review, Cover Story, - The Night They Pulled Me Over, Volume 15, No. 02, April 10, 2003 (Referenced Investigator)

- Ledger-Dispatch, Candidates Credibility Called Into Question, October 6, 2006, (Referenced investigator)

- “Northern California Innocence Project – Santa Clara Law School, “Keeping Them Honest,” Summer 2008, (Profiled NCIP Investigator)

Certificates & Training

- 832 p.c. - Firearms Familiarization, 24 hours - 1998

- 832 p.c. - Arrest, Search & Seizure, 40 hours - 1998

- P.O.S.T. - certified for level III peace officer status - 1998

Forensic Training & Experience

- Viewed evidence and reviewed procedures at Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, D.C.; Laboratory of Forensic Services, Sacramento, CA; Serological Research Institute, Richmond, CA.

- Training and consultations with scientists and researchers, including;

1. Dr. Simon Ford, Lexigen Science and Law, San Francisco, CA;

2. Dr. Benjamin W. Grunbaum, University of California at Berkeley, Emeritus;

3. Dr. William C. Thompson, University of California at Irvine;

4. Dr. Daniel L. Hartl, Hartl Laboratories, Harvard University, MD;

5. Dr. Peter D=Eustachio, New York Medical Center, NY;

6. Dr. Christie Davis, San Francisco, CA;

7. Dr. Lawrence Mueller, University of California at Irvine, CA;

8. Dr. Donald E. Riley, University of Washington, WA;

9. Dr. Frederic Whitehurst, Forensic Justice Project, former F.B.I. Supervisory Special Agent.

Forensic and Investigative Workshops

- DNA, Peter J. Neufeld & Jeff Thoma;

- Basic Principles and Terminology of DNA, Simon Ford, PhD & Jeff Thoma;

- Reading Autopsy Reports II -Child Homicide, Michael Baden, M.D. & Leslie H. Abramson;

- Reading Autopsy Reports III -Gunshot Wounds, Michael Baden, M.D. & Leslie H. Abramson;

- Investigating Crime Labs, Kim Kruglich & John I. Thornton;

- Principles and Terminology for DNA, Walter Krstulja & Gary Sims;

- Scientific/Trace Evidence, Chuck V. Morton & Russell Stetler;

- Preparing Witnesses to Testify at Penalty Phase, Trina L. Thompson Stanley &

Gretchen E. White, Ph.D.;

- Juror Investigations, Jana Clark, Margot Garey & Russell Stetler;

- Juror Debriefing: For Misconduct and Learning, Russell Stetler, Scarlet Nerad

- DNA Evidence, Continuing Education of the Bar, Julita Fong, M.D.

- Mitigating Sexual Homicides, Wendy Downing

- Police Pressures & Confessions, John Philipsborn, Charles D. Weisselberg

Conference Attendance

Capital Case Defense Seminar, Monterey - 1998

Capital Case Defense Seminar, Monterey - 1999

California Association of Criminalist (CAC), Semi-Annual Seminar, Oakland - 1999

Science in the Courtroom for the 21st Century, DePaul University Law School, Invited Guest - 1999

Capital Case Defense Seminar, Monterey - 2000

C.A.L.I. Annual Conference, Desert Springs - 2002

C.A.L.I. Mid-Year Conference, Long Beach - 2003

C.A.L.I. Annual Conference, Reno - 2005

C.A.L.I. Annual Conference, San Diego - 2006

Public Speaking/Testifying

- Protecting Your Privacy - Sponsored by the ACLU, one of three guest speaker panelists with McGeorge School of Law constitutional and criminal law professors John Cary Sims and Linda Carter

- Testified before numerous Assembly and Senate Committees: 1997, 1998, 2004, 2007, 2008 & 2009.

- Have testified in Federal Court, dozens of civil and criminal superior and municipal court trials in Sacramento, Placer, Alameda, Stanislaus, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Yuba, and Yolo Counties. Have given civil depositions, testified at California State Administrative Law Hearings, Worker=s Compensation Board Appeals, Employment Union and Parole Hearings.

- Have been an invited guest speaker at numerous trade associations’ district meetings on the topic of state legislation affecting the investigation and security profession.

Professional Comments

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I hold him (Rick von Geldern) in the highest regard too, I think, he is probably one of the best (investigators) there is in Sacramento County, maybe in the state. I have had him in other cases and I am very impressed with him. I know he is reputable. The Honorable Lloyd G. Connelly, Sacramento County Superior Court Judge, former California State Assemblyman

....I know of you and your work. It=s always been top-notch. The Honorable Jeffrey L. Gunther, Sacramento County Superior Court Judge

“We have relied on Rick for nearly 20 years for extraordinary professional and ethical investigation services. His work in the clergy sexual abuse litigation was extremely helpful negotiating a $35 million settlement from The Roman Catholic Bishop of Sacramento for 35 victims of clergy sexual abuse. I highly recommend Rick von Geldern.’ Joseph C. George, Ph.D., Attorney at Law

We have worked together on a number of homicide cases in the past, and I have known Rick=s work to always be of the highest caliber....It is my belief that Mr. von Geldern would be an asset to any case and I highly recommend him. Kevin D. Clymo, Attorney at Law

We have relied on you for years for prompt, thorough investigation services, and we=ve never been disappointed. Without your persistence in the Perry case, we would not have received the $8.875 million jury verdict in February, 1998. Joan M. Medeiros, Attorney at Law

Mr. von Geldern was the investigator for the defense team. I was impressed with his professionalism. His organizational skills, his ability to locate and obtain necessary records, and his talent in working with others made him an invaluable member of the defense team. Benjamin W. Grunbaum, Ph.D., M. Crim., FAIC

I know that Mr. von Geldern is an outstanding investigator, that he has first-hand experience of the FBI laboratory (he and I visited the laboratory together) and that he has excellent skills at interfacing scientific experts. Simon Ford, Ph.D., Lexigen Science and Law

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