Williamson Rule Supports Dismissal of Charges Against Attorney

A California appellate court upheld the dismissal of criminal charges against an applicants’ attorney who was charged with fraud for allegedly steering his clients to an interpreting business he owned. The so-called Williamson rule, derived from a 1954 state Supreme Court case, precludes criminal prosecution under a general statute if there is a specific statute that applies to a defendant’s alleged conduct, the court said in an unpublished decision handed down on Friday. The court also concluded that Labor Code Section 139.32(b) was unconstitutionally vague and unenforceable, bu...