Representative Reported Decisions

Superior Court of Mendocino County v. County of Mendocino

(1996) 13 Cal.4th 45
Mr. Wasser successfully represented the County of Mendocino in this case in which the California Supreme Court upheld the authority of county boards of supervisors to order the trial courts to close on countywide furlough days.  It was a major victory for California counties and the Court’s opinion reaffirmed important principles of the separation of powers doctrine.

Locklin v. City of Lafayette

(1994) 7 Cal.4th 327
Mr. Wasser successfully represented the California State Association of Counties as amicus curiae.  The California Supreme Court adopted arguments he advanced in the Counties’ amicus brief and extended the rule of reasonableness in liability for flood damages that it first announced in Belair v. Riverside County Flood Control District (1988) 47 Cal.3d 550.

Yarbrough v. Superior Court of Napa County

(1985) 39 Cal.3d 197
Mr. Wasser successfully represented the County of Napa.  The Court adopted arguments he advanced in his brief, deciding that indigent defendants in civil lawsuits are not entitled to court-appointed counsel.

Arreola v. County of Monterey

(2002) 99 Cal.App.4th 722
Mr. Wasser was hired after trial to appeal an adverse judgment against the County of Monterey and the Monterey County Water Resources Agency in favor of over 250 plaintiffs who were flooded by the 1995 failure of the Pajaro River levees along the Monterey/Santa Cruz county boundary.

Jahr v. Casebeer

(1999) 70 Cal.App.4th 1250
Mr. Wasser successfully represented the Shasta County Counsel in opposing an attempt to subject county supervisors’ salaries to the referendum.  The appellate court’s opinion represents an important clarification of the California Constitution’s provisions on the local initiative and referendum and vindicated the right of a county counsel to independently evaluate proposed ballot measures.

State Board of Equalization v. Superior Court

(1992) 10 Cal.App.4th 1177
Mr. Wasser successfully represented a business that was trying to obtain public records from the State Board of Equalization.  His client won and recovered its attorney’s fees from the State.

Hunt v. County of Shasta

(1990) 225 Cal.App.3d 432
Mr. Wasser successfully represented the County of Shasta against the claims of a landowner who wanted to split and sell many large acreage parcels in violation of the Subdivision Map Act.

County of Colusa v. H. Raymond Charter

(1989) 208 Cal.App.3d 256
Mr. Wasser successfully represented his client against a claim by the County of Colusa that the right-of-way for a County road was wider than it really was.  The case involved historical research into the road statutes in effect in the late 1800’s.

County of Butte v. Superior Court

(1985) 176 Cal.App.3d 693
Mr. Wasser successfully represented the County Supervisors Association of California as amicus curiae in a separation-of-powers argument concerning the board of supervisors’ budgetary oversight of the county sheriff.

County of Madera v. Forrester

(1981) 115 Cal.App.3d 57
Mr. Wasser successfully defended the County of Madera against damage claims asserted by a landowner in an eminent domain proceeding.

Ortiz v. Board of Supervisors of Madera County

(1980) 107 Cal.App.3d 866
Mr. Wasser represented the Madera County Board of Supervisors in a challenge to an ordinance redistricting supervisorial districts.

Brandt v. Board of Supervisors of Madera County

(1978) 84 Cal.App.3d 598
Mr. Wasser successfully defended the Madera County Board of Supervisors against allegations of inadequate conditions in the Madera County Jail.

Please contact Mr. Wasser directly for more information.