Jimmy Chu - Board Member at Large

Jimmy Chu is a Deputy Public Defender for LA County. His current assignment is in Central Felonies, where he handles a wide range of cases, including murders. Previously, Jimmy worked in misdemeanor and juvenile rotations for the PD’s office. Jimmy has conducted over 40 jury trials and has obtained successful verdicts in a vast majority of the cases.
As a minor, Jimmy was charged with Assault with Deadly Weapon with Gang Allegations, despite never having been in a gang nor having any weapon. Having grown up in Monterey Park, CA with neighbors and friends that became gang members, a dishonest police officer accused Jimmy of gang membership and even assigned him a moniker to bolster the claim. Based on officer testimony, Jimmy was deemed “fit” to be tried as an adult. Facing 14 years in state prison, Jimmy pleaded guilty to something he absolutely did not do and was not involved in. Since that miscarriage of justice, he had just one goal in mind: to ensure it never happens to another poor minority.
Jimmy went on to attend UCLA for college and UC Berkeley School of Law for graduate school with still that one goal in mind. While an attorney, he was once again charged, this time for Resisting, Obstructing, Delaying arrest after calling out another bad officer who discovered Jimmy’s conviction and profession as a public defender.
He loves his job, cherishes the work he does, and wouldn’t trade it for anything. In his free time, Jimmy travels and hunts for good food.
Jimmy is involved with CSIBA because he wishes there was an organization like this to guide him when he was applying to schools as the first in his family to attend college and graduate school.