This followed the withdrawal of Gal Pissetzky and Vicki Podberesky, his former attorneys.
Recall that Mr Pissetzky, a top Chicago lawyer was initially hired to defend the 37-year-old but was later retained as a record counsel due to the transfer of Mr Abass to Los Angeles and the lawyer’s inability to practise outside Chicago.
As a result, Ms Podberesky, a California-based criminal defence lawyer, was hired as his local counsel.
In the application dated January 21, Mr Pissetzky, who claimed to have been negotiating with the government over the case, said Mr Abass suddenly stopped communicating with him.
“Since Mr Abbas’ arrest and arrival in the Central District of California, I have received voluminous discovery from the government and have been diligently reviewing it and investigating the allegations in this matter.
“My communications with Mr Abbas are by telephone given my inability to fly from Chicago to Los Angeles due to the pandemic. Ms Podberesky, as local counsel, has made several visits to see Mr Abbas at the Santa Ana Jail and has also communicated with him by telephone,” he said.
Their request was, however, granted on February 22 and an order was issued in that regard.
However, on February 25, the order on request for substitution was granted and Mr Shapiro was approved as the new defence counsel.
According to his records, Mr Shapiro was once a deputy public defender in Los Angeles County.
He is also considered as one of the top criminal defence attorneys in Los Angeles as he regularly trains new attorneys in the “most effective approaches and methods to handling criminal law matters.”
