A quarter century at the intersection of civil rights, criminal defense, and complex civil litigation — in state, federal, and international forums.
David G. Torres-Siegrist, Esq. has spent more than twenty-five years as a practicing trial and appellate attorney. He has taken numerous cases through jury verdict on both the plaintiff and defense sides in multi-million-dollar civil lawsuits and high-profile major criminal cases. His practice spans both civil and criminal matters in state and federal courts, and he has successfully argued multiple appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, as well as the California Court of Appeals for the Second, Fourth, and Seventh Districts.
A native Spanish speaker and Eagle Scout, David graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Southern California in 1998, where he majored in music. That same year — at the age of twenty — he was hired by the Mountain View School District to teach Kindergarten and Music, and to this day maintains the distinction of being the youngest public-school teacher ever hired by the District.
He earned his Juris Doctor in 1999 from the prestigious SCALE Program at Southwestern University School of Law: the only two-year accelerated, ABA-approved J.D. program in the United States.
Throughout his career, David has represented numerous police chiefs across Southern California, police officers and deputies from law enforcement agencies in Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura Counties, and federal agents and officials from the Department of Homeland Security. He has defended school districts, college districts, and a wide range of municipalities and cities throughout the San Gabriel Valley.
University of Southern California · B.M.
Magna Cum Laude · 1998Southwestern University School of Law
SCALE Program · Two-Year Accelerated J.D. · 1999State Bar of California · U.S. District Courts
Ninth Circuit; California 2nd, 4th & 7th DistrictsEnglish · Spanish
Fluent in both, conversational and writtenFederal §1983 actions, retaliation claims, free-speech defense, and protections for elected officials, public employees, and private citizens against governmental overreach.
Representing police chiefs, deputies, federal agents, and law-enforcement personnel in disciplinary, promotion, POBR, and administrative proceedings throughout Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura Counties.
Indictment, RICO, white-collar, and federal criminal trial work. International extradition defense in U.S. and foreign tribunals, including Switzerland.
Defense of cities, school and college districts, and other public entities throughout the San Gabriel Valley in litigation, employment, and constitutional matters.
Federal litigation against tainted municipal contracts and cannabis-licensing fraud. First-of-its-kind verdicts exposing municipal corruption in the commercial cannabis industry.
Multiple successful arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the California Court of Appeals (Second, Fourth, and Seventh Districts).
In 2015, retained by a sitting FIFA Vice President awaiting extradition from Zurich. The indictment exposed the client to nearly ninety years in U.S. federal prison on RICO violations.
Of the fifty-two officials indicted in USA v. Webb — the international soccer scandal that decimated FIFA leadership — David's client was the sole defendant to successfully oppose extradition to the United States. The Swiss Federal Office of Justice ruled in favor of his motion, and his client was instead extradited to his homeland of Uruguay. Many co-defendants were represented by international firms exceeding one thousand attorneys; David was a solo practitioner.
As told in Red Card, the bestselling account of the FIFA scandal published by Simon & Schuster (2018). The relevant chapter — Chapter XXIX — is titled “A Zealous Advocate.”
Federal civil-rights action on behalf of a thirty-year LASD captain denied promotion to Commander over an ankle tattoo. After deposing seven members of executive staff — four assistant sheriffs, two LASD chiefs, and a commander — not one could identify a single instance of a "deputy gang" within the Department. Trial is set for March 3, 2026.
Read on FOX 11After a five-day federal trial, a jury found a former City Attorney, a sitting Councilmember, and a former Councilmember personally liable for $1.6M in fraud, with the City independently liable for an additional $290,000 in negligence — among the first verdicts in California to expose and penalize municipal corruption in the commercial cannabis industry.
Read on SGV TribuneFederal civil-rights lawsuit on behalf of the sitting Mayor of South El Monte challenging punitive measures — including the stripping of travel reimbursements — imposed in retaliation for protected political speech against commercial cannabis. Tests the constitutional limits of a council's power to discipline a co-equal elected leader.
Read on MSNFederal lawsuit alleging the sitting Mayor of El Monte abused her office — contacting the plaintiff's employer and dispatching a known gang member — to retaliate against a resident's protected criticism. Resolved in 2025 with a $175,000 settlement and a public censure of the Mayor by the City Council.
Read on Yahoo NewsContinued reporting on the Baldwin Park federal judgment. The ruling not only delivered justice for the client but voided a key contract tied to the City's cannabis-licensing program — opening the door for additional owner-operators to challenge similarly tainted agreements across the state.
Read on SFGATENational coverage of the only defendant out of fifty-two officials indicted in the FIFA scandal to successfully oppose extradition to the United States. The case is featured in Chapter XXIX of Red Card (Simon & Schuster, 2018) under the title "A Zealous Advocate."
Read on CBS NewsDavid resides in Arcadia with his wife Mayra and their five children. An Eagle Scout himself, he served as Cubmaster of Pack 106 for over thirteen years and currently assists the Scoutmaster of Troop 167. His commitment to scouting has been recognized publicly, including alongside U.S. Congresswoman Betty Chu at the Arcadia Community Center.
A trained musician who graduated magna cum laude in music, David has served as the youth choir director at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Covina for more than twenty-eight years, where he sings and plays the piano at weekly Sunday Mass. He has served on the executive PTA Board at Baldwin Stocker Elementary School and coached AYSO youth soccer for over a decade.
Inquiries regarding civil-rights, criminal defense, public-entity, and complex civil matters are welcomed. Initial consultations are by appointment.
The information provided does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information is for general informational purposes only.
David G. Torres-Siegrist, Esq.
Trial & Appellate Attorney