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Case Analysis & Investigation Strategies - CRIMINAL & CIVIL
PRINCIPAL AGENT APRIL D. HIGUERA
April Higuera is currently accepting civil and criminal cases from private attorneys and citizens, as well as State and Federal apppointments on indigent cases.
SUMMARY OF RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE
ADH Investigation -- March 2001 to present
Private Investigator
- pre-trial and post-conviction (including capital/death penalty), criminal & civil
Lassiter, Tidwell & Hildebrand, PLLC, Nashville, TN -- November 1998 to November 2000
Paralegal
- business law, criminal & civil litigation
Regal/Synchronal Corporation, New York, NY – August 1990 to August 1992
Paralegal
- contracts
MAJOR CASEWORK
The actual cases April Higuera has investigated are too numerous to mention here. Below are the cases she considers to be the most comprehensive and consequential.
California v Kenneth Sharonoff
(1 ct 1st degree murder); 2010; pre-trial guilt/innocence investigation; conv lesser
United States v Anh The Duong
(29 counts including RICO, 1st deg murder, robbery); capital trial; 2009; 2010; pre-trial guilt/innocence and mitigation investigation; conv LWOP
California v Joseph Nissensohn
(3 cts 1st degree murder); 2009; guilt/innocence investigation; case removed from PD due to budget; not completed
Hope Schreiner v State of Vermont
(1 ct 2nd degree murder); 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009; post-conviction guilt/innocence and ineffective assistance of counsel investigation; pending
Sedley Alley v United States
(1 ct 1st degree murder); 2003, 2004, 2006; capital post-conviction guilt/innocence investigation; executed 2006; innocence evidence was uncovered during
the investigation, however, court denied testing of DNA; Innocence Project of NYC undertaking post-execution civil action)
Phillip Workman v United States
(1 ct 1st degree murder of a police officer); 2004; capital post-conviction guilt/innocence investigation; executed 2007
State of Tennessee v Max Roybal
(1 ct 1st degree murder of Laura Cecere); 2003, 2004; pre-trial guilt/innocence investigation; judicial acquittal
Derrick Quintero v State of Tennessee
(2 cts 1st degree murder); 2001, 2002, 2003; capital post-conviction guilt/innocence investigation; state petition denied
Tony Carruthers v State of Tennessee
(3 cts 1st degree murder); 2002; capital post-conviction guilt/innocence and mitigation investigation (not completed due lack of state funding); disposition unknown
Jon Hall v State of Tennessee
(1 ct 1st degree murder); 2001, 2002; capital post-conviction guilt/innocence and mitigation investigation; state petition denied
State of Tennessee v Max Roybal
(1 ct 1st degree murder of Karen Anderson); 2001; pre-trial guilt/innocence investigation; jury acquittal
Farris Morris v State of Tennessee
(2 cts 1st degree murder); 2001; capital post-conviction, jury composition analysis and juror interviews; state petition denied
United States v Stephen Adams
(conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation for murder) 2001; pre-trial guilt/innocence investigation; plead lesser
United States v Christopher Smead
(2 cts of esp. aggr. rape, kidnapping); 2001; pre-trial guilt/innocence investigation; plead lesser
S1 ct tate of California v Jamal Shakir
(esp. aggr. kidnapping for ransom); 2000; pre-trial guilt/innocence investigation and paralegal services; conv lesser
United States v Jamal Shakir
(44 counts, including RICO, 1st degree murder, money laundering, drug trafficking, kidnapping); 2000; capital trial investigative paralegal services, including organization of over 30,000 pages of discovery documents, composing timelines and document summaries, photograph crime scenes, document retrieval; conv LWOP
EDUCATION
1998 Belmont University, Nashville, TN
B.B.A., Business Administration (GPA 3.9, rank: #1 of graduating class)
1991 Adelphi University, New York, NY
Diploma, Lawyer’s Assistant - Paralegal (Generalist; Honor Roll)
The Berkeley School, Ridgewood, NJ
Diploma, Executive Administrative Assistant (Dean’s List)
LICENSES
Private Investigator, TN #4971
Private Investigator, CA #PI 25440
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
National Association of Investigative Specialists (NAIS)
California Association for Criminal Justice (CACJ)
California Defense Investigator Association (CDIA)
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