The name Daye Shinn may sound familiar.
From Charles Manson’s murderous cohort Susan Atkins to convicted cop-killer Kenneth Earl Gay, Shinn’s client resume has had him in a few of the most widely publicized cases ever heard in California.
Some of Shinn’s clients have been good guys, others have been notoriously bad guys. But one thing has been ATTORNEY, from page 1 constant — the defense has been questionable.
Even for blue-collar guys like Carl Keiser, a San Bernardino man that retained Shinn last year to represent him in a personal injury case against the State of California.
Luckily for Keiser, a Santa Monica Small Claims Court Judge last week ordered that Shinn repay the $5,000 retainer Keiser had paid. Schaffer then scolded Shinn for misleading Keiser into believing that he was a licensed attorney. (See related story.) Shinn, who is now in his 80s, has an office in Santa Monica.
Shinn was disbarred in 1992 because of his mishandling of Santa Monica realtor Oscar Dane’s 1978 case against the City of Santa Monica, according to State Bar documents. Dane’s 14-room home, built in 1927, was demolished by the city to begin construction of the downtown mall. So Dane moved to Texas to live with his son, leaving Shinn to manage the details and recover reimbursement for the value of Dane’s home.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 29, 2002. Read the original PDF.