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Richard Valdez SigginsBorn: June 9, 1950
Richard Valdez Siggins is married with two children. His wife Teresa is a medical technologist. His daughter, Nina Rose, is a teacher with the Los Angeles Unified School District. His son, Gus, is a student at La Salle High School in Pasadena. Richard is a veteran trial lawyer with the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office. Richard has had a long history of involvement in the Chicano movement in Los Angeles with many "firsts" to his credit. He was the first Chicano to receive a degree in Chicano Studies from Cal State University Los Angeles. While there he was instrumental in pioneering the development and implementation of elementary school level multicultural social studies curriculum. His efforts have been in the fields of education, health care delivery, labor and law. He describes himself as a "first generation, non-Spanish-surnamed Chicano of mixed descent." Richard Siggins worked his way through law school as the first General Manager of the Los Angeles county Chicano Employees Association. While in law school he was the founder of NCASA (National Coalition Against Sterilization Abuse). Upon graduation, Richard passed the Bar examination and immediately associated with Richard Cruz. Siggins and Cruz were successful in securing the first writ of habeas corpus granted in California on a first degree murder case (In re Hall 30 CAL 3rd 408). Upon completion of In re Hall, Siggins became trial counsel with the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office and was a founding member of the Latino Public Defender's Association.
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