Introducing Our Newest Attorney Jaidee Serrano!

The Law Offices of William V. Pernik welcome a new member of the team – Attorney Jaidee Serrano. Ms. Serrano is a member of the United States District Court of the Southern District of California, the United States District Court of the Northern District of Texas, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Before practicing in the United States, Ms. Serrano actually began her criminal defense career in Puerto Rico before all Spanish-speaking courts. Later in California, Ms. Serrano worked for a branch of the Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc (FDSDI) and was appointed to represent indigent persons accused of criminal offenses in federal court. After almost two years there, Ms. Serrano moved to the Northern District of Texas where she worked as an Assistant Federal Public Defender for the Federal Judiciary handling a trial and appellate caseload.

Ms. Serrano’s litigation covers all federal charges, including drug distribution, human trafficking, child pornography, bank robberies, illegal immigration, gun possession, financial crimes, Hobbs Act violations, kidnapping, murder-for-hire, theft of government funds, and revocations on federal supervision. Her prior experience includes state appeals, federal appeals, and the Board of Immigration Appeals. She has also been teaching trial skills since 2014.

Ms. Serrano has been dedicated to her career in criminal law ever since she first began. She said it’s always seemed easy for people to point the finger, to accuse, and to judge. As a result, to defend is to look beyond the noise – to give every individual the benefit of the doubt. Ms. Serrano grew up and is surrounded by a time when a person’s skin color or even the way they choose to love can be the reason they go to jail. Ms. Serrano says, “When clients tell me they were pulled over because they're brown, I believe them because it's happened to me.” As a minority and everything that carries, Ms. Serrano chose defense work because she understands the reality that surrounds her and its systemic weaknesses. This is also what is the most rewarding part of her criminal defense career to her – showing the compassion that the criminal justice system touts but never delivers.

Throughout her career, Ms. Serrano has successfully handled case dismissals on drug trafficking, child sex trafficking, theft of government funds, cash smuggling, and illegal re-entry. Educating the judges and advocating for judicial reform regarding rehabilitation in lieu of incarceration has been an uphill battle in federal court, yet to her, they have been fulfilling and successful fights. She distinctly remembers in 2019 when the federal prosecutor chose a drug trafficking case with the death enhancement as the seminal case to begin charging those types of cases in the Fort Worth division. The complaint alleged the death enhancement. After a successful preliminary hearing, he offered a drug charge without the enhancement. After a nine-month battle with forensic pathologists, toxicologists, and adversarial hearings, the final result because of that case was that they weren't going to prosecute those types of cases in the Fort Worth division.

Clients looking for personalized attention can trust that Ms. Serrano will take a unique approach to each case brought to her. She has been described as a person who will go to bat for her clients against the best and maintain integrity in court without compromising her case. Ms. Serrano is professional and honest with her clients, and she is not only an attorney but also a trustworthy confidant for her clients. With her, clients will always know what to expect, and every step is an informed decision she will walk them through. If you have legal questions about a federal charge or any level of appeals, Ms. Serrano is the attorney for you.

Contact the Law Offices of William V. Pernik to schedule a consultation with one of our attorneys today. Put knowledge and experience on your side. Se habla español!