James Edward McGee II

James McGee is an experienced criminal defense attorney specializing in cases involving complex violent crimes. A graduate of Loyola Law School, Mr. McGee has been practicing for approximately twenty years, including having served as deputy district attorney of the County of San Bernardino for over twelve years.

Mr. McGee earned his Juris Doctor in 2001 and began his tenure with the County of San Bernardino the following year. During his time with the county, he handled a variety of cases, ranging from hardcore gang prosecutions and murders with special circumstances to wiretap prosecutions, insurance fraud, and mentally disordered offenders. Mr. McGee was successful in numerous high-profile prosecutions throughout his career in public service.

In 2014, Mr. McGee left the District Attorney's office to enter private practice as a criminal defense attorney. In the years since, he has leveraged his background and experience as a prosecutor to help his clients on the other side of the courtroom.

As a leader in criminal law, Mr. McGee has acted as a mentor to many defense attorneys and is routinely contacted to give advice on complex cases and other legal matters. Throughout his career, he has given lectures on topics such as using technology in the courtroom, using discovery to undermine a gang investigation, and the law on immunity. This requires Mr. McGee to stay abreast of recent developments in criminal law, especially those related to gang prosecutions. He notes:

I pay close attention to changes in anything involving gang prosecution as well as evidentiary issues. Gang prosecutions have changed drastically over the years and defense attorneys have various avenues to attack the government's case after the California Supreme Court decisions in Sargon, Rodriguez, Prunty, Elizalde and Sanchez.

Mr. McGee is a member of the Board of Directors for the San Bernardino County Bar Assocation. Mr. McGee is also a member of the Riverside County Bar Association, California Attorneys for Criminal Justice and California Public Defenders Association. Mr. McGee is a native of California, growing up in the Pomona area. He graduated from the University of California at Irvine with a Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy.

Mr. McGee also served on the Board of Directors of Court Appointed Special Advocates (C.A.S.A.) of San Bernardino County from 2017-2022. C.A.S.A. is a non-profit organization that trains volunteers whom are appointed by a judge to represent the best interests of a child currently under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Dependency court. The group's goal is to improve the quality of life for foster youth, juvenile care youth, and foster care alumni youth with stable and consistent mentoring and advocacy. For ten years, Mr. McGee also participated in the Fontana Leadership Intervention Program (FLIP) by counseling troubled youth on the dangers of being involved in a gang lifestyle and the legal consequences of such activity.