Law Offices of Sherman M Ellison & Associates

Had a great experience with Ellison & Associates. Found their website
through a google search. CHP gave me a distracted driving ticket VC 27 400. I was hands-​free but didn’t know I couldn’t have both earbuds in. I had previously signed up for
but when I did my research, I found that they’re not a law firm and they just help with paperwork (see my other review on ticketbustcom). They use something called Trial by Declaration. It doesn’t work unless the officer doesn’t show up for court. If you read the other reviews on Ticketbust, you’ll find that police officers are more likely than not going to show up and you’ll be back at square one. Your results may vary. You may get lucky. I just wanted to get this taken care of and not rely on luck, especially since I live out of state.
I called other law firms and talked to receptionists. They quoted me $ 200+ to help take care of this. I was ready to sign up but then called the Ellison office. I actually talked to a lawyer who took the time to research my violation and found out it’s not even a moving violation. There was no need for me to obtain a lawyer. He said I should just pay the $ 164 fine and everything should be good. There shouldn’t be any points on my record and my insurance shouldn’t go up. He didn’t charge me, and there wasn’t even a fee for the phone call. I would definitely recommend these guys to help with your traffic ticket needs.
Update: Unilocal took down the listing for
, and I can’t leave them a crappy review. Don’t use
, use Ellison and Associates.

This past Veterans Day I received a moving violation ticket for turning right on a red light signal. I quickly googled «how to fight a traffic ticket» and was smart enough to request some help from the law offices of Sherman Ellison. Steven called me within a couple of hours and gave me just some very valuable advice on how the process works and what to expect. I DIDNT PAY A SINGLE CENT. If that’s what you’re concerned about. It was all over phone and I could’ve hung up at any time. They can represent you in court and handle the whole process for you but at this time I couldn’t afford it so I just took his advice on how to fight it on my own. I rarely write reviews on Unilocal but this one is definitely worth 2 minutes of anyone’s time.

I got myself into a tight spot with the CHP. All in all, over a period of about a year, I was pulled over three times. I went to renew my license and found that the court had placed a hold on my license, and that I needed to contact «GC Services» to pay a whopping 4975.00 for tickets, FTA, FTP, driving on a suspended… The Book! I was screwed. A lawyer seemed like an option worth exploring.
When speaking with Laela Ellison, she was very informative about what services they offered. The price she quoted me for dealing with three cases was steep, but quite a bit less than the original amount owed. I took the gamble.
It took about a 6 weeks for Legal Assistant Lizbeth Garcia to call me back and give an update on the cases. She kept me well informed throughout the process. Another 6 weeks later, she called to give me some great news. They were able to completely dismiss two of the three cases. The third, I had already plead no contest and they could not resolve.
I asked if they offered any refund for the case they were not able to take to trial. I was very excited to learn that they would REFUND TWO THIRDS of the total for that particular case. Of course that went to the court for the unresolved case.
Sherman Ellison got my Driver’s License back and saved me thousands of dollars.
Thanks Liz, Laela and Sherman!

This is the ONLY place you should go for traffic tickets. I am usually critical of professional service providers and thoroughly researched many of the lawyers purporting to be experts. I interviewed at least 5 of the most active ones, and used multiple referral sources. I had 2 potential tickets and needed the best help available. After learning more than I ever thought I would know on the subject, picking Sherman Ellison’s firm was easy. It is very good that they have a team and that they understand the landscape and are in this every day.
There is a wide range of lawyers, some from slimy to mediocre. Sherman Ellison is a cut above.
I was VERY fortunate to get BOTH tickets dismissed. There is no guarantee that always happens, but I am sure that your best chance is with this group. Preparation and strategy are very important even before stepping into the courtroom, as is local knowledge and relationships.
Thanks you Sherman Ellison

I started using this law firm to fight tickets for me and my family members in 2007. Since then they got me out of 2 speeding tickets, my son out of one and my husband out of an over GVW ticket. (That may sound like a family of traffic violators, but remember this is over the course of 7 years!)
No I don’t work for this firm, nor do I know anyone there on a personal level — I can just tell you from my 4 experiences with them that they do a great job!
Will it cost you — well of course! To these people that have rated them without even using them, all I can say is «your loss»!
But back to Ellison & Associates — very nice, very communicative, and very professional.
They saved me many thousands of dollars (yes, «thousands» — the GVW ticket was a $ 4000 fine by itself!).
It you have a ticket that you need to get rid of, call them.

Unfortunately I have had to use this firm several times due to a variety of traffic violations. Unfortunately relates to the violations and not the firm. Out of four tickets, they got me off twice, another for traffic school and the other a fee reduction.
On one of the tickets, it was a Friday (late into the day) and i receive a call from Mr. Ellison himself– to talk a bit more about my case. Although he didn’t represent me I thought it was pretty classy to receive a call from the owner of the firm.
Like any otter legal ordeal you have to engage the attorney with good information and a few important questions (vs a laundry list). I found all the folks involved in my four cases to be serious about doing the best job they could with some very difficult situation.

Mr. Ellison attended my trial in the Chatsworth court house. He had the police officer in agreement to drop the speeding ticket down to a parking ticket, with a fine of less than $ 300 (before trial even took place!). My speed was 75 on the ticket, but he noted that I was actually going 84 on the ticket (kind of weird, I know).
I would say this was a very straight-​forward experience without any last minute surprises. The judge was also familiar with Mr. Ellison (in a good way) and seemed to like him. This attorney may be what you need if you’re in search of someone to help you with a moving violation.

I received a speeding ticket back in December. I went to
and this was one of the law offices recommended. I spoke with a wonderful associate from the office today (Wednesday, January 15, 2014). After speaking with the associate it was determined that for my particular situation I would be better served (cost effective) in going in another direction. Even after declining the services from this law office she stayed on the phone with me offering some other options and suggestions. She also walked me through the general process of what they do on our behalf. I could tell that the she really cared and had my best interest at heart during the conversation. I will keep their number if I’m in need of their services in the future.

I put my information in this website that sends it to attorneys who are able to assist me with my case. I got a call from Edward who works for this law firm regarding my ticket. When I called Edward back, he was the most rude and insincere person that I ever spoke to. I tried to explain my case and instead of listening he kept interrupting me and speaking to me in a disrespectful way. I just said to him «you know what just forget it, it doesn’t seem like you care or wanna hear my case» and to make matters worst he just hanged up the phone on me. So much for the help. From just speaking with Edward it doesn’t seem like this place cares about you and your case and just want your money. If I can give 0 stars on the rating, I would.

This law firm is a joke with the most arrogant, disrespectful attorneys that you would ever come across. My dad got a speeding ticket in LA, and he lives in San Diego, So I was trying to help him beat the ticket. I called this law firm based on their reviews and wanted to know how much they charge for their services. After the operator took my info, she transferred me to a so called attorney for free consult. I explained the case and the moment I asked how much they would charge for the service, the so called attorney got very angry and tole me «if you are calling around and price shopping this is the wrong law firm for you» so I told him «are you refusing to give me a fee for your services? I would like to know how much you charge so I can make a decision» and he said «yes, I’m refusing to quot a price, because this is the wrong law firm for you.»
I don’t know how this law firm has such high ratings. All reviews are probably from friends and family.

Thanks for helping us out and removing one real nasty speeding ticket. I will be in contact again if needed. Thanks, Frank

Please note that my review is based solely on a telephone inquiry I made. I did not hire this law firm.
Back in January I received a red light camera ticket violation from someone else driving my car. I initially hired
to write and file a trial by written declaration. They totally messed up my paperwork and I was found guilty. I then thought about hiring an actual attorney to help me out and so I contacted this law firm to get more information. I may not be a lawyer, but I know enough about the law to know when I’m being lied to. I know for a fact that in order to be found guilty of one of these violations, the court has to prove that I was the person driving the vehicle. It is not my responsibility to identify the person who was driving. The burden on finding that person falls on the state, not on me.
I spoke with a representative from this law firm who tried to scare me by saying if I went to court on my own without a proper defense, I would most likely be found guilty again since I did in fact have to identify the person driving AND in most cases the judge will not allow me to attend traffic school. That was my first clue I couldn’t trust this law firm. When I asked how much it would cost to hire them to fight my ticket, the woman said $ 1,500! First of all, even if I was found guilty and couldn’t attend traffic school, the increase in my car insurance wouldn’t even total $ 1,500 over the next 5 years! She claimed they had to dedicate multiple hours of work on this case. I guess I’m confused. If your law firm is dedicated to these types of tickets, and if you win 90% of your cases, then why will it take HOURS upon HOURS to research my specific case? Anyway, I then asked if I did hire them and I was part of the 10% of their clients who are still found guilty, if they offered a money back guarantee. She said no. The fee was $ 1,500 whether they won or lost. I’m sorry, but any reputable company in my opinion provides a guarantee. If you truly do win 90% of your cases, then why not provide a refund on the small little 10% of those who you can’t win for??? Too many red flags in my opinion.
Anyway, I decided to just trust my instincts and handle this myself. I made an appointment with the officer assigned to my ticket to view the photos since the photos sent to me on the ticket were totally unclear. I also brought the evidence I had planned to bring to court: a plane ticket and hotel receipt proving that I wasn’t even in the state at the time indicated on the ticket. He looked at the photos, looked at my receipts, and gave me a form stating that my ticket would be dismissed and told me that I wouldn’t even need to attend court. He didn’t want to waste his time or mine by going to court for no reason. Justice prevails without me having to spend any additional money. BTW, I thought I had to name the driver to get this ticket dismissed??? I guess you were just mistaken…

Short, sweet and to the point! Isn’t that what you all want to know anyway?
These guys saved my driving record!!!
Back in early 2011 I decided to find myself a lawyer to take care of all my traffic violations in California. After 8 speeding tickets in 5 years in the Los Angeles county areas, I was one ticket shy of a revoked license, and for a gal that drives nearly 200 miles a day for work, I just couldn’t risk that outcome. Not to mention how expensive my insurance was getting and how many hours of traffic school hours I wasted, and how paranoid I was thinking a police officer was out to ticket me again and the outrageous number of points that were on my driving record! I just seriously needed some sort of a miracle to get me out of this hole that I dug myself so deep into.
After getting referred to this law office I wasn’t very certain that all my tickets would disappear but I had to be hopeful because at that point I didn’t have a choice!
I went in and met Sherman Ellison and Edward Lurner. I came in with all my ticket issues, and left with a strong sense of comfort that I’m in good hands and I WAS!
Along the way I worked with Ed, Rickey (who’s now in movies or somethin’) and Steven Curry.
A year later here I am by the grace of their talented attorneys, ALL tickets removed and dismissed!!!
They ain’t cheap, so don’t expect that. Expect great work for the money you pay!

We all know how many fake reviews there are on Unilocal.Please read through all of my reviews to see that every single one is 100% sincere. I am not affiliated with this law firm in any way, shape, or form.
I have to mention that because… this law office came through for me in a huge way. This review is coming from a legitimate and grateful customer. If I can figure out how to fax /​email Unilocal my patronage of this law firm, I will. Normally I don’t care enough to do that for restaurants, but for this, I would.
I don’t think I had gotten a ticket in over 10 – 15 years until the economy tanked in ’08. Suddenly I was getting them left and right. I want to say at least 5 – 6 within 4 years or so. Cell phone tickets, a u turn over a double yellow that didn’t impede anyone, getting into an exit lane just barely too early to get the heck off of the highway. Clearly these law enforcement departments need revenue.
My misfortune was ridiculous. And I haven’t been in an accident since I was sixteen. I’m a safe driver and it pisses me off to have been penalized so much.
Well, cut to this past May when my wife, daughter, and I were on the way to Vegas. Way out in Victorville, I was simply passing a big truck, middle to left lane, and then back to the middle lane. At this moment, the highway headed downhill. There was no one around us! No one. I had created a space cushion, a safety tip that was taught to me in driving school.
Got busted doing 103. For those who don’t know, and I sure didn’t, a ticket over 100 is not like other tickets. You can get a suspended license, big points on the record, higher insurance rates, etc. Over the top. For one moment of safe driving, I suddenly had this in my life.
I knew I couldn’t just drive out there and hope the cop doesn’t show up or that maybe I’ll get a lesser penalty. I called some law firms to get a sense of cost and did a risk /​benefit analysis. The one law firm that got back to me the quickest, answered all of my questions, and had as low a price as anyone else… was this one, Sherman Ellison. A girl named Jill was very helpful and professional.
It would cost $ 2K. But the way I saw it was this. If I fight it myself, it could lead to an $ 800-​$ 900 ticket, driving expenses out to the courthouse both for bail and trial, increased auto insurance, an in-​person driving school, missed time from work, stress, potentially being without a license for a month and having to figure out a way to work, etc. Who knows?
So, I put my money and these guys. And you know what? They won! It’s awesome!
Once I paid the $ 2K, I was in regular contact with a legal assistant named Steven. As with Jill, he answered every question. He also updated me every step of the way. Having only found these people through the internet, I had reservations about it being a scam or what have you. I made sure that the bail, the court dates, etc., were all being handled on time… and they were. Steven and the firm were on top of it.
They delayed this thing for quite some time until a trial date was set in October. I’m not sure if that’s an intentional tactic or not.
In the meantime, the cops were not complying with subpoena requests. My understanding is that in the end, this was actually a good thing in court because apparently the judge didn’t appreciate it.
Want to know the best part about this victory? The cop showed up for the court date… and we still won! I wasn’t there, but Steven sent me the Case Report Minutes from San Bernardino Court House. Action came to a trial and I guess the Sherman Ellison attorney was good enough so that it led to an agreement that the officer «has no independent recollection of the citation.» Awesome!
«On motion of court, count (s) 1 dismissed in the interest of justice.» Yes! I swear to god, some of the best $ 2K I’ve ever spent in my life.
I can’t promise that these guys will win for anyone else, obviously. But they came through for me big-​time and I wouldn’t hesitate to use them again. Though hopefully that won’t be necessary.
I’m a very happy customer. Thank you, Sherman Ellison. And for any Unilocaler out there with more questions, feel free to message me personally about this. I’m not rich or poor… and wasn’t in a hurry to spend $ 2K on legal fees. But these guys came through. They deserve my praise.

I have a red light camera ticket which I think is erroneous because the light was yellow. Very expensive ticket! I called this firm and had the good fortune to speak with an attorney by the name of Jill. Jill advised me that while the firm has a 95% success rate of getting these tickets dismissed, it would be cheaper for me to pay the ticket and go to traffic school if that is an option for me. Jill was patient and clear — I felt as if I was speaking with an old friend who really cares.
I read some more about these camera tickets online, and many people wrote that anyone who pays these tickets is an idiot because the tickets aren’t enforced. I called Jill back and she patiently explained that it’s a gamble because, yes, these tickets are currently in a «gray zone». She told me what would occur if I opted not to pay the ticket: more and more fines added plus losing the option to go to traffic school to get the point removed — and that ultimately, these tickets might be forgiven since amnesty for them is being considered, but if that turned out not to be the case, I would owe a lot more and would be stuck with the point on my license.
Jill said it has to to do with my comfort zone with risk-​taking. I’ll go mountain biking, yes, but gamble with my credit rating and/​or car insurance rates – no thanks. Based on Jill’s good advice, I feel I am making an informed decision to pay the ticket and go to traffic school (with the possibility of feeling like an idiot if amnesty for camera tickets is ultimately granted).
Thanks, Jill! I would recommend you and your firm to anyone who needs traffic court litigation. It was a pleasure speaking with you!

several years ago I contacted Mr. Ellison about a traffic ticket. He gave me good advice and told me he didn’t need to represent me because I can goto traffic school.
last year I got a serious ticket and contacted him again. his fee is not cheap but he gave me the facts and his success rate. I felt comfortable so I hired his firm.
they did their pre-​court date summons, etc. and the cop did not show up. I’m satisfied with the results.

First off, let me start by saying that this is my first traffic ticket I have received since driving. I was heading over to Gardena, CA to take my friend to see his friend, who was having surgery on her heart cancer. Sad life I know. Anyways, I was pulled over for speeding on a 65 speed limit freeway. The officer clocked me at 84 mph! Oh my god, no wonder all the other cars slowed down all of a sudden!
Anyways, I was extremely and did tons of research about speeding tickets and laws. Building immense stress over myself I did not ask for help until my upcoming court date.
I contacted this firm about the speeding ticket and he contacted me back on the same day within 24 hour time frame. He first asked me if I qualified for traffic school. Out of confusion, I did not know what to say. They he clearly asked me if I had a ticket in the last 18 months. Then I understood it with more clarity now. I told him no, and he told me that I qualified for traffic school. Good news indeed. I wanted to avoid those increases on my auto insurance and he told me the best news I had hoped for.
Though I did asked him for the fine estimate and it was pretty hefty, $ 500! But comparing that to the increases on my premium I would see over a three year period. That’s the best deal I have ever seen!
Thank you for contacting and reassuring me. I would love to use their service when I, hopefully never, get pulled over again.
— Phillip H.

Ellison and associates are honest, dependable, and reasonably priced. I received two tickets a few months ago. The office advised going to traffic school for the speeding ticket and recommended their service for the more severe citation. The attorneys were able to handle my case with ease and prevented the misdemeanor from being put on my record. I will ALWAYS go back to this firm.

Dude! I posted my negative review over a year ago. Since then they left a comment on my review, called my phone several times, sent me a couple emails and several PMs through Unilocal telling me they were «sorry» they had «new proposals» for me and various bizarre and somewhat inappropriate messages to somehow make good on not handling my case.
The most recent message, indicated the owner and the exec director had been discussing my case and they had several new proposals to discuss with me. Um WHAT? My case? My case of a mistakenly suspended license that got resolved over a year ago by another law firm? Proposals? What do they think I’m going to hire them to do? Go back in time and not tell me it’ll cost several thousand dollars to fix my ticket?
These people are nutty. NUTTY! They should deal with their REAL cases, not my imaginary one they think is still on the table. And, for the record, why on earth would he mention in his comment below that a majority of their cases go to trial, and that’s why they’re so expensive. Why would someone with a traffic violation want to go to trial over it? So glad I got a different lawyer who was later able to have everything dismissed and removed from my record for a nominal fee without putting me through the hassle of a freakin’ TRIAL. Jeezus.

Mr. Lerner, Thank you for your response to my review. I very clearly stated in my review that you did get the charges reduced. You are not addressing my issue which is that you take credit for a dismissal even when the charges are not dismissed, but reduced, as you did in our case. When I look through the cases currently on your website they all say dismissed but I assume a lot of them were just reduced as ours was. We spent $ 3,000 with you because we thought we had a 90% chance of having the case dismissed as you state on your website. If we knew it was a 90% chance of having it reduced we wouldn’t have spent that kind of money.