This is the property of the Daily Journal Corporation and fully protected by copyright. It is made available only to Daily Journal subscribers for personal or collaborative purposes and may not be distributed, reproduced, modified, stored or transferred without written permission. Please click "Reprint" to order presentation-ready copies to distribute to clients or use in commercial marketing materials or for permission to post on a website. and copyright (showing year of publication) at the bottom.
Subscribe to the Daily Journal for access to Daily Appellate Reports, Verdicts, Judicial Profiles and more...

Jan. 26, 2026

Attorney publicly apologizes to defense lawyer after courtroom feud

Antonio Villegas reiterated an apology to defense attorney James E. Blatt at a San Fernando hearing tied to a high-profile battery case, as a long-running dispute between the lawyers gave way to arguments over restitution.

SAN FERNANDO - After months of bitter public accusations, voicemail recordings and threats of professional discipline, attorney Antonio Villegas of AVJustice Law Firm PLC, appeared Friday in court to reiterate an apology he had submitted to defense lawyer James E. Blat.

It was a rare public turn in a feud that erupted during a high-profile battery case involving a 10-year-old autistic boy.

In a statement Villegas issued last August to Blatt and repeated Friday, he apologi...

To continue reading, please subscribe.
For only $95 a month (the price of 2 article purchases)
Receive unlimited article access and full access to our archives,
Daily Appellate Report, award winning columns, and our
Verdicts and Settlements.
Or
$895, but save $100 when you subscribe today… Just $795 for the first year!

Or access this article for $45
(Purchase provides 7-day access to this article. Printing, posting or downloading is not allowed.)

Already a subscriber?

Enewsletter Sign-up