Micha Star Liberty

Oakland

Sexual Abuse & Assault Victim's Rights

Micha Star Liberty is a national expert on the rapidly changing sexual assault laws and a driving force to pass Senate Bill 646, which would allow civil penalties against social media outlets that circulate child pornography.

"We're still lobbying it. We're still just trying to make sure everyone who is going to vote on it in some capacity, whether on the floor or in a subcommittee, has all the information that they need," Liberty said. "We think it's important that these victims have a California statute to rely on and can bring their claims in state court."

The former State Bar vice president has been deluged with calls from victims who took advantage of California's "look back" law that ended Jan. 1, setting aside statute of limitations on sexual abuse for people over age 40.

"We've got a number of cases around the state against youth after-school organizations, sports organizations, also entities like YMCA and school districts," she said.

Liberty is also trying to meet a Dec. 31 deadline to file additional cases involving a yearlong moratorium on the statute of limitations on sexual assault cases where the perpetrator covered it up. Some of her clients were forced to participate in the cover-up, such as a workplace assault.

"A lot of them are in the work context, so being sexually assaulted or raped by a supervisor or managing agent of a company, and a claim gets made, and there is some sort of offer or resolution that involves the signing of a nondisclosure agreement," Liberty said.

Despite being of the forefront of these legal trends, Liberty says she is not a mill firm and doesn't just take any case that walks through the door.

"I want to make sure that I have a direct relationship with all of my clients and that we have the time and the space to be able to establish really close working relationships," she said. "To me, it's not about the numbers; it's about the individuals who I think I can help the most."

Some of her most high-profile cases involve Hollywood producer Eric Weinberg, who has been criminally charged with assaulting 13 women from 1998 to 2017. Liberty has over a dozen victims she is working with.

"Our investigation so far has revealed that there have been women with allegations vary strikingly similar conduct going back to the late nineties," she said.

--Tori Richards