SAN FRANCISCO — California Sen. Leland Yee switched up his counsel on Wednesday as local defense lawyers continued to take roles representing other defendants in the splashy public corruption case.
Since a wave of arrests by the Federal Bureau of Investigation last week, the Bay Area defense bar has been abuzz over who would land work in the high-profile case—and especially who would get the nod from Yee. Yee initially turned to Paul DeMeester, but the San Francisco defense lawyer stepped aside on Wednesday and announced that James Lassart would defend the senator, who faces charges of public corruption and firearm trafficking.