Media Blog Longtime Bakersfield attorney, former Chain | Cohn | Clark partner dies at 84

Longtime Bakersfield attorney, former Chain | Cohn | Clark partner dies at 84

July 14, 2021 | Article by Chain | Cohn | Clark staff | At the Firm , News & Media

Longtime Bakersfield attorney, former Chain | Cohn | Clark partner dies at 84

Editor’s Note: The article below was compiled from local media reports. For a column on Mr. Lemucchi written by Chain | Cohn | Clark managing partner David Cohn for the Kern County Bar Association magazine, Res Ipsa Loquitur, please see below:

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Timothy Lemucchi, a longtime and prominent Bakersfield lawyer and former partner and attorney at Chain | Cohn | Clark has died at age 84.

Lemucchi participated in some of Bakersfield’s most memorable trials, including that of tire store owner William Robert Tyack, accused of killing two of his neighbors in 1982, and Offord Rollins, the Wasco star athlete accused of killing his girlfriend in 1991. He would be involved in more than 250 jury trials.

Colleagues, including Chain | Cohn | Clark managing partner David Cohn, say he had an uncanny ability to read jurors and keep his cool amid difficult circumstances. Cohn worked with Lemucchi for 20 years when the firm was known as Chain Younger Lemucchi.

Lemucchi exemplified the value of diligent pre-trial preparation, Cohn told local media, and he often tutored younger lawyers after completing his own work for the day. Part of what made him such a good defense and later a personal injury lawyer was his ability to shift tactics seamlessly after being overruled by a judge, Cohn said.

Lemuccci was the son of Italian immigrants who established the iconic Old Kern staple, Luigi’s Italian Restaurant, Deli & Wine, which celebrated 100 years of business in 2010. He attended East High School, Stanford University, and then Georgetown University for his law degree.

Outside of the courtroom, Lemucchi was a competitive athlete. He regularly competed in Ironman triatholons, took cross-country skiing, hiking and fishing trips, climbed Alaska’s Denali, Mount Whitney and peaks in Russia. He survived a helicopter crash, and mounted part of the wreckage on a plaque in his office, The Bakersfield Californian reported. He also displayed a photo of himself carrying the Olympic torch ahead of the 1984 games in Los Angeles.

His competitive spirt took him on the campaign trail in 1972, when he ran for Congress.

Lemucchi was also a writer, authoring books about his family’s history. The latest, “Eddies of the Kern,” is scheduled for release Sept. 1 of this year.

Lemucchi was also a longtime supporter of the Bakersfield Museum of Art. Lemucchi was “a very giving person,” Cohn shared with local media. “Tim was involved in a lot of charities here in Kern County. He always cared about the little guy.”

Lemucchi died July 7 while out on a casual bike ride with a friend, local media reported. He is survived by Margaret, his wife of 51 years; his daughter, Lisa Lemucchi, of Santa Cruz; his sister, Antonia Valpredo; niece Monica Sacco (husband John); niece Lanette Caratan (Christopher); nephew Gino Valpredo (Sandra); and numerous cousins and relatives, many of whom live in Kern County.

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‘Universally respected’: Longtime colleague David Cohn shares his memories of Tim Lemucchi

By David K. Cohn

For the “Res Ipsa Loquitur”

When Tim Lemucchi was a partner at the Chain Younger law firm, several of us attorneys challenged him. Daniel Rodriguez, James Yoro, and I bet we could beat him in the triathlon. I would do the bicycle portion, Danny would run, and Jim would swim. Tim – a tough, skilled, and experienced competitor – would, of course, do all three by himself. We trained a lot for the challenge, but we just weren’t as prepared as Tim was. In the end, we each ended up owing him $100 – which he gladly, but graciously, took. 

That was Tim. He outworked his opponents and was extremely well prepared. And though we lost, we couldn’t be upset with Tim because he was universally respected – by judges, other defense attorneys, and even his opponents.  

It was my privilege to be a legal partner of Tim’s for 20 years. During that time, I came to learn that Tim was trial lawyers, trial lawyer. 

His word was his bond. He never tried to pull a fast one. Tim was probably the most decent attorney I’ve ever met. I never really saw him lose his temper, and he always was cool under fire. His staff was also extremely loyal – he was a good boss and they respected him. He was the epitome of how to be civil

For a young lawyer, he was a great mentor.  I think I had been practicing for about 6 weeks, and Tim handed me a criminal file. He said, “Here, I think this would be a good experience for you to try a jury trial.” And I did! He gave me pointers and helped me out along the way. It wasn’t long after that I stumbled on a murder case. I went to Tim and said, “I’m not sure how to go about this.” He sat with me in court at a preliminary hearing, and he made some great suggestions, including for cross examining one of the police officers. I ended up getting the case dismissed at the preliminary hearing, mainly due to suggestions that Tim gave me. That was pretty cool for a young lawyer. 

It’s no wonder he was retained to represent Robert Tyack in the infamous double murder case. Tim used a self-defense argument even though the two men were shot in the back. While he didn’t get an acquittal, he ended up convincing a jury not to convict his client of murder. Instead, the jury came back with a verdict of manslaughter. The judge was astounded at the verdict, and how well Tim did in front of a jury. That was Tim’s biggest asset. He really knew how to connect with people, and was wonderful in front of juries. Tim’s low-key demeanor just resonated. He had that common person touch. 

In another famous case, Tim was hired for the Offord Rollins case. Rollins was a star athlete in Wasco accused of murdering his girlfriend. He did not win the case, but he gained a tremendous amount of respect throughout our community for his work in that trial. 

He knew the ins and outs of the evidence code better than any other attorney I’ve known.  

He was as close to a Renaissance man as they come. Not only was he an athlete and lawyer, but he was also an amazing writer, an outdoorsman who hiked, climbed the highest mountains, and survived helicopter crashes and snowstorms. 

As much as I was saddened to hear about Tim’s passing, I had a smile on my face knowing he was out on his bicycle, doing what he loved, riding through Hart Park at 84 years old. 

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If you or someone you know is injured in an accident at the fault of someone else, or injured on the job no matter whose fault it is, contact the attorneys at Chain | Cohn | Clark by calling (661) 323-4000. You can also learn more about our Bakersfield law firm.

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