James Matthew Farley III
June 11, 1934 - Jan. 02, 2015
Known to most people as Jim Farley, Jim was a prominent criminal defense attorney and also a Roman Catholic deacon in Ventura County, California.
Jim was born in 1934 in Albany, New York, to parents Albion Farley and Helen Rovelli Farley. His maternal grandparents immigrated to the United States from Naples, Italy, and his paternal great-grandparents had emigrated from Ireland.
After serving four years in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, Jim moved to Hollywood, California in 1958 with the dream of being an actor. He had small roles in drama theatre, TV shows and commercials, but then chose to fulfill the wish of his paternal grandfather, James Matthew Farley II, for whom he was named, that there be a lawyer in the family. It was in Hollywood in 1960 where he met his beautiful bride, Mary Ellen Hays; they celebrated their 51st anniversary in august 2014.
Jim graduated with a law degree from Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles, California in June 1966. He has been a member of the California State Bar Association since 1967. After working for a couple of years as an Attorney in Los Angeles, Jim began working with the Ventura County Public Defender's Office; there he worked from 1969 to 1972, before beginning his own private practice.
Jim is a partner in the law firm of Farley Cassy Schwartz Powell in Ventura, California, along with defense attorneys Charles Cassy, Robert Schwartz and Steven Powell. Along with his cloe friend and law partner of 34 years, Charles Cassy, Jim founded Conflict Defense Associates (C.D.A.) in July 1981, together with defense attorneys Willard Wiksell and Joel Steinfeld; C.D.A provides legal defense for indigent persons in Ventura County when cases conflict in the Public Defenders Office. Jim also was the lead defense attorney in the first legal case in California to use DNA testing as evidence (1988).
Jim is a past President of the Ventura County Criminal Defense Bar Association. He served as attorney for the Public Employee Association of Ventura County (PEAVC) was a Judge Pro Tempore for the Superior Court of the State of California in 1976; taught classes at the Ventura College of Law; is a past board member of Child Abuse and Neglect (C.A.A.N.) and Project Understanding, a nonprofit agency helping the homeless and poor in Ventura; was a member of the Ventura Downtown Lions Club (2002-2003); and was a judge for mock trials for St. Bonaventura High School in Ventura during 2006.
Many awards have been given to Jim Farley during his long and prestigious career. In 2010, Jim was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Ventura County Criminal Defense Bar Association for "his never-ending career which exemplifies dignity, hope, faith, justice and love for the unloved." In 2004, Jim became the first criminal defense attorney to receive the Ventura County Bar Association's highest honor, the esteemed, Ben E. Nordman Award for outstanding community service; the Ventura County Criminal Defense Bar Association Award in 1989 for his "outstanding contributions to the criminal justice system in Ventura County"; and numerous other awards throughout his long and successful career.
Jim has a reputation for advocating for respect, dignity,m truth ad justice for all. Jim is the dean of Ventura County defense lawyers and was well respected by all in the legal profession. He always mentored new defense attorneys, deputy district attorneys and law enforcement professionals during his prodigious legal career. "Jim is a true believer in the innate goodness of all human beings. He has made a difference in the lives of countless people, both in and outside of justice system, " legal colleagues have said of Jim.
The key to Jim's long life of service was his strong faith in God. Jim served in Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church in Ventura as a Deacon for more than 35 years. He performed countless weddings, baptisms and graveside services, and taught adult religious education classes at the Church. Hw was on the Diaconate Formation Advisory Board and served as a "Defender of the Bond" for Metropolitan Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He was a mentor for deacons in training for many years.
Jim is survived by his loving wife, Mary Ellen Farley; his daughter, Shannon Farley and her husband, Rolando Perez Gonzalez; his daughter, Mary Kathleen Dietz, and her husband, Richard Dietz, and their two daughters, Katelyn Marie and Adeline Rhea.
A vigil service will be held on Friday January 9, 2015 at 7:00pm at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Ventura. Funeral services will be held on Saturday January 10, 2015 at 11:30am in Our Lady of the Assumption Church. Interment will be held privately at a later date.
Jim was entrusted to the care of the family owned, JOSEPH P. REARDON FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICE, 757 E. Main Street Ventura. Condolences may be left at www.ReardonFuneral.com