Honorees

Gerald “Jerry” Blank

1946-2019

Gerald “Jerry” Blank was born in 1946 in Chester, Pennsylvania.  His family moved to Palm Springs, California, in 1960.  Jerry attended California State University, Northridge and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science in 1968.  He then attended law school at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, where he was active in the legal clinic program, and graduated with his Juris Doctor in 1971.

Jerry started his legal career working for the Western Center on Law and Poverty in Los Angeles, and then opened his own law office where he practiced criminal defense.  He was one of the attorneys involved in Murgia v. Municipal Court, 15 C3d 286 (1975), which dealt with selective prosecution.  He also represented Ron Kovic, a paralyzed Vietnam veteran who became active in protests opposing the Vietnam War.  When Jerry’s office burned down, he began traveling in Latin America where he became fluent in Spanish.  When he returned to the United States, he was hired in 1979 as a staff attorney with Defenders Program of San Diego, Inc.

In July of 1980, Jerry became part of Landon, Blank, Bowden, and Russell, handling an indigent defense felony contract with the County of San Diego.  In 1982, he opened his own office practicing primarily criminal defense. Another one of Jerry’s notable cases was People v. Genzler, a homicide case where he was initially removed as the attorney based on the prosecutor’s representation that Jerry would be a prosecution witness.  The murder conviction was ultimately reversed based on the fact that Jerry was never called as a witness.  On retrial, Jerry won Mr. Genzler’s freedom based on only an involuntary manslaughter conviction.  

Jerry was involved with many boards and organizations serving the legal community. He was a Lifetime Member of California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, a Sustaining Member of the San Diego Criminal Defense Bar Association, a Board Member and past president of the Board of the Defenders Organizations of San Diego, Member of the Board of the Institute For Criminal Defense Advocacy, Founder and past president of the San Diego County Indigent Criminal Defense Grant Fund, and a Member of the National Lawyers Guild. 

Jerry’s service to the profession and community was recognized by being given a number of awards.  He received the following awards: the Trial Attorney of the Year and Warhorse awards from the San Diego Criminal Defense Bar Association; the E. Stanley Conant Award from the Defenders Organization of San Diego; and the Reginald Heber Smith Award from the National Legal Aid and Defenders Organization.  

In 2019, Jerry was diagnosed with progressive supra nuclear palsy and, ultimately, decided to end his life under the California Death with Dignity Law on December 14, 2019.  During his more than 45 years of practicing law, Jerry gave so much of his energy and commitment to his clients, his colleagues, his community, and to the criminal justice community.  Jerry’s memory lives on and inspires those seeking justice. 

Watch the 2023 Ceremony Honoring Jerry Blank

<– Back to Honorees