CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY/ FOUNDER OF INNOCENCE OC

Annee Della Donna

Annee Della Donna stands as a prominent civil rights attorney in California and is the founder and President of InnocenceOC a pro bono innocence law group working with UCI Law School. Over the past three decades, she has obtained large verdicts and settlements against law enforcement agencies for causing the wrongful death of innocent individuals. In a landmark achievement in 2023, Della Donna settled the largest civil rights case in California for $24 million dollars against the California Highway Patrol. This legal triumph held the CHP accountable for the tragic death of a father who was held down during a compelled blood draw. Moreover, her impactful advocacy in 2020, led to the release of two wrongfully imprisoned men who spent 17 years in prison for a crime they did not commit. In an additional victory in 2023, Della Donna proved their factual innocence in the Superior Court. Della Donna’s exceptional contributions to the legal community have not gone unnoticed. In 2021 and again in 2023 she was named Orange County’s Most Influential Attorney. Furthermore, her dedication was recognized with the prestigious top honor of the ADL’s Marcus M. Kaufman Jurisprudence Award in 2021. She continues to make a profound impact through her tireless efforts to rectify injustices and advocate for the rights of the wrongfully accused.