A San Francisco public defender may face sanctions after she painted a victim of domestic abuse as a ‘Fatal Attraction’ style woman ‘obsessed’ with her abuser and even took jurors for drinks to gain their sympathy.
Jordana Cahen was hospitalized needing surgery after her abusive boyfriend, Antonio Gamero attacked her in 2022, breaking her nose, fracturing her eye socket and leaving her with cuts and bruises all over her body.
Gamero was found guilty of torture, domestic violence, battery and false imprisonment and is currently serving a seven years to life jail sentence.
Cahen has now said Deputy Public Defender Ilona Yanez tried to shift the blame for the attack onto her during the trial, telling ABC7: ‘I was constantly bombarded with why did you stay, why didn’t you leave?’
Court transcripts show Yanez told jurors: ‘She’s obsessed with Antonio. So this isn’t the story of the poor, vulnerable, abused woman over and over. This is more Fatal Attraction. This is a woman who couldn’t let go.’
She was referring to the 1987 thriller, in which Glenn Close plays a spurned mistress who stalks and terrorizes her married lover, played by Michael Douglas, after he dumps her.
Now, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins is considering filing for sanctions against Yanez, for what she labelled ‘very disturbing and inappropriate’ behaviour.
Antonio Gamero attacked Jordana Cahen in 2022, breaking her nose, eye socket and leaving her with cuts and bruises all over her body
She was hospitalized after the attack and needed surgery to address lasting asymmetry in her face
Now, Deputy Public Defender Ilona Yanez may face sanctions in relation to her conduct during the trial against Antonio Gamero
Yanez took jurors out for drinks and told them that Cahen was ‘obsessed’ with her abusive boyfriend
Yanez sparked fury by comparing domestic abuse victim Cahen was just like Alex Forrest, the spurned mistress in Fatal Attraction who stalks and terrorizes her former lover Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas and Glenn Close are pictured as Dan Gallagher and Alex Forrest)
Jenkins is concerned about four incidents which could merit sanctions.
On the day the judge discharged the jury, Yanez bought drinks for several jurors at a bar near the court house. One juror said he ‘did not feel comfortable’ with what ‘seemed like victim blaming’ by Yanez.
The juror said Yanez told them that because of their verdict, Gamero would ‘be looking at a life sentence’, prompting three other jurors to write emails to the judge asking him to be lenient in sentencing.
One email, seen by ABC7, read: ‘Mr Gamero deserves a second chance.’
Jenkins told ABC7: ‘When you are buying them things, even a drink in order to potentially persuade them to assist in your argument for sentencing that, too, is very disturbing and inappropriate.’
She added: ‘The conduct is inappropriate under our ethical rules. We are not to be sharing information with jurors post-conviction that they weren’t entitled to receive or considered during the trial itself.’
But Ilona Yanez’ boss, Mano Raju told ABC7: ‘It is extremely common for attorneys to speak to jurors after a verdict to gather feedback on the trial.
‘Jurors asked her what Mr. Gamero’s sentence could be, and she told them.’
The attack came out of the blue after they had a nice dinner with her parents and grandmother
Jordana Cahen with her abusive ex boyfriend Antonio Gamero
Gamero is now serving seven years to life in prison for the attack
In another incident, in her final comments on the day of sentencing, Yanez broke down in tears and sobbed so hard it was hard to understand her.
She wept throughout her comments and said: ‘his life is worth more (crying) than what we dispose of every day.’
Judge Cordell said the ‘sobbing and crying in court’ raises ‘questions of competence’.
They added: ‘If you’re so enmeshed with the client, you cannot, you cannot adequately represent your client, you just can’t do it, you have to have boundaries, you have to draw that line.’
Raju’s office told ABC7: ‘Ms. Yañez served her client impeccably throughout this case, and to criticize her for showing emotion and caring about her client is offensive and sexist.’
She was left covered in bruises and cuts after the attack
Police bodycam footage shows the moment they found Cahen bleeding after the attack
Bodycam footage showed Gamero lying to police after a teenage girl witnessed the attack and called 911
Then, another incident came when Cahen filed a $8,000 small claims court complaint against Gamero for back rent and other money he owed.
Yanez got involved and started emailing Cahen about it.
Retired Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Ladoris Cordell said this was ‘inappropriate’ because it ‘brings her in contact with the victim, who has been traumatized by the person she’s representing.’
She added: ‘You don’t want to cross those lines and those boundaries.’
In the final incident Cahen said Yanez cold-called her at work, despite her saying she only wanted to communicate by email.
Cahen said Yanez ‘tried to make me feel bad for him’ saying he had a ‘f***ed up childhood’ and had ‘said sorry’.
David Yosifon, an expert in legal ethics from Santa Clara University School of Law told ABC7 this was ‘unethical’ and a ‘violation’ as it ‘was in direct contravention of the victim’s expressed wishes with respect to being contacted.’
Now Jordana is raising awareness to help other women in abusive relationships and to draw attention to how she says Yanez treated her
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins is concerned about how Yanez treated Jordana and is considering if sanctions should be made against her
Despite her methods, Yanez actually missed an opportunity to get him a lower sentence than the one he ended up with.
She rejected a plea deal under which he would have received six years in prison, instead he was given seven years to life.
Now, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins is determining what to do next and whether sanctions should be taken against Yanez.
She told ABC7: ‘It’s something that we are taking very seriously about what our next steps may be.’
DailyMail.com contacted Yanez for comment.