Meet Prince Charming

For those of you who may have read An Immigrant American Hero, or Scruggs and Samantha, How a Shelter Dog and Kitten Saved Cinderella's Marriage, I want you to meet my "hero" and Prince Charming.  He's the gorgeous, distinguished gentleman whose picture I've included with mine.  And, yes, this is me, Mary de la Pena, doing my most professional, lawyer-like, business-like pose with the best looking man I know.

Federico Arturo de la Pena (aka Prince Charming) was born in Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico, and came to the United States when he was eight years old.  He moved from a house with servants to a single car garage in East Los Angeles, but graduated from high school and college before becoming a Naval officer and highly decorated pilot during Vietnam, and then a criminal defense lawyer.  You will hear more from him in our book, A Layman's Guide to Criminal Defense.  He is an extraordinary criminal defense lawyer, and great all-around man.

I know I sound biased, and I am.  He's been my law partner for more than twenty-four years after rescuing me from a life as a prosecutor--a job for which I never had the temperament (but that is another blog posting).  We've been married for more than twenty-three years, and still love each other with a fire that glows with more intensity as the years go by.  It is a love based on respect, honesty (with the occasional white lie--no your hair doesn't stick up in back, and no, I don't think less of you when you forget to carry out the trash), and a willingness to listen, no matter how many times the story has been told, or the complaining been repeated

Hopefully, in the posts that come, you will learn more about Prince Charming; the law; life; politics; and surviving in the 21st Century.

Love to all of you, and as my grandkids say, "peace out".

Mary de la Pena

P.S. Tara the Rottweiler is home.

Exploring fear and the darker side of human nature to find the hero within.