Heidi Holmquist Wells was featured on the May 2016 edition of the North Coast Journal
Heidi Holmquist Wells is a local attorney who has been winning cases in Humboldt County since 2010. Whether it is a simple DUI where the client just wants the fairest deal possible, to a murder case with complex litigation issues, Heidi always treats her cases and clients with the highest level of care and diligence. Her trial experience and love for the law are perfect precursors to her new partnership at The Zwerdling Law Firm, where she will seek justice not only for those accused of crimes, but for those injured by forces out of their control. She loves Humboldt County, with all its quirkiness and beauty, and looks forward to assisting its citizens in their times of need.
BIOGRAPHY:
Ms. Wells grew up in Southern California and moved to Northern California to attend college. She graduated from the University of California, Davis in three years with a degree in Political Science and a minor in English. She graduated from The University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 2009 with an emphasis in Trial Advocacy. While at McGeorge, she was a member of the Competitive Mock Trial Team and represented the school at national competitions. She passed the California Bar Exam in 2009 and became a licensed attorney at the age of 24. After interning at the Yolo County Public Defender’s Office during law school, she found a home at the Humboldt County Public Defender’s Office, where she spent over seven years defending the rights of society’s most vulnerable. She has been the Co-President of the County Attorney’s Association, and a local member of the local Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), an organization dedicated to educating law enforcement about mental health issues and teaching tactics to help keep all members of the community safe.
While at the Public Defender’s Office, she litigated four homicide trials and represented several other clients charged with murder. Of those cases, two homicide trials resulted in full acquittals, one was a hung jury where no conviction entered, and another three-month trial resulted in a conviction of lesser charges of second degree murder. In another homicide case that never saw trial, Ms. Wells was successful in convincing the District Attorney’s Office to dismiss the case early in the proceedings because evidence pointed to another individual. After years of fighting, she finally succeeded in a motion for finding of factual innocence in that case, proving to the court that her client was absolutely not the person who had committed the crime.
In her free time, Ms. Wells enjoys the outdoors with her new husband Kevin Wells, a local accountant and owner of Humboldt Bookkeeping Company. She loves kids, dogs, horses, and everything that beautiful Humboldt County has to offer.