Banning, Calif.— Keker, Van Nest & Peters secured the acquittal of legendary Coachella Valley real estate developer John Wessman in Riverside Superior Court today. Wessman faced bribery charges in connection with the successful redevelopment of the now-revitalized downtown of Palm Springs.
Led by name partner Elliot Peters, the trial team included attorneys Steven Ragland, Cody Gray, and Jacqueline Concilla.
“John Wessman has maintained his innocence for eight years, and today's verdict validates our position that there was no bribery, no conspiracy, and no undue influence exerted related to this project. The evidence simply did not support the prosecution’s innuendos and misrepresentations, because they never happened,” Elliot Peters said. “Mr. Wessman has devoted much of his life to the revitalization of Palm Springs. We’re relieved this chapter is now closed, and we wish him continued success in all his future ventures.”
Keker, Van Nest & Peters has been representing Wessman, who is now 86 years old, since 2017. In December 2020, the trial team convinced the court to dismiss the 10-count indictment against Wessman. The prosecution appealed and won a reversal of the ruling. Wessman’s four-week trial began on May 19, 2025, in Banning, Calif., before Judge Samuel Diaz.
Wessman is a self-made contractor who arrived in Palm Springs in the 1960s and spent six decades successfully building a real estate business from the ground up. In 2002, he bought a decrepit mall called “Desert Fashion Plaza” and introduced a plan for its redevelopment, which the Palm Springs City Council unanimously supported.
At trial, Peters and the Keker team successfully argued that there was insufficient evidence of bribery or conspiracy. Jurors deliberated for over a week and voted to acquit on all counts. Wessman no longer faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison. The case is People v. Wessman, Riverside Superior Court, No. RIF1700618.
Elliot Peters, John Wessman and Steven Ragland outside the courthouse.