Friday, March 26, 2010

Daniel Mintz article on Allison Jackson

Allison Jackson: ‘The community deserves something better’

In this week's Arcata Eye, McKinleyville Press and Garberville's The Independent

Two strikes - SECOND Peterson trial ends with deadlocked jury

Fortuna High School teacher sex trial ends with deadlocked jury

Deputy District Attorney Maggie Fleming said she will discuss whether to try Peterson again with District Attorney Paul Gallegos. Their decision will be made by the next court date on April 13.

...the vote on the first charge was five to five with two undecided, and the vote on the second was five for guilty, six for not guilty and one undecided.

”There were story inconsistencies from every single witness,” Frye said.

“There were some in the jury who had a hard time believing anything they (the witnesses) were saying.”...


The jury in the first trial, held last August, found Peterson not guilty of a charge of oral copulation with a minor, while the jury could not reach a verdict on the two charges she was retried on.

A flurry of press releases out of the D.A.'s Office all of a sudden

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2010
CONTACT: District Attorney, Paul Gallegos
PHONE: (707)268-2568
On March 25, 2010, a jury convicted Richard Lee Sovereign, Jr., 54, of possession of methamphetamine for sale. The bifurcated portion of the trial concluded on March 26, 2010, at which time the Honorable Dale A. Reinholtsen found to be true alleged special allegations relating to Mr. Sovereign's 2003 convictions for transportation of methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine for sale. Sentencing is set for April 22, 2010, at which time Mr. Sovereign faces up to nine years in prison, six years of which are mandatory, due to the prior convictions.
***

Date: March 26, 2010 9:58:57 AM PDT
Subject: Press Conference today, Friday, 3/25 @ 1:00PM
You are all invited to a Press Conference at our D.A.’s Law Library, 825 5th St., 4th Floor, with regards to the Chad Larsen case.

Thank you.
***

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2010
CONTACT: District Attorney, Paul Gallegos
PHONE: (707)268-2554
CHAD ANDREW LARSEN
District Attorney Paul Gallegos announced today that Chad Andrew Larsen, age 30, from Fortuna, was found guilty of Conspiring to Commit Murder and Solicitation for Murder, after a 6 week jury trial before the Honorable Timothy Cissna in the Superior Court of Humboldt County.

Chad Andrew Larsen was on probation for having unlawful intercourse with a minor when he committed new felony offenses of the same nature. While the new case was pending, Chad Andrew Larsen began plotting the death of the juvenile victim to prevent her from testifying against him. Larsen began recruiting other inmates to help him have the victim killed. One of those inmates contacted the District Attorney's office when released from custody.

Fortuna man found guilty of soliciting teenage girl's murder

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Deja Vu all over again

From: Redwood Progressive rs@richardsalzman.com
Date: March 24, 2010 X:XX:XX PM PDT
To: Redwood Progressive Subscriber
Subject: Gallegos wish list
Reply-To: " Redwood Progressive " rs@richardsalzman.com
__
Help the Gallegos Campaign, contribute what you can, stuff and/or time.
Our wish Lists -
blah blah blah
2) Volunteer Needs:
blah blah blah
asking for money
blah blah blah
--

Natalynne DeLapp
Campaign Manager
Citizens for District Attorney Paul Gallegos 2010

Natalynned@VotePaul.org
www.VotePaul.org
--

To subscribe to this list, go to:
http://www.ourhumboldt.org/ cgi-bin/ dada/ mail.cgi/ list/ progressive/blahblahblah.com

The following information is a reminder of your current mailing list subscription:
You are subscribed to the following list: Redwood Progressive

You may automatically unsubscribe from this list at any time by visiting the following URL:
http://ourhumboldt.org/blahblahblah
You may also change your subscription by visiting this list's main screen:
http://ourhumboldt.org/blahblahblah

If you're still having trouble, please contact the list owner at:
mailto:rs@richardsalzman.com

If you appreciate these emails your financial support would be helpful. You can donate by credit card on a secure webpage at:
http://www.ourhumboldt.org/blahblahblah
or www.ourhumboldt.org (sendmeyourmoney.org) (feelohsomuchbetteraboutyourself.com) and click on "Make a donation"
or send a donations to AEB (That would be the OH-SO-ETHICAL-ALLIANCE-FOR-OH-SO-ETHICAL-BUSINESS aka "R.Trent" Salzman.)
1751 Charles Ave Arcata, CA 95521


How many org names and email addresses can you count? How many pleas for money? For Gallegos. For Salzman himself. What a racket.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Disclosapalooza -

The Journal has campaign filings posted -
Weirdness abounds in the District Attorney race. Incumbent Paul Gallegos is the fundraising champion in this period, with $27,093 taken in — however, $20,000 of that was from a loan from a David Gallegos of Weston, Fla. David G. also chipped in a $5,000 donation. Gallegos also appears to be outsourcing his campaign — the physical address for his campaign committee is a West Hollywood office apparently belonging to a political consultancy called “ml Associates.” Meanwhile, the da candidate with the least name recognition — former prosecutor Kathleen Bryson — has, according to her disclosure forms, apparently accomplished the very unusual trick of raising $8,450 in increments of less than $100 while taking in only $300 in donations above that amount. Bryson has also loaned her campaign $5,000. Fellow challengers Paul Hagen ($10,347 raised) and Allison Jackson ($13,674) are close to neck and neck, though Hagen got there with the help of $7,400 in loans from himself and his campaign treasurer, Eureka conservationist Maggie Herbelin.
link to Journal article upcoming
Money flows into local races in Humboldt County

http://www.mlassociates.org/
MLA's expertise in accounting has helped political and non-profit clients overcome obstacles to success...
http://www.mlassociates.org/aboutus.html
ML Associates is a trusted professional organization which provides high quality professional financial services to non-profit and political organizations and tax preparation services for individuals, businesses and non-profits. We currently manage over $1M in client assets and are a proud member of the California Political Treasurers’ Association,...

ML Associates was founded in 2004 by Steven Mele. Mr. Mele served as the Financial Officer for several for-profit small to medium sized companies from 1996 to 2001 when he began providing independent non-profit accounting and political treasury services.

http://www.mlassociates.org/contactus.php
Office Location:
8265 Sunset Blvd., Suite 204
West Hollywood, CA 90046

Mailing Address:
8581 Santa Monica Blvd., #504
West Hollywood, CA 90069

Phone: 323-654-2387
Fax: 323-395-0519


Money Speaks, Humboldt County Elections
The $$$ Blitz: Propping Up Candidates

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

The Mirror hits the bigtime

Media Boogeyman: If Activists Scare You Away from Fish Oil, They Save the Fishes! Breitbart
...What might a real journalist do – one who wasn’t obviously biased towards Eco-Activists? For starters, take another look at who actually is named in the lawsuit: the largest producers of oil supplements. Why? Try to harm the biggest retailers and manufacturers and you harm the majority of the industry’s sales. Where’s the reporting on this angle? Non-existent.

How about the angle that only ten supplements were tested by the plaintiffs out of the hundreds on the market? Why hasn’t any reporter asked about the testing methods? What methods were used? What standards did they conform to?

Who exactly is the plaintiff – Mateel Environmental Justice Foundation? At least we have some intrepid bloggers who investigated exactly the kind of shady outfit Mateel is – one that makes profits from frivolous lawsuit settlements on the backs on the working people of America. As the Humboldt Mirror blog points out:

Mateel settled 39 lawsuits in 2008 for over $1.7 million….but it’s not just warning labels, product reformulations and excessive attorneys fees that Mateel is after. Through Prop. 65 lawsuit settlements, Mateel also pilfered … “other distributions” that was handed over to other environmental groups.

Oh, now the fact that the largest (read: deepest pockets) in the supplement industry got sued makes a little more sense, doesn’t it?

How’s that for real reporting?

Go back and look at all those articles you just Googled. Did any mainstream media outlet cover Mateel’s strategy? If you said “no”, then you win a pitchfork to help shove the PCB Boogeyman back in his closet.


The title is wrong, though - they don't save the fishes, they rake in the big bucks.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

the Peterson retrial

It is an interesting contrast that Gallegos decided to retry THIS case and NOT RETRY David Gabriel (SEQUOIA) Barger.

Yet another example of the schizophrenic nature of Gallegos prosecutions.

Jury deliberates on Fortuna High student-teacher sex case

Closing arguments begin in trial of Fortuna teacher Deirdre Peterson
Fortuna teacher's second trial sees victim take stand
Fortuna teacher's second trial set to begin today
Peterson pleads not guilty
Jury hung in Peterson case
Normally when a jury returns without a verdict, the judge sends them back into deliberations, but “the jury said they were hopelessly deadlocked,” Gallegos said.
Although the jury didn't rule in his favor, Gallegos said he was pleased that they weren't convinced by Peterson's defense.

...(alternate juror) Aronovici isn't convinced the next jury can reach a verdict if the case is retried.
”I think another jury's going to have the same problem,” he said.

Peterson case delayed for more potential witnesses
Peterson surrenders, released on bail
Peterson pleads not guilty at arraignment
Accused teacher's fate now in the hands of jurors
Trial starts for former Fortuna teacher
Fortuna teacher's retrial underway with jury selection
Accused teacher still on mandatory leave
Jurors to evaluate teen's testimony to court, police
Fortuna teacher's trial date confirmed
Judge hears evidence of sex abuse in Fortuna High School teacher case
Accused teacher's case in DA's hands
Fortuna High teacher charged
Fortuna High School teacher facing felony charge

Friday, March 19, 2010

From comments on a prior post: "I wanted to stand up and yell, "are you freaking KIDDING me?!"

Barger not guilty of first-degree murder

I was a juror and have to ask, speaking of those who "know Barger," why didn't the DA call any of the people who he was reported to have confessed to regarding the murder OTHER THAN a jailhouse snitch who got out of a felony and prison time due to his cooperation? Really, there wasn't ANYONE else to call at all other than him or the other two that were there when Rex was killed and could have also easily shot Rex (and certainly wouldn't confess anything on the stand that might put them in Barger's place)?

What about calling the other two passengers who were along for the ride in the truck? What about calling Rex's wife who spent multiple nights in bongo's bed following the murder (according to Bongo's testimony)? No video of the layout of the crime scene/farm so the jury could piece together if the stories made sense? Not one picture of anything other that a picture of Rex's credit card and driver's license? Not one copy of the dozens of police interviews put into evidence? There was a reinactment of the crime starring bongo. No tape? Come on!

The defense atty didn't have to defend Barger because the DA did the job. Or maybe the DA thinks the people of Humbolt county don't require things like evidence and non-compensated testimony.

The experience of sitting on that jury was amazingly frustrating. When they both rested their cases I wanted to stand up and yell, "are you freaking KIDDING me?!"


I do realize keeping up this blog seems obsessive. And there is a reason why I do it. This is one of those days that I am glad I have.

I don't think you will see Miller and Salzman holding any candlelight vigils for this one. This one can be laid squarely at Paul Gallegos' feet. And they know it.

UPDATE:
'I could have been killed so quickly'; Thursday shootings in Eureka believed to be linked

Man shot by Eureka Police dies

Man shot by Eureka Police dies
A Eureka Police officer shot a reportedly armed man in an alley off Summer Street at around 11 a.m. Thursday after a resident wrestled the man to the ground.

Humboldt County Coroner Dave Parris identified the man who was shot as David Sequoia, 25, of Eureka, and said that he was pronounced dead shortly after he was taken to the hospital. Eureka Police Chief Garr Nielsen confirmed that the shooting involved two officers with his department, but released few details about the incident.

On Thursday, Summer Street resident Kris Coon said he heard rustling in the carport of his home, and found a white man in his early 20s carrying a backpack. Coon said the man pushed him, and Coon wrestled him to the ground, then realized the man had a handgun in his belt. His wife had called 911, and police arrived quickly, Coon said.

The man refused to comply with officers' orders to give up the gun, Coon said, and an officer shot the man in the head.
”They gave him every chance in the world to comply,” Coon said....


From the comments: (comments threads have been shut down since this morning it seems)
Gumshoe said:

David Sequoia = David Gabriel Barger.
The first name, age, alias, and city of residence all match David Gabriel Barger, He stood trial for the first degree murder of Rex Shinn and was charged with the attempted murder of Alvin Pires and Brandon Fee. A handgun was discharged in both crimes.
Considering the deceased criminal history, I don't see how there could be any doubt that the use of deadly force by this EPD Officer was justified.


Here's what I have that's related: (heraldo has a thread up too: ◼ Slain suspect acquitted of murder in 2008
Preliminary hearing in murder/attempted murder case continued
...defense attorney (Neal Sanders) declared a conflict of interest Monday morning with regard to defending his client — a man charged in a 2003 murder/attempted murder case... David Gabriel Barger was to have his preliminary hearing — after which a judge would have determined whether there was sufficient evidence to warrant a trial — he was assigned a new Eureka-based attorney, Marion Miller.

According to past reports, Barger pleaded not guilty in late March to the July 19, 2003, murder of Rex Shinn; the Aug. 13, 2004, attempted murder of Brandon Fee; the Aug. 13, 2004, assault with a deadly weapon, being a firearm, of Brandon Fee; and the Aug. 13, 2004, assault with a deadly weapon, being a firearm, of Alvin Pires.

Barger, 22, a resident of Southern Humboldt — who has gone by the last name of Sequoia — also issued denials to the various firearms-related special allegations listed on the complaint filed by the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office.

...The police report alone, Sanders said in a previous interview, is more than 1,400 pages long.


It's quite a story how this guy came to be in jail! Complete with a pot grow, drug deals, more offers of immunity from the DAs Office, a case dismissed the day the trial was set to begin back in 2006 and refiled in 2007...
☛ TS Barger murder trial to begin this week
More than five years after Rex Shinn was reportedly shot dead near the Southern Humboldt town of Honeydew, David Gabriel Barger is preparing to stand trial for his murder.

Jury selection is expected to continue Monday for the trial, in which Barger is charged with first-degree murder and stealing Shinn's truck.

Barger was also held to stand trial on a charge of attempted murder and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, but those charges will be tried separately.

Shinn, 32, of Loleta, was reported missing July 19, 2003, by his mother, after no one had seen him for several months. His abandoned pickup truck was found a month later by a hunter near Petrolia.

More than a year later, in January 2005, Sheriff's Office investigators were led to Shinn's body, which was later identified through dental records....

According to a Feb. 17, 2007, Declaration in Support of Arrest written by Sheriff's detective Rich Schlesiger, Barger, Shinn and four other passengers piled into Shinn's pickup on the morning of July 19, 2003, and headed to the Honeydew property of Scott Starnes, parking outside his front gate.

Shinn and Barger then left the other passengers in the truck and went up and knocked on Starnes' front door, according to the report. Starnes reportedly told investigators that he was awoken by the knocking, and was on his way to answer the door when he heard several gunshots.

When Starnes opened the door, he found Shinn lying dead with a gunshot wound to the head and Barger running down the driveway, according to the report....

Because Starnes had a marijuana growing operation on the property, according to the report, and was afraid to call law enforcement, he told investigators that he and Cordrey decided to use a backhoe to bury Shinn's body near a pond on his property.

According to other documents in Barger's case file, both Cordrey and Starnes repeatedly denied having any knowledge of Shinn's death when asked about it by law enforcement and only admitted to their roles after being offered immunity by the District Attorney's Office....

Barger was soon charged with the attempted murder of Pires, but Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Timothy Cissna ruled in June 2006 there was not enough evidence to hold him over for trial.

Barger was arraigned on a complaint of the attempted murder of Fee the next month, as well as two allegations of felony assault stemming from the incident, but the District Attorney's Office dismissed the case the day the trial was set to begin.

The Humboldt County District Attorney's Office re-filed those charges Feb. 14, 2007, as well as the first-degree murder and vehicle theft charges relating to Shinn, after the case apparently caught a break. While still in custody on the unrelated charges, Barger allegedly confessed to two people that he'd killed Shinn, according to the investigator's report....

Barger not guilty of first-degree murder
After nearly four days of deliberations, a jury found 23-year-old David Gabriel Barger not guilty of the first-degree murder of Rex Shinn, who was shot in the head on a Southern Humboldt County pot farm in 2003.

The jury could not agree on the lesser count of second-degree murder, and ultimately hung with eight of the 12 jurors in favor of his acquittal.

Barger was found guilty of vehicle theft for taking and hiding a truck that belonged to Shinn.

...Following the verdict, juror No. 1, who deliberated in the case, said she was unhappy with the outcome, but because the prosecution did not produce enough compelling evidence, the jury had no choice but to find there was reasonable doubt Barger committed the murder.

”It's very upsetting the evidence wasn't better,” juror No. 1 said. “It wasn't fair to the whole jury because of the evidence. They didn't give us enough.”

...witnesses were granted immunity for their involvement in the marijuana growing operation, and juror No. 1 said this was a primary concern during deliberation.

Maybe if they had a witness without immunity it might have been more believable,” she said.

Gallegos said he understands the jurors' concerns.

”This murder revolved around a marijuana grow. If we don't grant immunity, those people won't talk, so we have no evidence,” Gallegos said. “It doesn't feel good to us either. But in the spectrum of wrongs, the person pulling the trigger is a lot worse than the others.”

Barger was returned to the Humboldt County jail, and awaits sentencing for the vehicle theft.
He is scheduled to return to court for a pretrial hearing on the second-degree murder charge Nov. 18.


Related coverage:
☛ ER Preliminary hearing in murder/attempted murder case continued
☛ HCSO Date Released: Sheriff's Press Release 8/28/2003
☛ JN MISSING MAN'S BODY FOUND:
☛ JN MURDERED MEN IDENTIFIED:
☛ TS Barger murder trial to begin this week
☛ ER David Barger arraigned on 2003 murder 3/27/07
☛ ER Barger cases scheduled for hearing 4/11/07
☛ ER Preliminary hearing continued 7/3/07
☛ JN Marijuana crime 12/25/03
Previous Posts:
a 2003 murder case
Barger murder trial to begin this week
Barger not guilty of first-degree murder

UPDATE:
'I could have been killed so quickly'; Thursday shootings in Eureka believed to be linked
Earlier report: Initially believed to be related to the Thursday shooting incident, there was a report of two shots fired about a block away in the parking area of an apartment complex on California Street. Resident Charlie Rangel said that he was in his apartment when he heard two men outside arguing loudly in Spanish. Rangel said he then heard a gunshot, more arguing, and another gunshot.

Detectives were called to the area just after police were dispatched to the scene of the Summer Street shooting.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Election News

Strawn Steps Down — Treasurer’s Race Open - The Journal

Paul Hagen’s Campaign Announcement

Paul Hagen’s Campaign Announcement

District Attorney Candidate Paul Hagen held a press conference and reception Friday, March 12 at the Eureka Woman’s Club.

“I love Humboldt County and I want to use my proven ability and experience to protect Humboldt County’s future,” said Hagen. “I have a vision for how the DA’s office can serve the people and I look forward to sharing this vision with the citizens of our diverse communities.”

Hagen has worked as a deputy district attorney in four DA’s offices and has worked under seven elected DAs. He has put together environmental task forces and prosecuted crimes in Humboldt, Del Norte, Mendocino, and Lake Counties.

“If I’m elected, I’ll set clear priorities for the DA’s office and provide support to staff to they have the direction and tools they need to deliver justice,” said Hagen. “We can make our Humboldt County communities safer by vigorously prosecuting crimes of violence, crimes against vulnerable people, and crimes against the public


(read the rest)

DA candidate Allison Jackson’s Campaign Announcement

DA candidate Allison Jackson’s Campaign Announcement - Arcata Eye

(Arcata Eye) Note: The following is a press release issued by the Allison Jackson campaign following her candidacy announcement last Saturday. – Ed.

EUREKA – With more than 100 people who turned out in support, attorney Allison Jackson formally kicked off her campaign in Eureka Saturday afternoon to be the next Humboldt County District Attorney.

Campaign chairman Ron Pierre said the district attorney position is the most important in the county and called for strong leadership in that post.

Pierre noted that the crowd who came to support Jackson was a diverse mixture of residents from across the political spectrum.

Fifth District Supervisor Jill Duffy, who also attended the campaign event, said that Jackson alone possesses the experience and tenacity for the job.

Jackson is a partner at the Eureka-based Harland Law Firm where she has worked since 2004 representing clients in civil litigation, land-use, employment, and other areas of law. Jackson has also worked in the Humboldt, Santa Cruz and Santa Clara county district attorney offices.

Jackson said that as district attorney, she will show leadership and get results–not just give lip service.

“When I am elected you will finally have a district attorney who actually runs the office and who actively works to make sure that the laws are enforced,” Jackson said. “People will be charged and their cases will proceed based upon the evidence of what they have done and not who they are.”

Jackson said she will treat victims and witnesses of crimes with simple human dignity, adding that her core values and principles of law and order were instilled in her by the three generations of formidable women who raised her.

Former Humboldt County Administrative Officer Loretta Nickolaus called Jackson a veteran prosecutor who knows what it takes to administer the district attorney’s office.

Nickolaus said Jackson knows the Penal Code, can give clear jury instructions and gets sentences that fit the crime. She also gave a stern warning to those who might break the law.

“Allison won’t fool around here,” Nickolaus said.

Nickolaus said Jackson is a fierce and effective prosecutor who will represent everyone. She said Jackson brings a wealth of experience and will be there for the victims of crime and their families.

Gallegos Seeking Re-election

Gallegos Seeking Re-election - Arcata Eye
The field of candidates for Humboldt County District Attorney swelled to four over the weekend with back-to-back announcements by incumbent DA Paul Gallegos and former Deputy DA, now private attorney Allison Jackson.

The Gallegos event was held Friday at the former 321 Coffee shop in Old Town Eureka, now called “321 Gallegos.”

Supporters in attendance included many Gallegos backers from previous campaigns, employees of the DA’s Office and Humboldt County Democratic Party officials. A few were given time to say nice things about their candidate.

Campaign Manager Natalynne DeLapp introduced DA Investigator Wayne Cox, who praised Gallegos as an effective and dedicated crimefighter with a “can-do” attitude who is “dedicated to the fair pursuit of justice.” He said Gallegos had innovated and modernized law enforcement, resulting in numerous successful prosecutions.

“He is firmly established and widely respected by his colleagues, and has successfully led the DA’s Office through difficult and tumultuous times,” Cox said.

DeLapp read a statement by Trinity County District Attorney Michael Harper, who said Gallegos is “a good man and a good district attorney” who is “not only a leader in Humboldt County, but all of the North Coast.” She said DAs in Butte, Yuba and Del Norte counties have all endorsed Gallegos.

Next was former Assemblymember Patty Berg. She said “Paul has proven himself to be effective, courageous and independent.”

Continued Berg, “He has shaped the District Attorney’s Office to reflect the values of the people that he serves and has built a 21st Century District Attorney’s Office of which we can all be proud.”

She said Gallegos had grown in the job, keeps his word, and stands up for all citizens equally.

“Isn’t that what we want from our chief law enforcement officer?” Berg asked. She said Gallegos “leads by example” and “is on our side, defending us and protecting us.”

She then introduced her “dear friend, Paul Gallegos.”
(read the rest)

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Found

Third suspect arrested in missing McKinleyville man case
A third suspect in the case of a missing McKinleyville man who is believed to be dead was arrested Saturday after she contacted the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office and made arrangements to turn herself in, officials said Monday.
The Sheriff's Office said Jan David-Devore, 46, of Arcata, was arrested without any problems when investigators, a U.S. marshal and officers with the Arcata Police Department went to her home on the 1600 block of 12th Street in Arcata around 9 a.m.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Planned Power Outage

and a fire in McKinleyville last night, 4 or 5 fire trucks, Road closed off. Probably candles.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Candidates make the filing deadline


Candidates race to file for elected office in Humboldt County; contenders in races without incumbents have until Wednesday
District Attorney
Humboldt County's district attorney is responsible for being the county's top law enforcement official, for overseeing the prosecution of felonies and misdemeanors committed within the county and for overseeing the office's investigative unit.

In the race, four candidates have qualified to run for the office: incumbent Paul Gallegos and challengers Kathleen Bryson, Paul Hagen and Allison Jackson, all local attorneys.

4th District Humboldt County supervisor
Humboldt County's 4th District supervisor is responsible for representing parts of Fairhaven, Samoa and portions of Eureka on the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors.

Three candidates have qualified for the race: longtime incumbent Bonnie Neely and challengers Eureka Mayor Virginia Bass and Eureka City Councilman Jeff Leonard.

Humboldt County Clerk Recorder and Registrar of Voters
The Humboldt County clerk recorder and registrar of voters is responsible for overseeing the Recorder's Office, which is the official repository for all real estate documents in the county, maintaining records of births, deaths and marriages within the county and commissioning civil marriages. The registrar is also the top elections official in the county.

Incumbent Carolyn Crnich is the only candidate to qualify for the ballot, and will be running unopposed.

Humboldt County Coroner
The coroner is the county official chiefly responsible for investigating deaths -- particularly those happening under unusual circumstances -- to determine cause. The coroner is also responsible for retaining custody of remains until they are transferred over to the family of the deceased.

Incumbent Dave Parris is the only candidate to qualify for the ballot, and will be running unopposed.

Humboldt County Superintendent of Schools
The Humboldt County superintendent of schools is the senior administrator of the Humboldt County Office of Education, which oversees the delivery of services to 32 local school districts, provides direct instruction to some 2,000 students, offers training to educators, coordinates districtwide services and establishes and maintains county-wide programs.

Incumbent Garry Eagles is the only candidate to qualify for the ballot, and will be running unopposed.

Humboldt County Superior Court Judges
County Superior Court judges oversee civil, misdemeanor and felony cases.

Incumbent judges Christopher Wilson, Dept. 5, and Bruce Watson, Dept. 1, were the only candidates to qualify for the ballot, and will be running unopposed.

Candidates for Humboldt County sheriff, 5th District Humboldt County supervisor, Humboldt County assessor and Humboldt County auditor/controller have until Wednesday to qualify, as incumbents in those positions did not file for re-election by Friday's deadline.

Court sentences convicted rapist to 422 year

Court sentences convicted rapist to 422 years; Judge Miles says Samoa man exhibited cruelty and callousness over years
A man convicted of repeatedly raping and abusing his step-daughters was sentenced in Humboldt County Superior Court to 422 years in state prison on Friday.
Paul Alan Jasnosz, 43, of Samoa, sat handcuffed in an orange jumpsuit, donning a white beard and glasses as Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Marilyn Miles read through the 44 felonies Jasnosz was convicted of by a jury in January. Miles said that she had read the 63-page probation report on the case and statements submitted by the two women and their mother who were the victims.
Miles said that the crimes exhibited a high degree of cruelty and callousness and had a serious and lasting impact on the victims, adding that Jasnosz had opportunities to consider his actions between the assaults. She said the sentence serves the best interest of justice and society.
”There is no question in the court's mind that the victims will be impacted by your crimes for the rest of their lives,” Miles said to Jasnosz, “and so it is that you will be held accountable for those crimes for the rest of your life.”
A jury of seven men and five woman found Jasnosz guilty of 31 counts of forcible rape, six counts of oral copulation of a minor, two counts of assault with a firearm, two counts of making criminal threats with the use of a firearm, two counts of false imprisonment with use of a firearm and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

...The case was investigated by Humboldt County Sheriff's deputies Charles Lamb, Kevin Kastler and Jamie Barney and detectives Julia Oliveira and Troy Garey and Humboldt County District Attorney investigators William Honsal and Richard Grimm. Gallegos tried the case, and Public Defender Jonathan McCrone represented Jasnosz.

Outside the courtroom, Gallegos said that the sentence Jasnosz received was profound, but appropriate for the crimes.
”He terrorized these people their whole lives,” Gallegos said.

He added that the victims' testimony in the case was vital, and represented an “immensely brave and heroic act on their part.”

Paul Hagen kicks off campaign

Paul Hagen kicks off campaign for Humboldt County district attorney; challenger aims to 'protect Humboldt's future'
Flanked by members of the environmental community, Paul Hagen officially kicked off his campaign for Humboldt County district attorney at a press conference Friday, promising to bring the values of fairness, justice, community and safety to the office.
”As your district attorney, I will give the very best of my life's energies to serving the people,” Hagen said. “The end result is that I will deliver fair application of our laws, and I will deliver effective, even-handed justice.”...

Hagen, who touted his experience working under seven different district attorneys and forming cross-jurisdictional task forces, was introduced at the conference by 3rd District Humboldt County Supervisor Mark Lovelace, Arcata City Councilman Mark Wheetley and Cheryl Seidner, a Wiyot tribal leader who worked with Hagen on the Humboldt Bay Center for Sustainable Living....

Friday, March 12, 2010

The coolest thing

Molly is back on her eggs
This is a live feed of a wild mother barn owl that has just started setting on her eggs.
Live video by Ustream
Another one in a bear's den

Have you seen her?

Update 6/28/2019

Will the handling of convicted murderer Jacob Steele's jury trial work in his favor today?

This afternoon, there is a Franklin hearing/resentencing scheduled for Jacob Charles Steele. He was convicted of second degree murder of Jerry George in 2012. As of today, Steele is not eligible for parole until 2034....


More suspects sought in case of missing McKinleyville man
Humboldt County Sheriff's Office detectives are looking for two additional suspects in connection to the apparent killing of Jerry George, who has been missing since January.

Detectives sought and obtained $500,000 arrest warrants for Kenneth Loren Johnson, 44 of Eureka, and Jan Marie David-Devore, 47 of Arcata.

Both are wanted on suspicion of conspiracy, accessory, and destruction of evidence.

Johnson is a white male adult, standing 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing about 240 pounds. He has short, receding brown hair and brown eyes and usually wears a mustache, according to a press release. He also has a tattoo of a parrot on his left shoulder.

David-Devore (AKA Devore) is a white female adult, about 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing about 130 pounds. She has brown hair and blue eyes.

Both suspects are known to frequent Eureka, Arcata, and McKinleyville.

Authorities have already arrested 21-year-old Jacob Charles Steele of McKinleyville on suspicion of murder.

Anyone with information about the case should call Detective Cheryl Franco at 268-3644 or Sgt. Wayne Hanson at 268-3639.


40◼ Third suspect arrested in missing McKinleyville man case

Thursday, March 11, 2010

The Journal on the Sheriff's Race


Howdy, Sheriff - Two men named Mike duke it out to become the county's top lawman

Rackauckas surfaces again - in endorsements

Election Roundup: Gallegos announces endorsements

The campaign to re-elect Paul Gallegos announced a host of endorsements Tuesday for Humboldt County's incumbent district attorney.
Former California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, Association of Prosecuting Attorneys Chief Executive Officer David LaBahn, and Butte County Deputy District Attorney Gale Filter have all endorsed Gallegos, according to his campaign. Filter has served as the California District Attorneys Association's deputy executive director of consumer, environmental and legal services, where he supervised deputy district attorneys from Humboldt County.
Gallegos has also been endorsed by a host of California's district attorneys, including Mike Harper (Trinity County), Michael Riese (Del Norte), Michael Ramsey (Butte County), Will Richmond (Alpine County), Todd Riebe (Amador County), Tony Rackauckas (Orange County), George Booth (Mono County) and Will Richmond (Alpine County), according to the campaign. Yuba County Deputy District Attorney John Vacek has also endorsed Gallegos, according to the campaign.
Gallegos, who was first elected to the District Attorney's Office in 2002, has set up a campaign headquarters at 321 Third St. in Old Town Eureka, which is open to the public from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Related:
search/label/Rackauckas
The OCWeekly factually reported on The Orange County grand jury’s 100-page "Office of the District Attorney: An In-Depth Investigation" report that " accused DA Tony Rackauckas and Don Blankenship, the head of his criminal-investigation division, of cronyism, mismanagement and misuse of public resources."DA Puts ‘Pub’ Back in Public Funds!

Or this one: Missing Wives, Lousy Lies & Mob Ties Exhaustive grand-jury investigation confirms DA corruption noting that "On June 26, the Orange County grand jury rocked the local legal establishment when it declared that Rackauckas routinely abuses his awesome prosecutorial powers to protect friends and punish perceived enemies. According to the grand jury’s fact-filled, 100-page report, "Office of the District Attorney: An in-depth investigation," the DA is Nixonian in the darkest sense of the word: paranoid, petty, partisan, secretive, retaliatory and arrogant. And though this was a civil proceding, it’s easy to conclude that the jury’s findings demand a criminal investigation."..."

Meanwhile, there are sure to be dedicated, law-abiding local prosecutors who are biting their tongues and have yet to come forward in public about Rackauckas’ abuse of authority. We know because the grand jury also issued an ominous warning: "Of great concern to the grand jury were those deputy district attorneys and even members of the [DA’s] management team that expressed fear of retaliation should the confidentiality of their testimony be violated."

Alarms should go off when good prosecutors fear their own boss."


Surprised to see Del Norte DA on there, too.
Gallegos - Pelican Bay
archives

Witness takes stand in Keyes preliminary hearing

Witness takes stand in Keyes preliminary hearing
...Though he never saw a gun, Jamerson testified that he did see the muzzle fire.

”I was screaming, everyone was screaming to get out of there,” Jamerson said.

He described how Clark was able to make it back to the car, open the back driver's side door and toss his child in the back seat before slumping to the ground.

”He said, 'I can't move my left side,'” Jamerson said. “I told Todd to get up, get in the car. He just ... he just laid there.”

In the confusion following the shooting, Jamerson said, Keyes ran to a car and the man Clark was initially fighting tried to reach into Jamerson's car and take the child. Jamerson quickly drove off with just himself and the child in the car.

Jamerson drove around the block before returning to the scene, saying he didn't feel right leaving Clark on the street.

He returned to find two people administering CPR to Clark. Police arrived soon afterward.

The hearing is expected to continue this morning.


Keyes' attorney, Russell Clanton - Prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney Arnie Klein
Kenneth Fiaui held to answer for allegedly shooting girlfriend, Courtney Weaver, in the face in Arcata in January

Local blues singer Courtney Weaver testifies at alleged shooter's hearing;

Arcata resident Kenneth Fiaui is charged with attempted murder
The local blues singer who was shot in the face, allegedly by her then partner, testified at his preliminary hearing Wednesday that she was concerned for the safety of others when she tried to block him from leaving their apartment while he was armed with a gun.
Arcata resident Kenneth Fiaui, 34, is charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting Courtney Weaver, 23, on Jan. 15 as they were preparing to go out to a music venue. He has pleaded not guilty and is currently in custody at the Humboldt County jail.




Arcata shooting victim Courtney Weaver says she's achieving her dreams despite injuries

Within days of getting shot in the face, local blues singer Courtney Weaver already had her mind set on performing again. The 23-year-old Arcata resident began writing songs in a journal her aunt gave her while she was in the hospital.
Now, less than two months later, Weaver has churned out 35 songs and has plans for an album and a West Coast tour.
”I lucked out,” she said about her survival.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Interesting

Town Dandy this week. ◼ Standing Tall
they are far more alike than they would like to admit. How so? They are both inordinately fond of their own self-sufficiency. To hear them tell it, neither needs anybody for anything. They go it on their own, paying their own way. And they have a common enemy: the government. The government, which would steal their money and regulate away their freedom to piss outside.

Here's the irony, though.
...

Monday, March 08, 2010

If you haven't tried Blogger in Draft

Blogspot Bloggers click here
Add "pages", captions to images, faster video uploading, dictionary in post editor, geo-tagging, "jump" links, and more.

Watchpaul will be winding down

- hopefully to be shut down in June.

I will continue to post articles related to the campaign, and to the election in general.

To the candidates, Paul Hagen and Kathleen Bryson, I wish you luck. I admire and respect your willingness to put yourselves out there, especially knowing how vicious this process can be.

I will be supporting Allison Jackson. But this blog is not intended as part of that support. If I do comment here, it will be me speaking for myself, not for any candidate.

I got into this because I became aware of special interests who sought to use the DA's Office, and the DA himself for their own ends. With his complicity, Richard Salzman and Tim Stoen sought to set up a "Trust Fund" to solicit, accept and use special interest money to privately fund a public prosecution. Had they been successful, it would have been a precedent setting move that would have changed our judicial system forever. The D.A.'s Office belongs to the people. To you, and to me. It should never be used on behalf of one special interest group, to aid them in their attacks on others. Ever. It's wrong. And it should never be tolerated.

It was a fluke of fate that put me here, and I promised myself that I would not walk away until it was fixed.

To all of you who have followed this blog over the past few years - this race is important. Don't sit it out. Gallegos has had almost 8 years to prove himself worthy of the trust people placed in him. He has had more than 4 years to correct the mistakes he has made. He has failed you. Each. And. Every. Time.

Fix it. You are the only ones who can.

Sunday, March 07, 2010

Kym's reviving SoHumBorn's stories

at RedHeadedBlackbelt - No matter how you feel about pot, these are powerfully written, well worth reading, and thanks to both Kym and SoHumBorn.

Friday, March 05, 2010

(Allison) Jackson Officially Enters DA Race

Jackson Officially Enters DA Race - The Journal Blogthing

Hoo boy, it’s gonna be a hot one!

After months of speculation, former prosecutor Allison Jackson officially confirmed today that she will seek to unseat her former boss, incumbent District Attorney Paul Gallegos, in the June elections. A formidable and even frightening trial attorney, Jackson can now be expected to lay out the case against Gallegos at a pretty high temperature. There is no love lost between the two.

Jackson joins fellow former prosecutors Paul Hagen and Kathleen Bryson in the race. Gallegos himself had his campaign kickoff event earlier today....

Press release follows:

Allison Jackson to Join District Attorney Race

Former Humboldt County Senior Prosecutor Allison Jackson will announce her candidacy for the office of district attorney tomorrow at a campaign kick-off in Eureka.

A highly respected trial attorney with two decades of courtroom experience, Jackson will be introduced by former County Administrative Officer Loretta Nickolaus and Fifth District Supervisor Jill Duffy.

“Allison is exactly who we need as our next district attorney,” Nickolaus said. “She has the experience we need and the integrity we can trust.”
Nickolaus called Jackson’s trial record “impressive” and noted that the former deputy da lost only one case in ten and a half years with the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office.

“Allison is committed wholeheartedly to prosecuting bad guys to keep our children, families and communities safe,” Nickolaus said.

“Allison has a reputation for tackling tough cases, taking them to trial and getting sentences commensurate with the crimes committed,” Duffy said. “She also has developed strong relationships with local agencies and nonprofits dedicated to public safety and victims’ rights. I’m confident that she will make Humboldt County a safer place to live and raise our families.”

Jackson, 50, is a graduate of California State University San Francisco and Santa Clara University. She was admitted to the bar in 1991 and has practiced criminal law for 15 years and civil law for five. She is a partner in The Harland Law Firm, with offices in Eureka and Fortuna.

A resident of Hydesville, she is married to Peter Ranken, her partner of 25 years. Please join Jackson and her friends and supporters Saturday, 12 to 1 p.m., at the Aquatic Center at 921 Waterfront Drive in Eureka. It is located next to the Adorni Center.


ELECTION ROUNDUP: Allison Jackson announces bid for Humboldt County District Attorney - Times Standard
Former Humboldt County prosecutor Allison Jackson announced Friday that she will formally kick off her candidacy for Humboldt County district attorney with an official announcement today.

A trial attorney with two decades of courtroom experience, Jackson will be announced at today's event by former Humboldt County Administrative Officer Loretta Nickolaus and Humboldt County 5th District Supervisor Jill Duffy.

Jackson, 50, of Hydesville, is a graduate of California State University San Francisco and Santa Clara University. She was admitted to the bar in 1991 and practiced criminal law for 15 years, and civil law for five. She is a partner in the Harland Law Firm, with offices in Eureka and Fortuna.

Jackson's announcement will take place from noon to 1 p.m. today at the Aquatic Center, 921 Waterfront Drive in Eureka.


Allison Jackson campaign announcement heraldo

Former prosecutor Allison Jackson throws hat into Humboldt County District Attorney race - Times Standard

heraldo The sleazy attacks that have already gotten the comments threads shut down are replicated here

Gallegos KickOff

Gallegos campaign kick-off - Eric
Paul Gallegos seeks third term; incumbent Humboldt District Attorney announces bid at campaign headquarters

Thursday, March 04, 2010

If this doesn't say it all...

I don't know what does:

I read Mr. Gallegos recent article in the Arcata Eye. Here is a man that says he needs a third term as Humboldt County District Attorney to finish what he started. That is a scary statement, especially if you are one of the victims of his incompetence.

I had the unfortunate opportunity of watching Mr. Gallegos try to prosecute what was suppose to be a murder case in Humboldt County Court. This man is no more a prosecutor than I am a brain surgeon. Mr. Gallegos was always late to court, could not answer any of the judge’s questions and always had the excuse that he did not have the case file with him.

The court-appointed, taxpayer-provided attorney for the defense made Mr. Gallegos look like a deer caught in the headlights and virtually kicked Mr. Gallegos’ butt all over the courtroom.

Some say that Mr. Gallegos needs to leave the courtroom to his deputies and administrate but he has proven that he cannot do this either. The morning that the preliminary hearing was to begin, Mr. Gallegos dropped the case into one of his deputy’s lap, and sent her into the courtroom late and totally unprepared.

After the preliminary hearing, Mr. Gallegos felt that with all of the publicity that this case was getting he could get some personal mileage out of handling the case himself, so he takes it away from the deputy after she spends day and night for a week getting up to speed.

After months of delays from the defense, numerous blunders from the prosecution and thousands of Humboldt County taxpayer dollars Mr. Gallegos decides he cannot prevail in the courtroom in front of a jury, so he plea bargains with the two who took my little girl’s life.

Mr. Gallegos then gives the file to one of his most talented prosecutors so she can go to the victim’s family and try to clean up the mess he made.

Mr. Gallegos did not show up for the sentencing hearing for Jason Whitmill or Anthony Flores which is a good thing because when Mr. Gallegos prosecuted Jason Whitmill back in 2007, he forgot to add his prior felonies which in turn allowed Whitmill out of prison a year early and 12 days before he killed Nicole Quigley.

I will remember this come June’s election and I hope and pray that everyone else in Humboldt County does, too.

Kenneth Quigley
McKinleyville


Letters to the Editor – March 3, 2010 (Updated to include Feb. 24 letters) - Arcata Eye

In response to ◼ The McKinleyville PressThe Arcata Eye - Gallegos: ‘Vast Change’ is a work in progress – February 17, 2010The Independent

He's not taking the case himself this time...

Fortuna teacher's second trial sees (alleged) victim take stand

Fortuna teacher's second trial set to begin today
Fortuna teacher's trial may be delayed for more witnesses 09/25/2009
Jurors found Peterson not guilty of a charge of oral copulation with a minor after her August trial. The jury could not reach a verdict on a count of unlawful sexual intercourse and a count of molesting or annoying a minor. Gallegos was the prosecutor.

Jury hung in Peterson case

Note: Comments are down on the article. That undoubtedly means the comments turned south and got out of hand.

An EPIC Campaign

PRESS RELEASE
Contact: ◼ Natalynne DeLapp, Campaign Manager
( cached link )

For Release on: March 4 & 5, 2010 Natalynne@votepaul.org
707-444-9600 or 760-845-6228
District Attorney Paul Gallegos holds press conference

District Attorney Paul Gallegos is filing with the County Elections Office to declare his candidacy for the Humboldt County District Attorney race. A press conference will held on Friday, March 5th at 12:30pm. Former Assemblymember Patty Berg will be announcing the candidate. The public is welcome to attend.
Purpose: press conference announcement
When: Friday, March 5th at 12:30pm.
Where: 321 Third Street, Old Town Eureka
Family, friends and supporters are all invited to the new campaign headquarters as he makes his announcement at the press conference and then invited back at 5:30 that evening for the Grand Opening Celebration.

Paul Gallegos came into office promising justice for all and has not wavered from that commitment. Now, seven years into his term, he has achieved more than he thought possible, bringing a refreshing change to the District Attorney’s office along with a decline in violent crime.

Paul Gallegos is proud of what he has achieved over this period. He has stood up for all of Humboldt County and maintains his commitment of “justice for all.”

***

Interestingly, his Campaign Manager's EPIC page has been deleted:
http://www.wildcalifornia.org/about-us/staff/natalynne-delapp-policy-advocat
Natalynne DeLapp, Policy Advocate

Monday, March 01, 2010

Gallegos' Pipe Dream

I came into office promising justice for all and have not wavered from that commitment. Now, seven years into my term in office, we have achieved more than I thought was possible, bringing a refreshing change to the District Attorney’s office along with a decline in violent crime.

Cracking cold murder cases, protecting our children and the elderly - the most vulnerable among us – from abuse , taking on official misconduct no matter how controversial, insisting on the highest ethical standards of my staff, and replacing poorly performing personnel with young, energetic attorneys and investigators demonstrates how effective the office has performed under my supervision.

I am proud of what we have achieved over this period. We have stood up for all of Humboldt County. That is the meaning of “Justice for All.”

https://votepaul.org/

Where've I heard that before?

From:"Ken Miller" Add to Address Book
Subject:Re: Elation
Date: Wed, 3 Mar 2004 13:43:16 -0800

From the Alliance for Ethical Business (AEB) List serve:
1. DA's office can fight meth and heroin and their related crimes including crooked cops. Crime prevention programs, in-patient rehab locally.
2. DA can exploit his national notoriety by recruiting seasoned as well as fresh bright younger prosecuters
3. Raise money to prosecute the PL case aggressively
4. Put forth an economic vision focusing on a diversified local and regional organic economy, including energy policy, LNG, appropriate Bay, airport, rail, etc development
5. Organize ourselves politically to accrue power, groom folks to run for offices. Database, outreach, etc.
6. Get rid of Tom Herman on the planning commission thanks to Rodoni, he has been central to all of PL's fraudulent activities and is therefore vulnerable to public outcry. This is a powerful position.