Monday, August 12, 2013

Who should run for DA?

Who's qualified? Who can fix a broken office? Does it require dope-grower support? Will the trial attorneys finally be brave enough to buck the machine? Or are you stuck with Paul for the next 20 years?

Leave your suggestions in the comments.

The latest maybe

Another name being mentioned as a candidate for the Humboldt County D.A’s race is Cyndi Day-Wilson, the attorney for the City of Eureka. - John Chiv Words Worth

And there are others. Not just the ones who've been mentioned here. Paul is weak, more and more people KNOW how absolutely bad he is at his job.

The more candidates the better. Maybe there will finally be an HONEST assessment of his atrocious management of that office.

Just remember - you once had 20 capable prosecutors, now you have 7-ish mostly untrained people struggling with overloaded buckets, no time to properly prepare for cases, and no decent mentor left to help them find their footing.

Oh, I know, eric. He's SUCH a nice guy, and by God, he won!

Lucky for him. It's time for some luck for the people of Humboldt County instead.

(Word of warning: Salzman/Gallegos' machine is much more vicious when it comes to female candidates, so be prepared.)

The latest maybe: Cyndi Day-Wilson
Let's hope not: Elan Firpo
And so it begins: Arnold Klein

Thursday, August 01, 2013

Bodhi Tree to be charged: details emerge in Arcata double homicide

Bodhi Tree to be charged with Eureka shooting; details emerge in Arcata double homicide, defendant's mental health history - Thadeus Greenson/The Times-Standard

Humboldt County Deputy District Attorney Élan Firpo said this week that she is in the process of amending the criminal complaint facing Bodhi Tree, also known as Hakim Stoltz, to include an attempted-murder charge stemming from a shooting in Eureka that occurred just days before the Arcata double homicide.

Firpo offered new details into the allegations facing Tree, an ex-convict who court documents indicate has a history of mental illness and had been released from prison just six weeks before he is alleged to have opened fire in a Eureka neighborhood. The court documents also indicate Tree confessed to the Arcata killings, telling a friend he'd “just shot two people.”

The subject of an hours-long manhunt, Tree was arrested at about 2 p.m. on May 18 in Arcata. He was found hiding in bushes on the 800 block of Shirley Boulevard in Sunny Brae about 12 hours after 18-year-old Eureka High School student Christina Schwarz and Alan “Sunshine” Marcet, 27, were killed at a home on the 2400 block of Eye Street in Arcata.

...In October 2011, Tree was arrested after a high-speed police chase in a case that ultimately saw him charged with assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest and vandalism. Under a plea agreement, Tree was sentenced to serve three years in state prison for evading an officer. The sentence came over the protests of Tree's defense attorney Owen Tipps, who argued that his client suffered serious mental health issues and would be better served by a grant of probation and counseling.

According to a motion filed by Tipps in the 2011 case, Tree has a family history of mental illness and was declared incompetent to stand trial three times during a 2007 assault with a deadly weapon case, necessitating his commitment into a state mental hospital....

Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Bruce Watson ultimately decided probation was not the best option -- agreeing with the Humboldt County Probation Department -- and sentenced Tree to serve three years in state prison. After serving about 16 months -- not including time spent in county jail -- Tree was released from prison in early April.

Within six weeks, he'd been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Tree has pleaded not guilty to all charges in his current case and is next due in court Aug. 12. His attorney, Deputy Public Defender Jennifer Dixon, was not immediately available to comment for this story.

Bruce “Jason” Stallings-Hunsucker to stand trial for murder

Judge: Sufficient evidence for fourth suspect to stand trial in Willow Creek homicide; Stallings-Hunsucker held on murder charge - Thadeus Greenson/The Times-Standard

A judge ruled Wednesday there is sufficient evidence to hold Bruce “Jason” Stallings-Hunsucker to stand trial on a murder charge stemming from the May 2011 shooting death of volunteer fireman Darrell Hanger in Willow Creek.

Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Dale Reinholtsen also found there was probable cause to hold the Hoopa resident to answer to charges of burglary, conspiracy and taking a vehicle without the owner's permission. Reinholtsen did not issue a holding order on charges of attempted murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to Humboldt County Deputy District Attorney David Nims.

Defense attorney Neal Sanders said his client was also not held to answer to a number of special allegations and enhancements that he personally used a firearm in the commission of the charged offenses.