Fieldbrook double homicide suspect Jason Arreaga UPDATE

◼ Fieldbrook double homicide suspect racks up new felony while in custody - John Chiv/Words Worth Jun 29, 2015

Arreaga is charged with the murder of two victims: Harley Wayne Hammers Jr. and Angel Robin Tully.

Tully's sister and father were present in court, her sister has been there for all court hearings except one.

UPDATE:
◼ Jury in Fieldbrook double homicide case second trial finds Arreaga not guilty on both counts - John Chiv/Words Worth 2/25/2016

ELMY WORKMAN: Two plea deals rejected, case goes to trial but " resolved"?

◼ Elmy Workman was found guilty of PC 245(a)(1), assault with a deadly weapon and personal infliction of great bodily injury per PC 12022.7. - John Chiv/Words Worth

Basically, this one was not allowed to tank.
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◼ Well, look at this: link - Lost Coast Outpost prints the DA's PRESS RELEASE, which DOES NOT tell the story of how Gallegos/Zach Curtis tried to tank this case.

It is a grotesque misrepresentation of the story of the verdict. You can read the lousy thing at the link. The only good thing you can say is the DA's Office finally does seem to grok that there were life-threatening injuries.

A couple of comments shed some light:

Jacqueline Zumwalt • The district attorney was going to let her plea out to an assualt charge. Angel had to get a lawyer. The judge finally denied the plea agreement and made her stand trial for a felony charge. It took Angel 3 years for justice to be served. I wish that LoCo had told more of the story. If Angel hadn't fought hard for that justice, that woman would have been let off with probation. I hope the new DA better serves the Humboldt community.

Angel Dawn • Thank you. Allison Jackson is a hero. She took my case, probono, two hours before this crime got a three year probation result. It's sad the DA's office didn't do their job themselves. I hope Maggie Fleming can turn that office around for the better. I got lucky. Think about how many cases didn't get proper justice :/..it's stomach turning

swede • If you all would read the Chiv blog regarding this case, I don't have a link, you will learn that Gallegos twice attempted to gain a plea bargain for probation for this convicted vermin apparently falsely asserting special circumstances existed. Allison Jackson had to represent the victim because the DA was more concerned with expediting the prosecution (sic). Per the blog, Jackson represented the victim in front of Feeny and Feeny denied the plea bargain as Jackson successfully argued the special circumstances did not apply and the wounds received by the victim were evident the criminal was attempting to eviscerate her (purposeful "J" incision with severed liver, etc). A status was set for June 30th of this year. Apparently when Jackson and the victim appeared on the 30th they learned Gallegos had already in early June attempted and achieved his same plea in Reinholtzen's court. As I understand, Jackson had that matter reversed.

Jackson rightfully called out Gallegos for "forum shopping" attempting to find a judge who would approve his plea bargain attempt while totally disregarding the victims rights per a recently passed proposition requiring DAs' to notify victims of prosecutorial actions against their assailants.

It is a relief to see that this matter was finally brought to its rightful, final conclusion. We all should be relieved Gallego's time as the top law enforcement officer in this County is now numbered in the days.

Jacqueline Zumwalt • Excellent Swede. Thank you for posting that info/history. Gallegos actually told Angel that she had no rights or say in what deal was made with the woman who tried to kill her.

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John Chiv was the only one to cover the case as it went its tortuous way through the courts. LoCo is remiss in not pointing this out and linking people to the coverage - OR asking for a full report with a byline. As it is, you don't know the half of it. But those commenting DO.

TWO Plea Deals tossed, NOT by the Perp. BY THE COURT. Denying a victim's rights, judge shopping (BY THE DA!), a complete and utter failure to act in an ethical and transparent manner.... and yet he, the DA, no less, lectures the people of the County about their 'priorities.'
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Previously/Background:
◼ Sneaky Plea Deal fails

◼ Allison Jackson scores another win for victim; deal between Gallegos and Sanders busted - John Chiv/Words Worth

◼ Allison Jackson puts a crimp in secret plea deal - John Chiv/Words Worth Jul 30, 2014
◼ Allison Jackson, who is representing the victim in the Elmy Workman case was never notified that the same plea deal that was rejected by Judge John Feeney was presented again to Judge Dale Reinholtsen. She was not also sure if Judge Reinholtsen had been given the background of the case. - John Chiv/Words Worth Jul 30, 2014
◼ Previous plea deal rejected back on table with no victim notification; exact deal - John Chiv/Words Worth Jun 30, 2014
◼ Judge Feeney tentatively rejects Workman plea deal; final decision is the same, case to go to jury trial - John Chiv/Words Worth Apr 15, 2014
◼ Elmy Workman sentencing postponed again, this time defense requests continuance based on amended probation report - John Chiv/Words Worth Apr 3, 2014
◼ Elmy Workman sentencing postponed again. - John Chiv/Words Worth Mar 20, 2014
◼ Defense and private attorneys run the courtroom under Paul's watch? - John Chiv/Words Worth Mar 12, 2014
◼ Another case where comments sections get out of control - Real News From The North Coast June 3, 2012
◼ Suspect arrested after woman stabbed in Arcata - Times-Standard May 31, 2012
◼ Blue Laker Slashed, One Arrested - Arcata Eye May 30, 2012
◼ APD Press Release - May 29, 2012

Fieldbrook homicide suspect Jason Arreaga prelim on Dec 17

◼ The case is being prosecuted by DDA Zach Curtis. THis hearing was in Courtroom 1 with Judge John Feeney. - John Chiv/Words Worth

What a sweet deal

So we'll drop the attempted murder charge if you agree to waive your prelim...

What? Why?

This does not look good. Certain things should be avoided when the defense attorney is related to the Assistant DA... is the first reaction to this news. Seriously.
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◼ Silverio Sanchez preliminary waived; attempted murder charge dropped

DDA Zach Curtis stipulated with Silverio Sanchez's attorney, Mr. Ben McLaughlin, to drop Count 1 which is the attempted murder charge and the special allegation associated with it and Sanchez agreed to waive the preliminary hearing.

..."Our aim this morning was to get the attempted murder charge dropped and to litigate the rest of the trial," Mr. McLaughlin told me after the hearing. "By waiving the preliminary hearing, we are not acknowledging that Mr. Sanchez was driving the vehicle."

Sneaky Plea Deal fails

Shame. This is the one where the deal was killed by one judge, so they schlepped it to another one, without telling the Judge or notifying the victim or her attorney. Good Going, Paul, and Neal.

◼ Allison Jackson scores another win for victim; deal between Gallegos and Sanders busted - John Chiv/Words Worth

The case is (NOW) scheduled to go to trial on November 3 at 8:30 a.m.. Trial Confirmation is on Oct 20 at 3 p.m. and pre-trial conference on September 8 at 2 p.m. in Courtroom 4.
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Zach Curtis hung out to dry - again.
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Previously/Background:
◼ Allison Jackson puts a crimp in secret plea deal - John Chiv/Words Worth Jul 30, 2014
◼ Previous plea deal rejected back on table with no victim notification; exact deal - John Chiv/Words Worth Jun 30, 2014
◼ Judge Feeney tentatively rejects Workman plea deal; final decision is the same, case to go to jury trial - John Chiv/Words Worth Apr 15, 2014
◼ Elmy Workman sentencing postponed again, this time defense requests continuance based on amended probation report - John Chiv/Words Worth Apr 3, 2014
◼ Elmy Workman sentencing postponed again. - John Chiv/Words Worth Mar 20, 2014
◼ Defense and private attorneys run the courtroom under Paul's watch? - John Chiv/Words Worth Mar 12, 2014
◼ Another case where comments sections get out of control - Real News From The North Coast June 3, 2012
◼ Suspect arrested after woman stabbed in Arcata - Times-Standard May 31, 2012
◼ Blue Laker Slashed, One Arrested - Arcata Eye May 30, 2012

Tuesday, May 29 at approximately 6:45 p.m., officers responded to Mad River Community Hospital on the report of a woman arriving at the emergency room that had just been stabbed....The victim attempted to flag down the suspect to speak with her adult son who was in the vehicle.

According to Arcata Police, when the suspect and victim pulled their vehicles off the roadway, the discussion turned to an argument. During the argument, the suspect slashed the victim across the abdomen with a knife, resulting in a moderate injury requiring hospitalization.

◼ APD Press Release - May 29, 2012

Another murder: Prosecutors Weighing Death Penalty in Murder Case (UPDATED 10/25/15)

◼ The Humboldt County District Attorney's Office is still in the process of deciding whether to pursue the death penalty against a 22-year-old man accused of brutally stabbing a man to death in a wooded area outside of McKinleyville last year. - Thadeus Greenson/The Journal

Police arrested Michael Raymond Youravish June 19, 2013, hours after finding the body of Forrest Croft Lovejoy, 33, dead of multiple stab wounds to the neck, chest and abdomen on a foot trail north of C Avenue in McKinleyville. Youravish has pleaded not guilty to a single charge of murder and denied a special allegation that he laid in wait.

A superior court judge ruled Wednesday that there is sufficient evidence to hold Youravish to stand trial on the murder charge, and prosecuting Deputy District Attorney Zachary Curtis said today that his office is still deciding whether to pursue capital punishment in the case.

During a two-day preliminary hearing this week, new details about the case emerged, including that Youravish allegedly had someone take a video recording of the attack with his cell phone and bragged about the killing....
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As is often the case these days, there's an immediate check of the perp's Facebook page, and their list of friends. ◼ Michael Youravish
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◼UPDATE: The murder trial everyone forgot (June 19, 2013 TO NOW)

◼ Jury trial starts for Eureka man charged with "willful, deliberate, premeditated" murder of Mckinleyville man in 2013 - John Chiv/Words Worth

Worth noting

"...Warren failed to show up for a Sept. 7 court date after entering into a plea deal to serve six years in prison for assault with a deadly weapon after he was arrested in April for robbery.

He was released on a Cruz waiver, which is part of a plea agreement that has a defendant agree to have a greater sentence imposed for failing to appear at sentencing. Warren faced nine years for failing to appear.

”He was released prior to sentencing on the Cruz waiver, pursuant to the plea agreement,” said Deputy District Attorney Zachary Curtis in an email. “It is fairly common to release a defendant with something over his head to try to encourage good behavior, usually with probation cases...”

Zachary Curtis's lamentable remark is cause to point out that Deputy DA's are not supposed to be talking to the Press. For just that reason.

The DA is the office's liaison with the Press, or should be. Gallegos farms it out all the time. Even used to hand it over to his campaign operative, Richard Salzman

The notion that you take some guy who is going away for 6 years for the crime he committed - leaving aside that it's another plea deal - you let him OUT to clean up his business - and then voila! What do you do when he does just that? What? You thought he was gonna just close his bank account and make sure his mail was held?

This is another one that rests on Gallegos's head.

Remember it come next election.

Because this isn't the first and won't be the last.