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Indybay Feature

D.A. Bob Lee's Bigtop Felony Follies Stalls Into Summer

by Robert Norse
Five of the Santa Cruz Eleven had Preliminary Hearing dates set. I also checked in with the court clerk to find out what happened to the other 2 who were refiled against by D.A. Rebekah Young. Additionally, Brent Adams got a new attorney--Lisa K. McCamey. All this happened in Courtroom 6 with visiting Judge S. Sillman presiding. More details follow.
Gabriella Ripley-Phipps (whose attorney is Shaneen Porter) and Becky Johnson (attorney Dan Clymo) will be going into their Preliminary Hearing together in Dept. 6 Monday June 25th at 9 AM. Both were ordered to appear on Friday June 22nd at 9 AM (same courtroom) for a readiness hearing. As I understand it, both women are eager to put these cases behind us (as we all are) and don't want to wait until August 20th (prep on August 17th) when the judge scheduled Preliminary Hearings for me, Desiree Foster, and Brent Adams.

At the prior Preliminary Hearings, Judge Burdick, confronted with contradictory testimony by Detective Gunter, called what he said "not credible". And, of course, he dismissed 4 cases. Becky Johnson has long asserted that she was never in the building, indicating that the chief witness--the notorious Downtown anti-homeless officer Winston is either lying or mistaken.

Franklin (“Angel”) Alcantara (attorney Rubin) goes to Preliminary Hearing on Monday July 2nd in Dept. 6--not sure but I think it's probably 9 AM

Cameron Laurendau was arraigned yesterday, and his records are not yet available--so I wasn't able to determine when his Preliminary Hearing is slated for--if it's been set at all.

D.A. Rebekah Young apparently tried to disqualify Judge Burdick in the Alcantara and Laurendau cases, sending the cases to Judge Salazar in Dept. 3,

I hope the defendants will have direct access to the long-promised 20 hours of video by next week.

These dates are subject to a motion to consolidate and all kinds of other uncertainties, such as the need for more discovery, witness and police availability, etc. But that's all the info I have at present.


A forum and support event for Desiree Foster of the SC-11 will be held Sunday July 1st 3-6 at India Joze restaurant.

Supporters of the Santa Cruz Eleven are also planning a rally and march on Friday July 6, details TBA.

Thanks to the dozen supporters who showed up for yet another "attorneys get paid, defendants get screwed" round.

J. Pasko has presented her take on the latest at http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_20814131/case-continues-those-still-charged-river-street-bank .

For more info go to http://www.santacruzeleven.org or review prior stories on this website.

As ever, the opinions and info on this site come from me and represent my take on things. Feel free to comment and correct.
§Gabriella, Robert, Brent, Becky and Desiree on June 1st, 2012
by Support the Santa Cruz Eleven
gabriella-robert-brent-becky-desiree_6-1-2012.jpg
Gabriella Ripley-Phipps, Robert Norse, Brent Adams, Becky Johnson and Desiree Foster on June 1st, 2012.

Photo by Marc Franklin.
§Update for Cameron Laurendau and Frank "Angel" Alcantara
by Robert Norse
According to Cameron's attorney Alexis Briggs, Preliminary Hearing courtdates for Franklin (Angel) Alcantara and Cameron Laurendeau are 7-23 in Judge Ariadne Symons courtroom 7 at 9 AM. Preliminary Hearing readiness is 7-20 at 9 AM in the same place.

So the prior courtdate that Angel had for a hearing on July 2nd has been "vacated", as the courtspeak goes...

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Comments (Hide Comments)
by Sentinel reports
"Charges were previously dismissed against Franklin Alcantara and Cameron Laurendeau, but the District Attorney's Office re-filed and a new preliminary hearing was set for July 23."
by L. & K.
Busy wage-slaving away today, but I hope everyone's spirits were up. See you next time. Free the SC-11!
There is a really good case to made that DA Bob Lee and Rebekah Young are violating First Amendment rights under color of law. I strongly urge the Santa Cruz 11 to take the effort to have the ACLU file color of law complaints with the FBI or Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez against DA Bob Lee and his assistant Rebekah Young.

If the U.S. Department of Justice comes down on Bob Lee and Rebekah Young for their abuses of power to persecute activists exercising their First Amendment rights, it will send a message to every dirty DA like Bob Lee across the nation that they can't persecute people without sanction.

Also you'l be compensated for your pain and suffering as well as taking pleasure in seeing Bob Lee and Rebekah Young removed from office.
by A>
Sorry to sound daft. I am sure this is answered here somewhere. But why are they re-filing charges after a dismissal? What specific reasons did the DA give for doing so? What an injustice and waste of time and taxpayers money. Not to mention the undue stress on the defendants. It is a witch hunt if I ever did see one.
by Robert Norse
...seems to be the real answer.

Rebekah Young, the make-it-up-as-you-go cub D.A. Young can't seem to get the evidence she's supposed to out to the defendants after repeated requests (in my case we had to go to court repeatedly to get it). Nor does she seem able to read the law about disqualifying judges (can't be done later than 10 days after the initial arraignment--which happened months ago, yet Young was dragging everyone to court little over a week ago without even filing the request legal papers).

The explicit reason seems she wants to drag in other cops and other witnesses against the same defendants so she can "try again" to get the case to trial. This can be done in felony cases, I'm told, three times. That is, if a case is dismissed by the judge, it can be refiled twice more.

Scary stuff.
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