DA Declines to Charge School Board Candidate Following Robbery Arrest

On Tuesday, the Yolo County District Attorney declined to charge 63-year-old, African American school board candidate Chris Legal with strong-arm robbery, following an incident at the Davis library last week.

According to Lt. Paul Doroshov of the Davis Police Department, Mr. Legal was arrested on robbery charges following a confrontation.  He approached two minors and demanded to borrow one of their cell phones.

His aggressive manner frightened the boy, who handed over the phone.  However, when he asked for the phone back, Mr. Legal refused to return it until the boy’s father intervened.

According to Lt. Doroshov, the father then called police.  He told the Vanguard that Mr. Legal was cooperative but arrested on robbery charges and held on $100,000 bail, but expected to be released on Tuesday evening after prosecutors decided not to file charges.

“This was a very scary situation for these two young boys. However, the facts do not meet the charging threshold of the robbery crime for which Mr. Legal was arrested, so no charges were filed,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Raven said, according to a report in the Enterprise.

Mr. Doroshov told the Vanguard that weapons were not used during the incident, but Mr. Legal did have a pocket knife in his pocket.

Mr. Legal filed on August 15 to run for a seat on the Davis School Board, but has declined to talk with the media about his candidacy.

—David M. Greenwald reporting


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  • David Greenwald

    Greenwald is the founder, editor, and executive director of the Davis Vanguard. He founded the Vanguard in 2006. David Greenwald moved to Davis in 1996 to attend Graduate School at UC Davis in Political Science. He lives in South Davis with his wife Cecilia Escamilla Greenwald and three children.

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14 comments

      1. Oh geesh.  So because he is African American the police should have ignored the complaint from the boys and the father that he refused to give back their phone?   Are you advocating for some type of Affirmative Action policing here?  Reverse racial profiling where because of the claim of implicit bias the cops should be more lenient on certain minorities (i.e., non-Asians)?

        1. There is a broad array of options that the police had short of arresting him and charging him with robbery. I think the DA quote illustrates that.

        2. Robbery is not a victimless crime.  I know that liberals in general have the opinion that certain groups should be given more leniency for stealing other people’s property… I think because it is similar to liberals not having any problem taxing and spending other people’s money… but you are not answering the question.  Clearly your interest in writing this article had to do with the race of the suspect.

        3. I agree, it’s not victimless.

          It’s rare that I agree with Jonathan Raven but I do here: “This was a very scary situation for these two young boys. However, the facts do not meet the charging threshold of the robbery crime for which Mr. Legal was arrested, so no charges were filed.”

          That’s what you’re arguing with.

  1. … the police should have ignored the complaint from the boys and the father that he refused to give back their phone? 

    A complaint doesn’t mean the individual should be charged with a particular crime. Robbery requires the intent to steal–to permanently deprive a person of property. I have no idea what Mr. Legal was thinking; but, from the description of what happened, while his actions were highly inappropriate, and perhaps chargeable, a charge of robbery, a serious felony, would appear to have been an excessive response.

  2. “I know that liberals in general have the opinion that certain groups should be given more leniency for stealing other people’s property…”

    This guy knows as much about liberals as he does about neurophysiology.  I wonder what he has on Don and David that gives him carte blanche to make such bs observations? I don’t bother to report anymore, he’s immune.

    The cops certainly should have questioned the guy and probably some sort of harassment charge filed, assuming the tale as told here is correct.

    Davis candidates, well what can you expect from a town where assaulting another town’s mayor is cheered as righteous.

    1. You don’t seem to understand:

      A. We don’t censor ideas, the only things that get pulled here are when people get personal and violate the commenting rules

      B.  I don’t think jeff is very effective.  In fact, I would argue that he’s so extreme that he actually discredits himself – sometimes he can’t help himself even when I agree with his core point.

      C.  So given that, why would I be threatened by what he has to say?

    2. You appear to be hypersensitive to criticism of the entity called liberals similar to how as Islamist views criticism of the Koran.  Maybe you should think a bit more deeply past your emotions and note that I am not attacking individuals like you cannot seem to stop doing.   Or maybe start going to church instead of counting on your politics to satiate your spirituality needs.

      And you continue to break the VG posting policies complaining about the moderator.

      Liberals in the state voted for Prop-47 and 57, did they not?

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