Yolo County

Board of Supervisors Votes to Support Water Fluoridation for Davis and Woodland

fluoride-water

Supervisor Don Saylor introduced a resolution on Tuesday that called for the Yolo County Board of Supervisors to support water fluoridation in Davis and Woodland.  The resolution would pass by a 4-1 vote with only Supervisor Duane Chamberlain dissenting.

Supervisor Saylor told his colleagues, that a number of bodies within Yolo County, along with the Centers for Disease Control, the American Dental Association, the California Dental Association and numerous scientists and public health specialists, support fluoridation in the water.

Grand Jury Report Tackles Risks of Recidivism; Cites Lack of Measurement by Probation Department

prison-reformThe Yolo County Grand Jury investigated how the “Yolo County Probation Department (YCPD) measures the effectiveness of its evidence-based tools for evaluating the risk that probationers may violate the terms of their probation or commit new offenses.”

The investigation was reportedly prompted by Probation Department statistics that demonstrate “a reduction in the number of adult offenders returned to state prison for probation violations and a substantial reduction in the population in the county’s Juvenile Detention Facility.”

Bankers Dozen Take Plea Agreement, Charges Reduced to Infraction, Community Service

Occupy-US-Bank

Just over a year after the Yolo County District Attorney’s office filed 21 misdemeanor charges against twelve protesters, accused of conducting a protest in front of the US Bank in UC Davis’ Memorial Union which allegedly interrupted business to the point where US Bank made the decision to close its doors, attorneys for the twelve individuals and Deputy District Attorney Michael Cabral reached a plea agreement.

The agreement called for the protesters to plead to a single infraction of disturbing the peace.  The rest of the charges except for count 1, the conspiracy, would be dropped.  The protesters would face a fine and have to serve 80 hours of community service.  Neither UC Davis nor US Bank are pursuing restitution.

Eye on the Courts: Police Are Not Biased, They Are Just Lazy?

racial-profilingYou can’t really make this stuff up.  Lost in the national debate over gun control and the Boston Marathon Bombers and their post-arrest treatment is the federal trial in New York that is charging that the department’s “stop-and-frisk” practices are biased and therefore unconstitutional.

The suit contends, “These NYPD practices have led to a dramatic increase in the number of suspicion-less stop-and-frisks per year in the city, with the majority of stops in communities of color.”  And the trial made early headlines when one of the officers released his recorded meetings that purportedly showed the department advocating for the use of racial quotas.

Second Day of the Baird Murder Trial

crashBy Charmayne Schmitz

On Thursday, the trial of People vs. Ryan Baird continued with evidence presented by the prosecution. The defendant is charged with 2nd Degree Murder, Gross Vehicular Manslaughter and Driving Under the Influence of both alcohol and drugs.

Deputy District Attorney Amanda Zambor questioned a witness sworn in the previous day, CHP Officer Pascoe. This officer was the lead investigator of the accident, which occurred on the evening of January 6, 2012. We heard about various items that were found in the vehicle or on the ground near the vehicle, such as energy drink cans. Zambor asked if it’s possible to test a person for this type of consumption. The officer was not aware of any such test.

VANGUARD COURT WATCH: DUI Becomes a Murder Charge

crash-vehicle-pursuitBy Catherine McKnight

The expected two-week trial of People v. Baird began on Wednesday, May 1 in Department 7 under the Honorable Judge Janet Gaard. Prosecuting the case is Deputy District Attorney Amanda Zambor, with private counsel Richard Dudek defending Ryan Baird.

Ryan Baird is being charged with 4 counts, including several enhancements, involving a tragic car accident when the defendant was allegedly driving under the influence and launched his car off of an exit ramp in Woodland, ejecting the other 3 passengers’ bodies out of the vehicle.

Vigil Marks Fourth Anniversary of Gutierrez Death, with No Closure in Sight

Gutierrez-2013

By Catherine McKnight

Editor’s Note: Last fall, a federal jury acquitted the three officers in federal wrongful death and civil rights lawsuit.

April 30, 2013, marked the fourth year anniversary of the death of 26-year-old Woodland resident and farmer, Luis Gutierrez. He was a friend to many, a son, and from what is said about him by those close to him – someone who always obeyed the law.

For those who are not familiar with the case, Luis was shot six times and killed by three plain-clothed sheriffs with the Yolo County Gang Task Force on April 30, 2009. After a 13-day trial in October 2012, all three officers were acquitted of any wrongdoing and of all liability of Luis’ death.

Mings Murder Trial Began Tuesday

murderby Antoinnette Borbon

It was a very long day and a half with the jury selection process in Department 2, Judge Timothy Fall’s courtroom.

James Mings has been charged with the killing of a chronically ill man. Kevin Seery, 42 years old, was found face down with what was later identified as a piece of a sock, gauze and a toilette stuffed inside his mouth.

Eye on the Courts: Assessing the Power of Prosecutors

prosecutorial-misconduct

A few days ago, Ross Ramsey, a columnist with the Texas Tribune, argued that Texas prosecutors are no longer “unassailable.”

“An elected prosecutor used to have one of the most respected jobs at any level of Texas government,” Mr. Ross writes.  “Running a political campaign against a sitting prosecutor in Texas was a job for egotistic dunces and legal-minded Quixotes. Even weak DA’s were invincible.”

Commentary: Is Due Process and Rule of Law a Principle Worth Dying For?

SupremeCourt

This week, I was amazed about how quickly we hearkened back to a time from a decade ago, where fear and uncertainty once again cloud our better judgment and restrain our finer angels.  It is for these times of uncertainty that we have a Constitution, a rule of law, and if we do not adhere to our principles when it is difficult, they are not principles at all, they are simply platitudes.

The Associated Press reports that Federal Magistrate Judge Marianne Bowler went to the hospital and convened a court hearing in the hospital room of the accused bombing suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, about 16 hours after a complaint was filed in her court.

REMINDER: Vanguard Court Watch Council Meeting TONIGHT

vcw-665Today (Sunday, April 28, 2013) from 5:00 to 7:00 PM in Woodland at the Celebration Center Church (100 Woodland Ave), the Vanguard Court Watch Council of Yolo County (VCWCYC) is inviting the public to come forward to express their concerns about the judicial system, providing testimony and giving personal accounts of contemporary cases in the Yolo County Court system.

“The public has an opportunity to tell of their experiences in the Yolo County judicial system.  Experiences that normally are not covered in the newspaper,” said David Greenwald, Executive Director of Vanguard Court Watch.  “The Council will take public comment, testimony from invited speakers, and then deliberate in closed session to determine our course of action.”

VANGUARD COURT WATCH: No Cells in “Mayberry” When a Defendant Wants Jail Time

cigarettes-1By Charmayne Schmitz

On Thursday, we heard the closing arguments in the case of People vs. Madderra. The defendant was charged with selling cigarettes to a minor in a sting operation. It was her second day of work as a cashier.

Deputy District Attorney Kyle Hasapes stressed that the law is the law and every law has consequences. The defendant made a bad decision. It doesn’t matter if she did not have the experience or the knowledge.

VANGUARD COURT WATCH: Gangs: Is Yolo County Protecting Kids Or Throwing The Gang Card At Each Incident?

gang-stock-picBy Antoinnette Borbon

On Wednesday in arraignment court came the short testimony of a woman, who testified to the character of a defendant in custody who is being linked to “gang activity.” Attorney Lawrence Cobb is defending the young man.

In a statement to Commissioner Janene Beronio, Mr. Cobb argued that the defendant is a good kid who has no criminal record and has people in his neighborhood who can attest to his character being reliable and responsible. He is a young defendant, already a father, as we learned today.

Advocates Warn of Increasing Numbers of Problems in the Yolo County Family Court System

family-law-courtsThis Weekend’s Child Sexual Abuse Conference in Davis Focuses on Courts Endangering Children’s Safety – Over the course of the last several years, the Vanguard has received a number of complaints about the Yolo County Family Court system, where the complainants allege that local judges have put young children into homes of known sex offenders or otherwise have endangered their welfare.

According to these complaints, the Yolo County Family Court does not consistently ensure the physical and sexual safety of children in custody, nor make good visitation decisions.

Commentary: Laying Out Additional Concerns in the Ganthner Child Abuse Case

Yolo-Count-Court-Room-600By Antoinnette Borbon

A few weeks ago, I did a commentary disagreeing with the jury findings in the trial of John Timothy Ganthner.    I would like to apologize for taking so long to get back to the readers.

Since a little bit of time has passed, it may be far better to answer your questions within a commentary, to refresh the minds of my readers.     I will attempt to answer your questions in an order you may understand.

VANGUARD COURT WATCH: Mings Back in Court Awaiting Next Week’s Murder Trial

murderby Alexandra Rose

On the morning of Monday April 22, 2013, under Judge Timothy L. Fall in Department 2 of the Yolo County Superior Court, the case of James Mings was called for the last time before next week’s jury trial.

James Mings pled “not guilty” to murdering Davis resident Kevin Gerard Seery, a 42-year-old man suffering from pancreatitis and several other illnesses.  Mr. Mings claimed that Mr. Seery had wanted to die and asked Mr. Mings to kill him.

Eye on the Courts: Neighborhood Court Program is a Step in the Right Direction

restorative-justiceYou will not find many more critical of this District Attorney’s office than this site.  However, we believe that the District Attorney’s office deserves real credit for taking a program that has worked successfully in San Francisco, adding true restorative justice components to it, and then planning to implement it in the city of Davis, for starters, as a pilot program.

“Rather than charging a case for prosecution, the District Attorney’s Office will refer certain misdemeanors and infractions to Neighborhood Court,” the DA explained in a press release.  “In Neighborhood Court, a panel of trained volunteers from the community hears the case.  All hearings are confidential, and participation by the offender is completely voluntary.”

Texas Prosecutor Arrested and Faces Criminal Charges for Concealing Evidence of Morton’s Innocence

prosecutorial-misconduct

A turning point has perhaps been reached in terms of the handling of prosecutorial misconduct.  It was 2011 when the US Supreme Court overturned a multimillion dollar civil verdict for John Thompson, who spent years in prison as New Orleans prosecutors not only withheld evidence, but destroyed it.

As the New York Times noted at the time, the ruling protects prosecutors, giving them “nearly absolute immunity over civil suits.”