- NEWS
- SPORTS
- BUSINESS
- ENTERTAINMENT
- LIFE
- TRAVEL
- OPINION
Judge to consider moving Carona’s trial out of OC
April 4th, 2008, 3:51 pm · 11 Comments · posted by Peggy Lowe
So I’m just back from federal court in Santa Ana, where I covered the latest hearing in former Sheriff Mike Carona’s case. The ex-sheriff didn’t have that snazzy uniform on, as you might expect, and instead was wearing a pin-striped blue suit. His wife, Debbie, along with his alleged mistress, Debra Hoffman, were both there, too. (Hoffman seems to have a permanent grimace, Debbie just a far-off look in her eyes. Carona sat stiff as a stone.)
Carona won a delay on his trial — U.S. Judge Andrew Guilford postponed the June 10 trail and is considering dates in August and October. Guilford also said he was “shocked” at what Carona lawyer Brian Sun related from KFI’s “John and Ken Show” — an effort by the radio shock jocks to taint the jury pool. Click below for my story, which will appear in tomorrow’s deadwood edition.
A federal judge on Friday said he will consider moving the public corruption trial of former Sheriff Mike Carona out of Orange County because of what he said was the “very disappointing” effort by radio shock jocks to taint the jury pool.
U.S. Judge Andrew Guilford make the remark after a request by a Carona attorney who quoted in court from broadcasts of KFI’s “John and Ken Show.” The two conservative hosts have tried to influence at least one other local trial in the past.
“I find it extremely unfortunate that a radio show would suggest people lie in this court,” Guilford said. “That’s not what American justice is all about.”
Also Friday, Guilford postponed the June 10 trial date, at the request of Carona’s lawyers, but didn’t set another, although August and October dates are being considered. Carona’s attorneys argue that federal prosecutors have had four years to prepare for the complex trial that will include dozens of witnesses and consultation of financial documents.
Carona, his wife, Debbie, and his alleged mistress, Debra Hoffman, a Newport Beach attorney, are accused of taking bribes of expensive gifts and cash in return for favors Carona could carry out from his elected office. They have all pleaded not guilty.
Reading from what the hosts called “another installment of John and Ken taint the jury pool show,” attorney Brian Sun said they told listeners who made it to the pool of potential jurors to say that they never listen to the show and to deny they like talk radio.
“You’ve got to fake it, OK?” Sun said, reading from a show’s broadcast. “You have to lie to them.”
The show has a wide reach, north to San Jose, south to San Diego and even into parts of Arizona, Sun said.
Prosecutors opposed both the request for a new venue and to postpone the trial. Brett Sagel, an assistant U.S. attorney, said he had heard about the broadcasts, but that two radio personalities shouldn’t affect a federal trial.
“I have trouble believing that a general member of society is going to come in here and lie under oath just because two men on the radio told them to do it,” Sagel said.
The “John and Ken Show” has been raised in a legal proceeding at least once before. In 2005, an Orange County Superior Court judge ordered jurors in the trial of Alejandro Avila, who was later convicted of the kidnapping and murder of 5-year-old Samantha Runnion, to refrain from listening to the show. The show was “making a mockery of the criminal-justice system,” Judge William R. Froeberg said, when it told jurors to lie about biases and urged them to vote Avila guilty.
Carona, 52, resigned in January after nine years in office. A federal grand jury indicted him of depriving the public of the honest services of a public official through a broad conspiracy, allegedly using his office to garner cash and gifts in exchange for favors to his friends.
But whether Carona gave anything in return for the alleged bribes is still in question, his attorney, John Cline, said Friday during his effort to get several of the counts dismissed. The indictment fails to name specific dates, places or even charges, Cline said.
Reader Comments
Comments are encouraged, but you must follow our User Agreement.- Keep it civil and stay on topic.
- No profanity, vulgarity, racial slurs or personal attacks.
- People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked.
11 Comments
Leave a Reply
-
ADVERTISEMENT
-
DENA BUNIS, Washington bureau chief, 202-628-6381 or dbunis@ocregister.com
BRIAN JOSEPH, Sacramento correspondent, 916-449-6046 or bjoseph@ocregister.com
JENNIFER MUIR, County government reporter, 714-796-7813 or jmuir@ocregister.com
JOEL WALSH, Washington bureau intern, 202-628-6381 or jwalsh@ocregister.com
MARTIN WISCKOL, Politics reporter, 714-285-2867 or mwisckol@ocregister.com twitter.com/MartinWisckol
Click here for bloggers' biographies
-
-
-
-
-
ADVERTISEMENT
No problem, delay the Carona trial to August or October. I’ll clear my calendar.
I volunteer for trial jury duty. I want a good seat.
Also, no problem in moving the trial. Orange County will follow.
We’ll have a tailgate party in the jurisdiction of your choice.
Please don’t take a plea, Mikey. We want to hear ALL of the wire tapes
at the trial.
That’s right little Mikey, the same people that elected you will not be able to judge you fairly. Find some place where they don’t know you, so they can judge you on what you say…. not what you did. How’s your upset tummy these days Mikey? It wasn’t too good back in the salad days of i am king of the sheriff’s department, I will ruin anyone who dares to speak the truth. LiL Mikey you are rotting from the inside-out. It won’t be long now, will it !!!! Federal pajamas…..you see them in your sleep.
I was “shocked” to know that they prosecute Mike Carona. I am “shocked” to see Judge Andrew Guilford delay trials and consider to move trial out of Orange County.
We voted for both of you in a higly respected position in Orange County. Whether it effect trial, let us decide. You took an oath and supposed to “Protect and Serve.”
No wonder they have no respect for our Justice Systems. We are sicken tired with our Justice System in Orange County.
Friends always protect each others. Asked Mike Carona. He is the Master.
Carlos, you didn’t vote for Judge Guilford. He was appointed for life by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate.
Heh Mikey, I missed you at the Ritz last night, we were singing Christmas songs like, “I won’t be home for Christmas”….
A change of venue to Italy maybe? Ahh, it won’t matter Mikey, tax evasion and mail fraud, take the deal Mikey….
If Jack Hanshaw is who he says he is then I get how you know so much. There was a Jack Hanshaw who Carona brought into the reserve progam and who saw much of what was going on. I believe he left in disgust and if you know of the “upset tummy” as you put it then you may be who you say you are.
By the way, nothing makes the tummy so upset as always having to put on the front of being okay with it all when you are churning inside. Thus the rants when the public was not looking.
You bet I will follow as soon as Former Sheriff Carona Trial Starts. I want to hear each and every count, and each and every time he broke the law. Plus I want to hear all the others who were involved. I think it is too funny though that a Judge would let him move the trail since we elected Carona here and he broke the law HERE in ORANGE COUNTY. I wonder if this Judge donated to Carona during his campaign? (allegedy of course) Carona wants it moved so he can do his so called magic he THINKS he has over people in another city. We will all have to go to the Trial and have that tailgate party in the jurisdiction of your choice like “to the point” says up above.
Karen A Finn
It is a disappointment that Judge Guilford made a public issue about KFI’s John and Ken Show encouraging PUBLIC PARTICIPATION in matters of public interest. Last time I checked, California and federal anti-SLAPP statutes were implemented by legislators to encourage public participation — not discourage it.
Former Sheriff Carona is represented by one of the largest international law firms in the world, pro bono, aka FREE. The firm has never ending resources to assist Carona in his defense of public corruption charges in federal court. The last legal argument I expected to hear was the WHINING from Jones Day attorneys about so-called injustices because KFI’s John and Ken Show encourages the public to debate in matters of interest.
What happened to the days when attorneys took an oath to defend clients with law, evidence, testimony and facts? One would think Jones Day would be able to skip all the legal manipulations and whining in court, wasting Judge Guilford’s time, the federal court’s time and taxpayer dollars to support the games Jones Day attorneys obviously believe are a part of defending a criminal client in court.
When you live by the sword….. what follows?
Haven’t things changed since Skippy’s “I am a Freight Train get on board or get run over” speech.
I hope he doesn’t plead guilty so we can see the drama unfold in court and let the public see what a scumbag he is.
Your momma must be proud Skippy.
I remember that freight train. Glad I just stood at the station with left arm and middle finger extended as it went by. I do feel kinda bad for all the little smiling heyboy and heygirl faces pressed against the inside of the windows as the train sped by towards the inevitable trainwreck. Lots of them got hurt. Wasn’t worth it.
Bad enough to have some serious felony charges hanging over your head. It’s gotta be even more uncomfortable with the wife & mistress sitting there too. Oh well. You play, you pay.