NEWS
Attorney charged in hit-and-run death refuses plea offer
Wine and food pairings prove a hit
Judge will weigh in on plea deal in year-old manslaughter case
4-day event shows love of learning about wines
BY GLENN WOHLTMANN
A San Ramon attorney charged with running down and killing a man in Dublin is apparently not happy with a plea deal being offered by prosecutors. Spencer Freeman Smith was due to have a preliminary hearing on charges of felony hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter on Monday. Instead, he is asking for a judge to get involved in plea bargain negotiations with the hope of getting a better deal. Prosecutor Rebecca Warren said she’s prohibited from discussing what deal was offered; Smith’s attorney, Dionne Choice, would not comment. Smith’s case has been stalled for more than a year. He was arrested May 17, 2012, in a nighttime crash that killed Bo Hu, 57, also of San Ramon. Hu was either walking his bike or riding northbound on Dougherty Road near Fall Creek Road. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Smith was charged after police in Dublin traced parts from his black 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 found at the scene through the dealership. “Our officers responded and they collected three vehicle parts that were left at the scene,� said Dublin
BY DOLORES FOX CIARDELLI
police Lt. Herb Walters at the time. “Each part has a serial number on it. They found that it belonged to a Mercedes.� Witnesses contacted police while they were waiting for a court order requiring the dealership to give them information to track the parts. A search warrant at Smith’s home showed the car, with extensive front end and windshield damage. Walters said the damage matched the parts recovered at the scene. Since his arrest, the case has been postponed at least six times. His sole appearance so far has been to enter a not guilty plea, where he said nothing but a few whispered words to his attorney at his appearance last June. A special attorney was appointed by the court to examine items seized in the police investigation that Smith claimed he needed for clients. Smith, who lives in San Ramon, remains free on bail. He is a partner at the San Francisco firm of Smith Patten, where he practices employment law. His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 28 in Hayward, where a judge will weigh in on the plea deal. N
Taste Our Terroir, four days of wine and food pairings offered by the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association last week, was a hit, said executive director Chris Chandler. In previous years, it was a one evening event with gourmet food and wine pairings judged by wine experts and chefs. “People are increasingly curious about everything that goes into wine they enjoy. The new fourday format of Taste Our Terroir gave folks the opportunity to immerse themselves in all facets of wine country — in one weekend,â€? Chandler said. “In addition to the food and wine pairing competition that sold out again this year, the most popular events were Chef Ryan Scott’s cooking demonstration at McGrail Vineyards & Winery; the 29 Minute Meals class by Castlewood Chef Tracy Flores at Rodrigue Molyneaux; and the Secrets of a Sommelier blind tasting class at Double Barrel Wine Bar.â€? The Taste Our Terroir food and wine pairing competition on Thursday at Casa Real Event Center was sold out, with 650 people attending. The results of the judging was as follows: UĂŠ *iÂœÂŤÂ?iÂ˝ĂƒĂŠ …œˆViĂŠ EĂŠ iĂƒĂŒĂŠ 7Â…ÂˆĂŒiĂŠ Wine Pairing: Page Mill Winery 2012 Chardonnay, Chandler Vineyard, Livermore Valley (Winemaker Dane Stark, Page Mill Winery) with WonTon Shell Topped with a lightly blackened Scallop with an Avocado Pico di Gallo and Chipotle Aioli (Chef Jorge Magallon, Piccola Casa) UĂŠ ÂœĂƒĂŒĂŠ Â˜Â˜ÂœĂ›>ĂŒÂˆĂ›iĂŠ*>ÂˆĂ€ÂˆÂ˜}\ĂŠ Ă•`>ĂŠ Ridge Wines 2010 Malbec, Livermore Valley (Winemaker Larry Dino, Cuda Ridge Wines) with House-made Steamed Bun, Black Plum Char Siu, Spice-cured and Charred Pork Belly with pickled Root Vegetables, Cilantro and Green Onion (Chef Clay Brunton, Beets Hospitality Group) UĂŠ Ă•`}iÂ˝ĂƒĂŠ iĂƒĂŒĂŠ *>ÂˆĂ€ÂˆÂ˜}\ĂŠ œ˜V>˜‡ non Vineyard 2011 Reserve
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Hall, if any, will be posted at the Pleasanton Weekly website. Meanwhile, the 18-year-old’s father, Aaron Hall, was arraigned in Pleasanton Superior Court on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to felony weapons charges stemming from the case. He was charged after police said they discovered two illegal assault rifles and “thousands of rounds of ammunitionâ€? in a gun safe at the Halls’ home in the 4200 block of Echo Court. The gun safe was found when police served a search warrant looking for evidence in their vehicular manslaughter investigation involving Cody Hall. Aaron Hall was charged with Page 6ĂŠUĂŠJuly 26, 2013ĂŠUĂŠPleasanton Weekly
Righteously RosĂŠ, Livermore Valley (Winemaker Julian Halasz, Concannon Vineyard) with “Off the Hookâ€? Seafood Sausage with a RosĂŠ Cream Sauce (Chef Eric Berg, Underdog Wine Bar) UĂŠ iĂƒĂŒĂŠ Â?>ĂƒĂƒÂˆVĂŠ *>ÂˆĂ€ÂˆÂ˜}\ĂŠ ,Âœ`Ă€Âˆ}Ă•iĂŠ Molyneaux 2009 Estate Sangio-
FAYE CHAMPLIN STUDIO
Debbie Cristiano of Page Mill Winery pours Chardonnay for a guest at the Taste Our Terroir food and wine pairing competition on Thursday, July 18, at Casa Real Event Center in Pleasanton.
vese, Livermore Valley (Winemaker Garry Rodrigue, Rodrigue Molyneaux) with Lightly crusted Dutch Valley Veal Scallopini with Tomato Coulis and fresh Mozzarella on Citrus infused Focaccia (Chef Tracy Flores, Castlewood Country Club) “Feedback on all of the events has been very positive and we are already looking forward to hosting this great food and wine weekend again next year,� Chandler said. N possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of an assault weapon, possession of ammunition by a felon, and possession of a non-narcotic controlled substance. Police said they found four Daytrana patches, a stimulant used to treat ADHD that Aaron Hall had without a prescription. The D.A.’s Office filed felony charges and officers obtained a $640,000 arrest warrant for Aaron Hall, who turned himself in July 13; he was released the same day after posting a reduced bond of $265,000. Aaron had two felony convictions from 1994 for assault with a deadly weapon and firing at an inhabited dwelling. A pretrial hearing on the new charges has been set for Aug. 28. N