October 16, 2013
AMPAGE Volume CXXV Issue 4
FREE
Shooting on campus, see page 3
The Student-Run Newspaper of Fresno City College
CALHOUN TAKES THE STAND
Clockwise: Brian Calhoun, Kevynn Gomez, Jewleanna McConnell, David Castro, Cori Murphy, Joseph Navarro. The misdemeanor trial for Brian Calhoun is underway. Over the last week, students, faculty and police have testified in the court case. The witnesses above demonstrate how Calhoun restrained Gomez and later lifted her up off the ground before “slamming” her to the floor in front of OAB 216 on March 22. Photos/Abel Cortez BY PABEL LOPEZ
Former Fresno City College instructor Brian Calhoun will take the stand in his own defense in the Battery trial against him today. Calhoun’s attorney Roger Nuttall is expected to call the former Education instructor to the stand to counter the charge against him for assaulting a student in the Spring 2013 semester. This will mark the first time that Calhoun will speak about the altercation that cost him his job at FCC. Prosecutor Michael Brummell rested his case against Calhoun on Tuesday afternoon after calling two
BY TROY POPE
News Editor plopez@therampageonline.com
Editor-in-Chief tpope@therampageonline.com
more students to testify about the altercation. These witnesses -- history student Rocio Hernandez and liberal studies student Kamee Wiggins -- brought the total number of FCC students who have testified in the case to nine. These witnesses range from students who were classmates of Gomez to students of Calhoun who saw what happened between the two parties. The prosecution’s final witnesses testified about what they saw during the altercation. Hernandez’s testimony supported what many other witnesses
have said throughout the duration of the trial. “He [Calhoun] seemed upset, very, very upset,” said Hernandez who knew the instructor from having taken his class in past years. After the prosecution rested its case Nuttall moved for a “judgement of acquittal” which the judge promptly denied. He then called two State Center Community College District police officers, Brian Williams and Chris Caldwell. These two were the first officers to arrive at the scene and took interviews following the incident.
Nuttall then called two private investigators who worked for him on the Calhoun case to the stand. Ken Wagner and David Schiavon both spoke of services they provided for Nuttall. Nuttall asserted that Calhoun was simply trying to get Gomez’s name and the only way for him to do that was by grabbing her. In his response, Brummell said, “He [Calhoun] had no authority to touch Ms. Gomez, no authority as a teacher. He was an adult; she was an adult; he had no right.” l SEE TRIAL ON PAGE 5
THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM