MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2014 - JUNE 29, 2014
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Convicted robber gets $7.8M for being shot by sheriff after robbing elderly woman by Vickie Vértiz Wednesday, June 11, a federal jury awarded $7.81 million in favor of William Howard, the Plaintiff in a civil case who was shot by a deputy for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 2011. William Howard, a convicted robber, was partially paralyzed after a Riverside County Sheriff’s deputy shot him in the face three years ago while hiding from the police. At the time of the shooting, there was already an outstanding felony warrant for Howard. According to the Press Enterprise, in 2010, Howard was the suspect in Indian Wells of the armed robbery of a 62-yearold Los Angeles-area woman. According to authorities, Howard had offered to help the woman who had gotten lost after leaving the casino. He then pulled a weapon on her and stole her property. A sheriff’s news release on the incident states that Howard was considered armed and dangerous when he was spotted in Cathedral City the afternoon of April 7, 2011. Officers searched the area in a police car and when they found Howard, he tried to escape.
is too often lost on those we elect to, among other things, ensure that California’s children receive a strong education. The result is too many laws and rules that put the Please see page 3
Please see page 4
room near an apartment complex. “He was subsequently shot and injured by the officer,” the statement continues. When the Sheriff’s Department released a statement after Please see page 2
Republican candidate for Lt. Governor praises decision in Vergara v. California, makes the case for reform In an op-ed appearing recently, Republican Lt. Governor candidate Ron Nehring praised last week’s landmark court ruling concerning California’s stringent teacher tenure laws while calling for a rollback of state laws that put
the interests of adults ahead of students. “It’s the job of teacher’s union officials to ask for things. And, often, it is the job of school board members and government officials to say ‘no.’ This concept
Four charged in $22 million movie investment scheme Three men were arrested today for their roles in a scheme involving a company called Gigapix that allegedly defrauded hundreds of victims by promising large returns on movie investments and a production company’s imminent public offering, announced United States Attorney André Birotte, Jr. and Bill L. Lewis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI in Los Angeles. Two defendants were arrested this morning—Gregory Pusateri, 49, of Woodland Hills, and David Pritchard, 66, of Malibu, who has recently been staying with a friend in Hollywood—and are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court. A third defendant in the case—Christopher Blauvelt, 58, of Woodland Hills—was arrested this afternoon in Goleta, California. He is expected to be arraigned tomorrow in federal court in Los Angeles. The fourth defendant in the case—Cheri Brown, 65, of Studio City—has agreed to surrender to authorities. The four defendants were charged in a 36-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury on May 15. The indictment, which was unsealed this morning, accuses the defendants of mail fraud, wire fraud, attempted wire fraud, and offering for sale unregistered securities. The case centers on a company called Gigapix that was founded by Blauvelt in 2002 and took on Pritchard as a partner in 2006. The indictment alleges that between 2006 and 2012, Blauvelt
Booking photo of William Howard-Courtesy Photo
Once they established a perimeter, the news release states that, “the officers lost sight of the suspect and began searching the area on foot.” Authorities state that the suspect had lunged at one officer from a hiding place a utility
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Old-Fashioned Summer Riverside Police hosts free Ice Cream Social Nights in the car seat fittings monthly you head out on the fit for the child, and any recalls. June 29, 11am-4pm Park Concert roadBefore this summer, have your Parents, grandparents, and/ This is not your ordinary child’s car seat checked by a or caregivers are encouraged Ice Cream Social! All ages Series certified technician for proper fit to make an appointment. To will enjoy this free commuand installation. The Riverside schedule your free car seat fitnity event which features ice cream, homemade lemonade, and musical entertainment as one may have celebrated in Victorian Riverside during the 1890s. Guests will have the opportunity to play authentic Victorian games, learn how old-fashioned hand cranked ice cream is made, operate a citrus sizer, and watch a special patriotic program by the Sons of the American Revolution that will include: musket firing, cotillion dance, and a parade through the grounds, all in revolutionary-war era costumes. Musical entertainment will include bagpipes, dulcimer, piano, vocal performances, and of course a barbershop quartet! Location: Heritage House, 8193 Magnolia Ave.
June 25, 6-9pm
Neon Nation: 80s Pop. These FREE family-oriented concerts at Fairmount Park will include activities for the entire family, including bounce houses, face painting, and a balloon artist. Come early and taste the flavor of Riverside with local food vendors. Bring a blanket or beach chair to enjoy a cool summer Wednesday evening at Fairmount Park from 6 - 9 p.m. Concerts will begin with the performances by Riverside Sings! Vocal Competition contestants. Location: Fairmount Park, 2601 Fairmount Blvd. Contact: Parks, Recreation and Community Services, www. riversideca.gov/park_rec, parks@ riversideca.gov, (951)826-2000.
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Police Department will host free monthly car seat fitting stations at the Downtown Orange Street Station, located at 4102 Orange Street in Riverside, on the 2nd and 4thFriday of each month from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., by appointment. Certified technicians will be on hand to check child restraints for proper usage, proper
ting appointment, contact PSR DeFries at ndefries@riversideca.gov or (951) 826-5674. You can also visit our website at www.rpdonline.org for more information. Funding for fitting stations is provided through Safe Kids Inland Empire and Riverside County Injury Prevention Services.
7.8 million for robber Continued from page 1
the trial, they expressed great disappointment in the verdict. The Department stands by Deputy Armando Muñoz, the officer who shot Howard. “Deputy Muñoz, an eightyear veteran of the sheriff’s department, remains employed as a deputy sheriff,” the statement read. “Deputy Muñoz was required to make a split second decision in the defense of his life and the department is in support of his decision and actions.” According to the Plaintiff’s attorneys, Howard was frightened and unarmed, reluctant to confront police and so he sought a hiding place in a storage shed closet. Howard’s lawyers further said that Muñoz fired one shot at Howard just a second after her opened the closet door. While, Howard pleaded guilty to robbery and was sentenced to state prison, according to the Sheriff’s Department and court records, it is unclear how much time he served. The shooting had several healthrelated outcomes. His lawyers said Howard suffered a stroke, damage to two main arteries, and nearly died. They added that Howard was in the hospital for 18 months, has partially paralysis on the left side of his
body, and will need medical care his entire life. A spokesman for Riverside County, Ray Smith said the county disagrees with the verdict. He added that a decision on whether to appeal the decision will be explored. Outside the federal courthouse in downtown Riverside, Howard spoke at a news conference after the verdict and said justice had prevailed. “It’s been crazy. It’s bad,” he said from a wheelchair. His mother stood by as she was the one helping him. “I pray that no one has to go through what I’ve been through.” Howard now lives in Bakersfield and during the event his speech was clearly slurred and the right side of his skull shows the scars the gunshot left. Dale K. Galipo, lead attorney for Howard said that the verdict “signals hope for a lot of people that are either the victims of police misconduct or feel that the police always win.” Galipo added that many officer-involved shootings have occurred in the county, and that he hopes that more verdicts like this will make the County and the Sheriff’s Department realize that the general community rejects the shooting of unarmed people.
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Vergara v. California Continued from page 1
interests of adults ahead of those our schools are supposed to serve: children,” writes Nehring, a former school board trustee, in today’s Los Angeles Daily News. In a decision that received nationwide attention, on Monday Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Rolf Treu found California’s teacher tenure laws unconstitutional because they contribute to denying an equal quality education to children in struggling communities. Specifically, Judge Treu found that the least effective teachers tend to be assigned to schools with large minority populations, and once there, they are shielded from being replaced with better teachers by California’s tenure laws, which are among the strictest in the nation. “As a former school board member in my own county of San Diego, I have seen firsthand the negative impact of these laws on a school district’s ability to get good teachers into the classroom, and bad ones out. In effect, bad teachers can’t be fired, so they get moved around in a ‘dance of the lemons,’” said Nehring. “The members of the current ruling party in Sacramento owe their political futures to the California Teachers Association and other unions that keep them on a tight leash, blocking efforts to reform the system. Unfortunately, the situation in too many classrooms had to reach crisis levels before the judiciary has now finally stepped in.” In addition to reform of California’s tenure laws, Nehring called for changes to the collective bargaining process and the repeal of laws passed by the state legislature at the behest of specific public employee unions, such as SB 1419, that restrict or eliminate the ability of school boards spend money more efficiently. “It is now up to our state elected officials to fix the laws Judge Treu has found unconstitutional. That effort should be led by leaders who will embrace, not stymie, reform of teacher tenure and other laws that put the adults ahead of students,” concluded Nehring.
Rep. Chu reacts to visiting temporary shelter for unaccompanied minors Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27) visited the Naval Base Ventura County in Oxnard, California over the weekend, a temporary shelter where unaccompanied children are being transferred and housed. President Obama recently announced a multi-agency directive to respond to the surge of unaccompanied children crossing the border without a parent or legal guardian. The Naval Base is expected to house up to 600 children, ranging from ages 13 to 17. “Seeing the children today hit home for me that this is a humanitarian crisis that requires a humanitarian solution,” said Rep. Chu. “These children made the life or death decision to leave their home and cross the border alone -- to flee the extreme violence and
crime that has taken a foothold in Central America. Their safety and addressing the underlying international factors causing this crisis is of upmost concern. I look forward to exploring humanitarian solutions during the House Judiciary hearing on this issue next week.” The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has taken steps to address this issue with the goal to safely and quickly transport the unaccompanied children to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as the law requires. On June 1, at the direction of President Obama, a Unified Coordination Group, with the Federal Management Agency (FEMA) at its head, was established to leverage resources to provide humanitarian relief to the ongoing situation.
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Movie investment scheme Continued from page 1
and Pritchard hired telemarketers to solicit potential investors, who were told that Gigpix was an animation company similar to Pixar Animation Studio, and that Gigapix was developing projects expected to generate large profits when the company went public. Brown and Pusateri were among the top salespeople for Gigapix, according to the indictment. The indictment alleges that telemarketers—known as “fronters”—used lead lists purchased by the defendants to find potential investors and then used scripts touting the supposed merits of Gigapix. When investors expressed an interest, materials about the investment were mailed to them. At that time, the potential investor was turned over to Brown and Pusateri—who were known as “closers”—to collect their money. In or around 2008, the defendants allegedly shifted their focus to raise funds to produce a movie titled “OZ3D,” while continuing to solicit funds for Gigapix. In soliciting money for Gigapix and “OZ3D,” the indictment alleges that the defendants made numerous misrepresentations to potential investors and withheld material facts. For example, the indictment alleges that investors were told that Gigapix was a financially successful company, that they would receive high returns on their investments in less than 18 months, and that the investments carried little or no risk. Investors were also told there was an urgency to invest in
Gigapix and “OZ3D” because the window of opportunity to invest and the number of shares available were limited. Investors were told that a minimum of 65 percent of the money investesd in “OZ3D” would be used to produce and distribute the movie and that only a small percentage of investor money would be used to pay commissions and finder’s fees. However, the indictment alleges that less than five percent of the investors’ money was used to finance the film. The indictment alleges that of the millions raised for the Gigapix investment, less than 20 percent of those funds were spent on the production of movies or television shows. The majority of the money raised from investors was spent on salaries, commissions, and overhead, according to the indictment. Approximately 750 victims lost virtually all of the money—approximately $22.6 million—that they invested in Gigapix and “OZ3D,” according to the indictment. If convicted, the defendants would face decades in federal prison. The mail fraud and wire fraud counts, for example, carry statutory maximum penalties of 20 years in prison for each count. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in court. This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Historic resolution to overturn Citizens United passes Senate Judiciary Committee Mike Gatto's call for action sparks national movement to force Congress to limit corporate personhood When Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles) introduced AJR 1 last year, he was the first legislator in the United States to utilize a rare procedure that would require Congress to begin the process of amending the United States Constitution to address the Supreme Court’s decisions in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. More than a year later, AJR 1 took a major step forward, passing the Senate Judiciary Committee by a vote of 5-2. The bill now heads to the Senate floor for a full vote of the Chamber. If approved, it will be transmitted directly to President Obama and Congress. In the process, Gatto has sparked a national movement that has already seen Vermont pass a resolution modeled on Gatto’s, and Illinois has proposed a similar resolution that is currently making its way through the legislative process. “Campaign spending is at historic highs while accountability and responsibility are at all-time lows. The time for action is now,” said Gatto. “Most Americans are fed up with the notion that money is speech and that moneyed interests can drown out the speech of average citizens.” Citizens United and the related case of McCutcheon vs. FEC have opened the floodgates to unlimited and largely anonymous campaign donations, blinding political watchdogs and inviting corruption at all levels of government. Despite mass outrage from the public, the Supreme Court has refused to revisit the case leaving a Constitutional Amendment as the only viable
alternative for reformers like Gatto seeking transparency and accountability in campaign financing. Historically, all amendments to the U.S. Constitution have started in Congress, and been ratified later by 3/4 of the states. AJR 1 takes advantage of the rarely-used Article V process for amending the federal Constitution, which allows states to demand that Congress act. If 2/3 of the states make such a demand, Congress must call a constitutional convention on the topic. Several states and municipalities have already passed informal resolutions condemning the Citizens United decision, but Gatto was the first to introduce a resolution to utilize the Article V process, a strategy which has since been repeated by several states and which has successfully spurred Congress to take action in the past. According to a 2007 article in the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, at least four different amendments to the U.S. Constitution have been proposed by Congress in part because of Article V actions. For example, the amendments that repealed prohibition and allowed for the direct election of Senators were first demanded by state legislatures under Article V. “I doubt our Founding Fathers had the free-speech rights of multi-national and foreign corporations in mind when they drafted the First Amendment,” said Gatto. “But the Founding Fathers did anticipate that every once in a while, the states would need to prod Congress to act to amend the Constitution. That’s what we are doing.”