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THE INDEPENDENT
january 23, 2014
BACK IN COURT: Raymond Morua has appeared three times in front of Judge Thomas Adams (right) but has not yet entered a plea.
Defense Attorney Goes on the Offensive
Raymond Morua appeared once again in court last Wednesday, and once again his arraignment on murder and DUI vehicular manslaughter charges was delayed as attorneys prepared their respective cases. His next hearing date is scheduled for February 12. Morua was arrested December 9, 2013, after police say he fatally hit 27-year-old Mallory Dies as she crossed Anacapa Street on foot, fled the scene, then crashed nearby. Morua’s blood-alcohol level reportedly measured 0.17, more than twice the legal limit. He was employed at the time as a district representative for Congressmember Lois Capps but was fired three days after the incident. Her office has stated that Morua was not representing the congressmember in an official capacity that night. Morua is now being represented by high-profile DUI defense attorney Darryl Genis, who took over Morua’s defense from public defender Deedra Edgar and explained to Judge Thomas Adams that he needs more time to review the case. “It is my understanding that [Morua] will take full legal responsibility for this tragedy,” Genis told Adams. Morua, who stood behind the courtroom’s glass partition, nodded in agreement. Genis, when asked after the hearing how Morua plans to plead to the charges, stated: “This fateful event resulted in a tragic and unnecessary loss of life, and Mr. Morua intends with a sober mind to make correct decisions from this point forward.” Genis then claimed he has “shocking evidence” — including pay stubs — that proves Morua was working for Capps at the time of the incident. “The Capps position is nothing short of an outrageous government cover-up, and its only logical outcome is to further victimize a grieving family,” Genis said in reference to Dies’s relatives. “The family has lost a loved one, and nothing can replace her,” he went on, “but for Capps to deny and avoid legal responsibility is itself nothing short of a crime.” Morua has made mistakes, Genis admitted, but is “done making mistakes and will make things right.” In late December, Dies’s family announced they intended to file a wrongful-death lawsuit with the House of Representatives. Dies’s father, Matt, who attended the hearing with a number of supporters, said only time will tell if Morua’s promise to take responsibility is carried out. “It’s trite but true,” he said, “but — Tyler Hayden actions speak louder than words.”
PAU L WELLM AN
The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office will soon be getting a $38.9 million grant it applied for in October 2013, according to an announcement Thursday by the California Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC). The Sheriff’s Office — which had to get the board of supervisors’ go-ahead to apply for the funding — pushed for the money so it could include a new 52,208-square-foot, 228-bed wing that will be devoted to recidivism-reducing programs into plans for the proposed North County Jail. The money comes from a state bill, SB 1022, that puts bond sales toward jails that implement such programs. The total funding pot was $500 million, with $160 million of that reserved for 14 counties, including Santa Barbara, that are classified as medium-sized. The $38.9 million award for the new wing — to be called the Sheriff’s Transition and Reentry (STAR) Complex — will come in addition to the $80 million in state funds already allocated for the construction of the North County Jail, which is expected to be completed in 2018. Sheriff Bill Brown has said that the $80 million is no longer sufficient to cover additional costs brought by AB 109, the state law passed in 2011 that transferred the responsibility of certain inmates from the state to the counties. Since AB 109 began, Brown has said, the population of the Main Jail — located in South County, on Calle Real — has increased by 11 percent, with half of the inmates there because of AB 109. Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Kelly Hoover said the department still has to receive official written notification from the BSCC, as well as formal acceptance of the award from the supervisors. In authorizing the Sheriff’s Office to apply for the grant in October, the supervisors also agreed to the award’s stipulation that the county provide a 10 percent match. The board said at the time that until or unless a different funding source is determined, the county’s $3.9 million match will come out of its $29 million rainy-day fund. Hoover added that the Sheriff’s Office is still in the process of open recruitment for — Lyz Hoffman custody deputies; open recruitment ends on January 30.