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Donald Trump pleads not guilty Former president arraigned in court; Trump’s supporters gather in Goleta By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE SENIOR REPORTER
WHITE HOUSE PHOTO
Donald Trump
(The Center Square) — Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 34 felony counts related to charges he paid hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels through a lawyer seven years ago and covered it up as a legal expense before being elected president. Mr. Trump offered his “not guilty” plea during his arraignment before Judge Juan Merchan in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York. A few hours after Mr. Trump went into the court, approximately 30 people gathered late Tuesday afternoon
at Storke Road and Hollister Avenue in Goleta with flags in support of Mr. Trump. Motorists honked in agreement and disagreement with them. The News-Press will publish a full story on the pro-Trump rally in Thursday’s edition. After his arraignment, Mr. Trump posted on TruthSocial, “Just lifted off for Palm Beach, Florida. Will be delivering remarks tonight at Mar-a-Lago at 8:15 P.M., EASTERN. The hearing was shocking to many in that they had no ‘surprises,’ and therefore, no case. Virtually every legal pundit has said that there is no case here. There was nothing done illegally!” On Tuesday evening at Mar-a-
Lago, Mr. Trump walked into a ballroom to the song “Proud to be an American.” “U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A!” the crowd chanted. “God bless you all. I never thought anything like this could happen in America,” Mr. Trump told the audience during a speech that lasted nearly half an hour. He said the case against him was designed to interfere with the 2024 election. Before the arraignment on Tuesday, Mr. Trump surrendered to New York police after a grand jury voted to indict him last week, marking the first time a current or former president has been charged with a crime. Mr. Trump also is the frontrunner
for the 2024 Republican nomination for president. Videos showed Mr. Trump wearing a red tie escorted by Secret Service to the courthouse to turn himself in to authorities, where he was processed before his arraignment. “Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse,” he posted to TruthSocial on his way to the courtroom. “Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!” The indictment, which had remained sealed since it was handed down last week, was unsealed after Tuesday’s arraignment. It alleges Trump
Mixed results for parklets
falsified business records related to the hush money scheme. Critics blasted the indictment, saying the case is weak. “I’ve reviewed the Trump indictment,” Tom Fitton, president of the right-leaning group, Judicial Watch, wrote on Twitter. “There’s nothing there. Trump and the American people have been abused.” Mr. Trump, who denies the charges, also posted a series of urgent messages blasting Democrats and New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg. “THE RADICAL LEFT DEMOCRATS HAVE Please see TRUMP on A4
Homeless woman appears in court
Some restaurants fail to comply with rules; others make required changes
Case involving Rudy’s restaurant is continued to later this month By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
The M. Special brewery on State Street in downtown Santa Barbara recently simplified its parklet design. Restaurants have modified their parklets to meet city requirements.
By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Some Santa Barbara restaurateurs continue to defy the city’s months-old requirements to ensure their dining parklets are accessible to people with disabilities, allow for stormwater runoff and adhere to new design standards. And city staffers remain determined to make sure they comply through inspections, imposition of citations and fines
and if necessary, removal of the outdoor facilities, either on their own or by the city. Currently there are 92 parklets throughout the city, according to Meghan Salas, the parking programs supervisor. Of these, 22 — more than a fourth — remain out of compliance with ADArequirements, Ms. Salas said. The city’s deadline for compliance was Dec. 1. Only two parklets have not been modified to ensure that
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stormwater can flow alongside or underneath them, she said. “But one may have been brought into compliance and needs to be re-inspected.” The city’s deadline for stormwater compliance was Dec. 1, too. Since then, the city has endured a series of winter storms, including the huge storm in January that dumped several inches of rain. Staffers, however, reported only minor flooding onto sidewalks. The design requirements,
supposed to be in place Feb. 1, apply only to State Street. “We’ve issued eight notices of violation for more significant issues, but we expect to see the minor issues resolved as businesses submit applications for license agreements (required by May 1),” Ms. Salas said. “Businesses on the promenade that don’t meet all design/ stormwater/accessibility requirements by the end of May will be issued removal notices,” Please see PARKLETS on A4
A homeless woman appeared in court Monday for further arraignment on charges that she stole a cell phone from a witness who saw her standing outside an upper State Street restaurant moments after someone threw a rock that smashed the eatery’s front window Nelly Gackowska, 60, is charged with second-degree robbery and grand theft from a person, both felonies, in connection with the Christmas Eve incident outside Rudy’s Mexican restaurant, 3613 State St., Santa Barbara. A trial date was not set Monday, nor a pretrial readiness/settlement conference. Instead, the case was continued to later this month, Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth Branch said. “The defendant appeared in court yesterday. and the case was continued to 4/24 for further arraignment on the Information (formerly the complaint),” the prosecutor said Tuesday. The defendant pleaded not guilty at her initial arraignment. But after a judge ruled that she should stand trial after her preliminary hearing, Ms. Gackowska was given a second chance to plead not guilty or guilty at a second arraignment. She could receive a maximum sentence of five years in prison if she stands trial and is convicted. The defendant represented herself at her preliminary hearing, but a public defender was appointed to represent her at her new arraignment. The witness, Rebecca Brand, saw the front window of Rudy’s restaurant shatter before her eyes. She contends that Ms. Gackowska forcibly took her cell phone from her moments later because she took pictures
REBECCA BRAND PHOTO
Nelly Gackowska of the defendant at the scene, and because she was calling 9-1-1 to report the incident. Ms. Brand said the defendant injured her by repeatedly slamming her cell phone against her hip while trying to pry it from Ms. Brand’s hand, and that the alleged attack left her with a large bruise. However, Ms. Brand never actually saw who threw the rock that broke the window, and prosecutors have declined to charge the defendant with that offense despite Rudy’s willingness to press charges. “We don’t have enough evidence to prove a vandalism (incident) beyond a reasonable doubt, so that charge has not been filed for the broken window,” Ms. Branch said. email: nhartsteinnewspress@ gmail.com
INSIDE
L O T T E RY RESULTS
Classified................. B4 Life...................... B1-2 Obituaries............... A4
Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 2-9-11-13-46 Meganumber: 9
Tuesday’s DAILY 4: 3-4-6-5
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: N/A Meganumber: N/A
Tuesday’s FANTASY 5: 1-9-18-23-30
Tuesday’s DAILY DERBY: 09-06-07 Time: 1:49.79
Monday’s POWERBALL: 16-30-31-54-68 Meganumber: 1
Sudoku................... B3 Sports . .................... A3 Weather................. A4
Tuesday’s DAILY 3: 9-0-7 / Wednesday’s Midday 6-2-5