Whipped Cream Difficulties

I was out of pocket for much of the day Tuesday, which is why I didn’t update. Oddly, there seems to be a gap in the trial coverage on the LAT site: if anything did happen Tuesday, the paper didn’t report it.

As far as yesterday’s testimony: indicted former councilman George Mirabal was back on the stand.

“Did you specifically ask Mr. Lee, ‘Can I get this salary?’”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because he was in charge of maintaining surveillance on all these type of actions,” Mirabal said. “His firm was getting like $13,000 a month, the least he can do is look at all the resolutions and various ordinances.”

(Mr. Lee is Ed Lee, who was Bell’s city attorney.)

Also on the stand: Annette Peretz, Bell’s former director of community services. Her salary was $273,000 a year when she retired in 2010.

Attorneys have a saying: “Never ask a witness a question that you don’t know the answer to.” In that light, this exchange is…interesting.

The court received a jolt, though, when Deputy Dist. Atty. Edward Miller opened his cross-examination by asking: “Were you Robert Rizzo’s girlfriend?”

The judge ruled that Peretz did not have to answer that question, and Peretz also declined comment to reporters.

I can’t find a photo of Peretz, but as a reminder, this is Robert “Ratso” Rizzo:

Peretz also testified as, basically, a character witness for indicted council member Teresa Jacobo, saying “she often saw Jacobo meeting with residents at the community center and visiting senior housing facilities.”

Peretz, who took a $95,000 city loan from a program Rizzo developed, filed a lawsuit against Bell for retirement and medical benefits. A judge ruled for the city earlier this month. Rizzo is charged with illegally loaning out city money.

Also testifying as witnesses for Jacobo: two of her daughters, and “a woman who lives in one of Bell’s mobile home parks”:

Candalaria Ramirez said Jacobo was a trusted, frequent visitor who responded to residents and was instrumental in firing the management company that residents had complained was mistreating seniors and had racist employees.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 14th, 2013 at 9:07 am and is filed under California Über Alles, Clippings, Law. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.