Amarillas Lawsuit Dismissed, Plaintiffs Asked to Pay Fees
Amarillas Lawsuit Dismissed, Plaintiffs Asked to Pay Fees
Hollister – Judge Harry Tobias has ruled against homeowner Arthur Amarillas and family in their lawsuit against the Oak Creek Neighborhood Watch Committee.
Tobias also ordered Amarillas to pay the defendants’ attorney fees of $22,100 and court costs of $2,320.
Amarillas sued the committee in June, after he received a letter from the group threatening that he would be reported to local, state and federal authorities if he didn’t remove a black nylon fence that he had erected around the property.
Amarillas said the group’s letter violated his civil rights.
However, Tobias granted a motion from attorney Bill Marder – who represents the homeowners who were sued by Amarillas – to dismiss the lawsuit because it arose from the defendants’ exercise of their rights of free speech and petition.
Supes Approve Funds For Patrol Car Video Systems
Hollister – The Board of Supervisors has authorized San Benito County Sheriff Curtis Hill to purchase in-car video systems that will record activity both inside and outside four patrol vehicles.
The cameras will be installed in the vehicles’ rear-view mirrors and should cost a total of $17,990.
The money, Hill said, will come from marijuana eradication accounts that were originally established with federal money.
Hill said his office has already installed the system in its South County truck.
Over the next few years, the department will pursue the funding needed to install cameras in all patrol vehicles.
“It’s really important as far as officer safety,” Hill said.
