Just two days after the District Attorney’s Office dropped four
felony charges against Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz, the embattled
supervisor was served with a subpoena to testify in front of the
criminal Grand Jury next month.
Hollister – Just two days after the District Attorney’s Office dropped four felony charges against Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz, the embattled supervisor was served with a subpoena to testify in front of the criminal Grand Jury next month.
De La Cruz was served with a subpoena Thursday informing him he must appear as a witness, not a suspect, in a Grand Jury investigation. It didn’t detail what he would be testifying about, he said.
District Attorney John Sarsfield wouldn’t comment on why De La Cruz was subpoenaed or if any other county supervisors would be requested to testify. However, Sarsfield initiated a criminal Grand Jury investigation into lawyer Mike Pekin and the Los Valientes lawsuit about a month ago. He recently said it’s his mission to discover the identities of members of Los Valientes – the anonymous group of individuals behind the suit that has morphed into the Juan Monteon suit and alleges corruption by former Supervisor Richard Scagliotti.
De La Cruz also refused to comment on the matter except to say he believes it’s a waste of taxpayer money.
“Enough is enough,” he said. “I wish this was all over.”
The Board of Supervisors recently allocated $10,000 to pay for a lawyer to be present any time Supervisor Reb Monaco meets with the District Attorney’s Office concerning the Grand Jury proceeding into Pekin and Los Valientes. Monaco was questioned last week by Special Deputy District Attorney John Picone and later asked that the Board retain an attorney for him because he said there was a risk he could be subpoenaed.
Picone requested De La Cruz answer some questions from the Grand Jury, but wouldn’t say what they are or why De La Cruz was selected.
De La Cruz retained lawyer Arthur Cantu to represent him in the matter. Cantu also represented De La Cruz in his criminal case. He and Sarsfield worked out a plea bargain on Tuesday where De La Cruz pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor charge of obstructing or delaying a police officer. As part of the deal, if De La Cruz completes 40 hours of community service the charge will be erased from his record in a year and he will keep his Board seat.
Cantu said he asked Sarsfield Thursday what matter De La Cruz would be testifying to, and he didn’t get an answer.
“I asked Mr. Sarsfield in person, face to face, what is this about, and he didn’t know,” Cantu said. “This is about spending more money, wasting taxpayer time and interfering with elected officials and the new board. It’s a level of disruption and distraction to the community.”
De La Cruz is scheduled to testify before the Grand Jury between Feb. 18 to Feb. 22.
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected]
