CLEARLAKE — After a morning of deliberation, the jury in the case of the People vs. Richard Erickson reached a not guilty verdict.
They found Erickson innocent of felony charges brought by the Lake County District Attorney”s Office of misappropriating government funds, making a terrorist threat and violating a restraining order obtained on behalf of former Lakeport resident Josephina Cerda.
Erickson”s affair with Cerda raised concerns about how much time he spent with her on the taxpayers” dollar, as he testified to carrying on their relationship both on and off-duty.
Cerda”s 2006 statement to District Attorney Investigator John Flynn pointed to two incidents in which Cerda said Erickson”s behavior had frightened her. On one such occasion, Cerda said Erickson had threatened to bury her under a hill.
She later testified that the statement was part of a joking banter between the two, and that she”d never been afraid of Erickson.
A statement Cerda gave to private investigator Cecil Brown was introduced in part to the court, and included statements to the effect that she had never wanted the restraining order. Flynn later testified that he”d seen that statement, and that it was for the most part consistent with the statement he”d obtained from Cerda when he began investigating Erickson in 2006.
Flynn also testified that Cerda had re-confirmed her statement in an interview later in 2006.
One count of simple battery was dropped by prosecuting Deputy D.A. Rachel Abelson at the beginning of the trial, before evidence was introduced. Erickson was found not guilty mid-trial of a stalking charge.
Erickson also testified that it was commonly accepted practice for Lakeport police officers to regularly patrol outside of city limits. Supervising officers testified that such trips outside the city were on an as-needed basis, and were not routine.
Erickson also addressed allegations that he”d spent time at his Miramonte Avenue home, outside city limits, saying on the stand that he”d observed several officers, including supervisors, spending extended amounts of time on the Internet, planning vacations and conducting other personal business. Erickson maintained that he”d spent an average of 20 minutes at a time with Cerda while on duty.
Former Lakeport City Council member Shirleen DeRezendes came to testify on Erickson”s behalf, saying there was no policy against the kind of time Erickson said he spent both with Cerda and with other women with whom he admitted to having affairs.
A count of simple battery stemming from an incident with Cerda in which she told District Attorney investigator John Flynn that Erickson shoved her up against his car was dropped immediately following jury selection and before evidence was introduced, according to prosecuting Deputy District Attorney Rachel Abelson.
Erickson was found not guilty of a stalking charge last week. The charge alleged that Erickson”s attentions to Cerda included keeping tabs on her whereabouts, and were unwelcome.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
