Lakeport >> At long last, after more than three years of fits and starts, the Hell”s Angels trial that began with a fight in a casino is picking up steam as it heads toward trial.
Wednesday and Thursday Judge Michael Lunas heard arguments for each side”s motions in limine, or motions that request certain information and evidence be excluded from the trial. He has yet to make any rulings on either side”s motions, however.
During the hearings, Sheriff Frank Rivero, detective John Gregor and Glenn Greer, a video technician employed by a gaming commission, also testified.
Attorney Michael Clough, representing Hell”s Angels member Nicholas Carrillo, said the hearings turned into a mini-version of the trial as the court viewed 28 clips from video footage of the fight, provided by the prosecution.
The incident from which the charges stem from occurred in June 2011 at the Konocti Vista Casino, when three Hell”s Angels member became engaged in a fight with a Vagos Motorcycle Club member. The case seeks to determine who picked the fight and if the Hell”s Angels members involvement constituted a planned attack.
Video footage had been obtained by Rivero following the incident, but only some of the footage from a few of the cameras was selected, Clough asserts. According to Clough, the 28 clips constitute only 3 minutes of the 6 minutes that the Vagos member was in the casino.
Clough also said the testimonies given by Rivero, Gregor and Greer conflicted.
According to Clough, Greer asserts he came into work two days after the altercation and the videos the prosecution now has had already been bookmarked by someone else, though he did not know who was responsible. At Rivero”s request he copied the video clips onto a CD and turned it over to the sheriff. Rivero also asked for a second CD with still frames of those involved in the fight and, he alleges, also asked Greer to include other pieces of footage.
Greer said that Rivero never asked him for additional footage, while Gregor denied that the second CD ever contained additional footage, but only the still frames.
In addition, the defense council has subpoenaed the casino to receive information on the number and location of other security cameras within the casino. However, citing sovereign immunity, the casino has allegedly refused to supply the information.
On Wednesday, the court will be busy hearing the casino”s request for immunity, finishing its hearing on the motions in limine and beginning jury selection.
Because of the politics involved in the case, which has already seen four judges recuse themselves from its proceedings, the jury selection is anticipated to take up to two weeks and the jury is expected to begin hearing arguments Nov. 19, Clough said.
