LAKEPORT >> The defendant in the first case brought to court by the Lake County District Attorney’s new Perjury Investigation Unit pleaded not guilty to all charges during an Entry of Plea hearing.
Merissa Leigh James is charged with Perjury, Two Counts of Preparing False Evidence and a Violation of Probation which involves Obtaining a Controlled Substance By Fraud with a conviction on Aug. 25, 2014.
The charges stem from James allegedly submitting fraudulent documents to the court in an earlier case, according to District Attorney Don Anderson. The prosecution argued that James modified or created false probation report forms and testified to the validity of the reports, leading to perjury charges.
Judge Michael Lunas presided over both the Entry of Plea and Setting Hearing and the Violation of Probation sentencing setting with Deputy District Attorney Daniel Flesch present in court.
Defense Attorney David Markham requested the matter be continued for Disposition or Setting of Jury Trial on Oct. 18, 2016 at 3 p.m. in Department One. The defendant is ordered to be present.
