Wednesday, March 26, 2014 – 10:45 a.m.
A lawyer for two members of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, convicted in a Murder-for-Hire scheme, is now trying to get a civil case moved.
Court records show Joseph Arias, the lawyer for Stacy Barajas Nunez, and Erik Barajas, has filed a motion for change of venue in the punitive damages phase of a civil case filed by Plaintiff Leonard Epps.
A civil jury has already awarded Epps $4.5 million in compensatory damages. Now another jury must consider whether or not Epps is entitled to punitive damages, which could be a multiple of the compensatory amount already awarded.
Epps, a former manager of the Brass Key, a local bar, was targeted in a Mexican Mafia Murder-for-Hire plot, which led to the convictions of the two Tribal Members.
District Attorney Michael A. Ramos actually allowed the two to be sentenced to probation, instead of state prison terms, for their 2008 convictions. Barajas Nunez eventually went on to serve prison time for violating her probation.
Since 2008, Ramos has accepted more than $67,000 in campaign contributions from the San Manuel’s.
Court records also show the defendants have been refusing to turn over financial records to Epps’ attorney, Frank Peterson.
The case, which was set to commence trial on April 1, is now set for a Trial Setting Conference on April 9.
“District Attorney Michael A. Ramos actually allowed the two to be sentenced to PROBATION, instead of state prison terms, for their 2008 convictions.”
STEELY DAN
“Do It Again”
In the mornin you go gunnin’
For the man who stole your water
And you fire till he is done in
But they catch you at the border
And the mourners are all singin’
As they drag you by your feet
>>>>> But the hangman isn’t hangin’
>>>>> And they put you on the street
You go back Jack do it again
Wheel turnin’ ’round and ’round
You go back Jack do it again
San manuel band of mexican mafia indians? Is that what it is called?
I wonder if we will see an article about this in The Sun or Press Enterprise.
My guess: absolutely not; they are too busy covering more important news, like Grover Merritt’s campaign statement not disclosing that he was a “past” president.
Grover merritt , the man that should be our next DA.
#2 Mr. Holtz, I took note a while back for reasons I won’t go into that you have a facebook account. Since you keep records of events I sent you a message with an attachment you or someone else might find some use for in the future, and if it is of no use to anyone, it wraps up a situation you are aware of. I don’t know if you got it because I know facebook puts messages from people not on your list in a folder called “other”. So, look for it if you never received it. And if you did get it, thank you and I am sorry to bother you.
@6 if what you sent goes to anything that is being discussed here and for sure proves an issue please feel free to send it to the administrator of this site. I will look for it. Thank you.