Wendy Leung, Staff Writer
Created: 07/28/2010 10:28:23 PM PDT

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – The former city manager of Bell, who stepped down last week after news reports unveiled his unusually high salary of more than $787,000, got his start in Rancho Cucamonga, where he rose through the ranks in eight years to become assistant city manager.

Robert Rizzo, 56, possibly the highest-paid city manager in the nation, was hired by Rancho Cucamonga as an administrative aide in 1980 and later became an administrative analyst and an assistant to the city manager before becoming an assistant city manager.

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Gutierrez

Wendy Leung, Staff Writer
Created: 07/27/2010 03:49:10 PM PDT

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – Last Thursday, Councilman Rex Gutierrez mulled a mayoral run, pulling papers just before City Hall closed for a three-day weekend.

On Monday, he changed his mind.

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Lori Consalvo, Staff Writer
Created: 07/18/2010 02:16:01 PM PDT

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – A search warrant was served at a bail bond business after sheriff’s deputies received word that bail agents were violating solicitation rules.

San Bernardino County sheriff’s detectives and investigators from the Department of Insurance served a search warrant Thursday at Bail Hotline Bail Bonds, 8821 Etiwanda Ave.

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Point of View

Richard Grenell
Created: 07/08/2010 07:52:54 PM PDT

In the aftermath of the announcement that District Attorney Mike Ramos’ team failed miserably to prove that Rex Gutierrez participated in a conspiracy or lied on his time card, there was one little-noticed comment that stood out.

Assistant District Attorney Jim Hackleman, Mike Ramos’ appointed hatchet man, accidentally confirmed a suspicion many San Bernardino County residents had suspected for many months. Hackleman was asked by the media if the DA’s Office would seek a re-trial of their failed and costly conspiracy case and his comments were very telling. Hackleman proved just who was driving this wild political investigation when he said, “We’re going to sit down with our partners in the Attorney General’s office and will thoroughly review and refine our case with them.”

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Rex Gutierrez

08:44 AM PDT on Thursday, July 8, 2010

By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise

Former San Bernardino County assessor’s official Rex Gutierrez will be retried starting Aug. 30 on corruption charges.

Superior Court Judge Duke Rouse scheduled the new trial at a brief hearing Wednesday. A pre-trial conference will be held Aug 6.

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Gutierrez

A new trial date has been set for Rancho Cucamonga City Councilman and former Assessor employee Rex Gutierrez.

During a status conference yesterday, Superior Court Judge Duke Rouse set a pre-trial hearing for August 6th and a new jury trial for August 30th.

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Officials watch Sacramento for more takeaways
Wendy Leung, Staff Writer
Created: 07/05/2010 09:00:19 PM PDT

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – Three weeks after the city passed a $91.8 million budget, city leaders approved a number of measures to address recent budgetary changes, which include a $1.4 million hit due to the outcome of the San Bernardino County sheriff’s contract negotiations.

Last week, the City Council approved the allocation of $150,000 in law enforcement reserves to facilitate schedule changes proposed by the Sheriff’s Department. City leaders also directed staff members to draft a contingency plan to prepare for possible loss of redevelopment funds and to strengthen funding for employees pension reserves.

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Gutierrez

Jurors’ remarks provide encouragement
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 07/03/2010 09:50:18 PM PDT

Prosecutors say they are not deterred by their failure to convict Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez and are convinced they’ll do better the second time around.

Assistant District Attorney Jim Hackleman said prosecutors had a chance to talk to jurors following the mistrial that was declared Wednesday in the two-week trial of Gutierrez, 50, who is charged with two felony counts of grand theft and one felony count of filing a false claim.

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10:00 PM PDT on Thursday, July 1, 2010

By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise

San Bernardino County prosecutors didn’t have any second thoughts about retrying a corruption case that ended in a mistrial, a district attorney’s official said Thursday.

Prosecutors made the announcement only minutes after Superior Court Judge Duke Rouse declared a mistrial in the criminal case against Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez. The state attorney general’s office, co-prosecuting the case, joined a statement supporting the decision.

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Rex Gutierrez

Wendy Leung, Staff Writer
Created: 07/01/2010 04:37:59 PM PDT

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – Feeling optimistic and vindicated, Councilman Rex Gutierrez on Thursday announced he will seek re-election to the City Council in November.

A San Bernardino Superior Court jury on Wednesday failed to reach a verdict on Gutierrez’s criminal trial, leading Judge Duke Rouse to declare a mistrial. The outcome spelled relief for the embattled councilman, who was confident enough to announce his wish to remain on the City Council.

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Gutierrez

10:21 PM PDT on Wednesday, June 30, 2010

By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise

A San Bernardino County Superior Court judge declared a mistrial Wednesday in the criminal corruption case against Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez after a jury deadlocked on a verdict.

In a brief comment as he left the courtroom, Deputy District Attorney John Goritz said the office plans to retry Gutierrez.

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June 30, 2010 5:49 PM

SAN BERNARDINO • Judge Duke D. Rouse declared a mistrial Wednesday in the corruption case of Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez, who’s accused of defrauding taxpayers while working in the San Bernardino County Assessor’s office under Bill Postmus.

Prosecutors argued Gutierrez, 50, worked on Rancho Cucamonga matters on county time and filed false time cards during his 22 months as intergovernmental relations officer in the Assessor’s office. He faced two felony counts of grand theft of more than $400 and one felony count of filing a false claim.

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Aleman

Breaking news here. The jury in the Rex Gutierrez trial didn’t believe key prosecution witness Adam Aleman.

Wow, no kidding.

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Gutierrez

Joe Nelson and Mike Cruz, Staff Writers
Posted: 06/30/2010 04:06:38 PM PDT

A mistrial has been declared in the trial of Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez.

The 11-woman, one-man jury voted 7-5 and 8-4 in favor of convictions on Gutierrez’s two felony charges of grand theft and 9-3 in favor of conviction on one felony count of filing a false claim.

Jurors began deliberations on Monday.

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The jury in the trial of Rancho Cucamonga city councilman and former Assessor employee Rex Gutierrez announced it was at an impasse Wednesday afternoon.

Superior Court Judge Duke D. Rouse declared a mistrial and sent the jury home after being informed a unanimous verdict could not be reached.

The jury, consisting of 11 women and 1 man, could not reach a verdict on any of the felony charges, consisting of two counts of grand theft and one count of filing a false claim.

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The jury in the Rex Gutierrez case will commence their third day of deliberations at 9:30 a.m.

Expect a verdict if there is going to be one. After today the probability of a mistrial increases.

Stay tuned.

Another interesting aspect of today’s deliberations in the Rex Gutierrez trial was the request for testimony read-back by the jury.

The jury requested the court reporter read-back testimony of the defendant.

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***This post was updated and revised late Tuesday night after the receipt of clarification on the jury’s inquiry. A completely different line of inquiry occurred than that originally published***

The jury deliberating the fate of Rancho Cucamonga city councilman and former Assessor employee Rex Gutierrez ended its first full day of deliberations with no verdict and a couple questions for the court and attorneys.

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Jury deliberations to determine the fate of Rancho Cucamonga city councilman and former Assessor employee Rex Gutierrez has reconvened.

Gutierrez faces three felony charges related to alleged time card fraud during his employment under former Assessor Bill Postmus.

Rex Gutierrez

10:27 PM PDT on Monday, June 28, 2010

By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise

The first case to go to trial in a corruption investigation against five San Bernardino County officials went to the jury Monday.

In his closing arguments before a packed courtroom, defense attorney James Reiss called his client Rex Gutierrez a pawn in prosecutors’ attempts to go after an influential developer.

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Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 06/28/2010 08:25:01 PM PDT

Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez, while employed at the San Bernardino County Assessor’s Office, honestly documented his activities, deceived no one and became a political pawn in a corruption probe by state and local prosecutors, his attorney argued Monday.

During an emphatic closing argument in San Bernardino Superior Court, defense attorney James Reiss decried prosecutors’ allegations that Gutierrez conspired with Rancho Cucamonga developer Jeff Burum and former Assessor Bill Postmus in taking a job at the county office while performing work in his capacity as a councilman.

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It was the defense’s turn this morning in San Bernardino County Superior Court in the trial of Rancho Cucamonga city councilman and former Assessor employee Rex Gutierrez.

Gutierrez is facing three felony counts related to alleged time card fraud while working for Assessor Bill Postmus.

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Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 06/27/2010 09:52:30 PM PDT

After seven days of testimony, the trial of Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez approached its end Thursday with prosecutor John Goritz delivering his closing argument.

Defense attorney James Reiss delivers his closing argument today in San Bernardino Superior Court.

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Gutierrez

10:00 PM PDT on Thursday, June 24, 2010

By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise

Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez defrauded San Bernardino County taxpayers as part of a “culture of corruption” at the assessor’s office, a prosecutor charged Thursday in his closing argument.

Deputy District Attorney John Goritz told the jury there was overwhelming evidence of a conspiracy that allowed Gutierrez to get his position as intergovernmental relations officer at the assessor’s office through a political favor yet avoid any discipline for failing to do much work.

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Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Created: 06/24/2010 07:30:48 PM PDT

Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez knowingly falsified time records and was paid for hours not worked in the county Assessor’s Office, and should therefore be convicted of grand theft, a prosecutor said Thursday in San Bernardino Superior Court.

“The evidence shows, well beyond a reasonable doubt, that the defendant lied on his time cards and didn’t show up for work regularly,” prosecutor John Goritz said during his closing argument Thursday in Gutierrez’s trial. “You can decide this case based on that alone.”

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June 24, 2010 1:45 PM
Natasha Lindstrom

SAN BERNARDINO • As arguments wrap up in the first jury trial in a far-reaching county corruption probe, a judge on Thursday dropped one of four felony counts against an executive staff member of former San Bernardino County Assessor Bill Postmus.

Defendant Rex Gutierrez, also a Rancho Cucamonga councilman, is accused of defrauding taxpayers by working on personal or Rancho Cucamonga matters on county time and falsifying time cards, during his service as intergovernmental relations officer under Postmus.

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Closing arguments began this afternoon in the case involving Rancho Cucamonga city councilman and former Assessor employee Rex Gutierrez.

Gutierrez is now charged with only three felonies related to his employment under former Assessor Bill Postmus, after Superior Court Judge Duke D. Rouse acquitted him of Embezzlement by a Public Officer, count number three of the complaint. The Embezzlement charge dismissal is a blow to the prosecution. The embezzlement charge is what is referred to as a “general intent” crime with a lower threshold to prove guilt.

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This morning Superior Court Judge Duke D. Rouse dismissed one felony count against Rancho Cuamonga City Councilman and former Assessor employee Rex Gutierrez,

During preparation of jury instructions defense attorney Jim Reiss made a motion to dismiss count three of the complaint for Embezzlement by a Public Officer (Penal Code Section 424). Reiss argued Gutierrez’s duties and responsibilities did not subject him to penalty under the law.

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Gutierrez

Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 06/23/2010 06:42:31 PM PDT

Defense attorney James Reiss rested his case Wednesday in San Bernardino Superior court following testimony from four character witnesses in the trial of Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez.

Each of the character witnesses described the Gutierrez as an “honest man.”

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10:00 PM PDT on Wednesday, June 23, 2010

By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise

A San Bernardino County prosecutor hammered at the credibility of Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez on Wednesday as the former county assessor’s official continued his second day on the witness stand.

The testimony came as the prosecution and defense called their last witnesses in the sixth day of the corruption trial. Closing arguments are scheduled for today.

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Wednesday, June 23, 2020 – 3:45 P.M.

Testimony in the trial of Rex Gutierrez ended this afternoon following the conclusion of Gutierrez’s testimony and that of four character witnesses for the defense and two rebuttal witnesses for the prosecution.

Deputy Attorney General Melissa Mandel finally entered the picture. Mandel cross-examined at least two of the four character witnesses. Mandel’s demeanor came across less than hospitable considering the witnesses had nothing to do with the situation.

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Wednesday, June 23, 2010 – 1:25 P.M.

This morning it was more of the same at the trial of Rancho Cucamonga city councilman and former Assessor employee Rex Gutierrez. Things picked up right where they left off.

Gutierrez took the witness stand again and was subjected to further berating by Deputy District Attorney John Goritz. Goritz can’t help but raise his voice.

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Rex Gutierrez

10:00 PM PDT on Tuesday, June 22, 2010

By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise

Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez denied allegations Tuesday that his former job at the San Bernardino County assessor’s office was a sham.

On the fifth day of testimony in his corruption trial, the defendant countered other witnesses who said he got the job as an intergovernmental relations officer as a favor through influential Rancho Cucamonga developer Jeff Burum, and that he did little actual work.

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Rex Gutierrez

Gutierrez rejects Burum link to job
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 06/22/2010 08:08:23 PM PDT

Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez took the witness stand Tuesday in his own defense, denying allegations that his nearly two-year employment in the San Bernardino County Assessor’s Office was political in nature and influenced by developer Jeff Burum.

Defense attorney James Reiss began presenting his case Tuesday in San Bernardino Superior Court in the trial of Gutierrez, 50, who is charged with felony grand theft, misappropriation of public funds and filing a false claim.

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Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Rancho Cucamonga city councilman Rex Gutierrez testified today in his own defense.

Attorney Jim Reiss questioned Gutierrez about his background, namely his work history. In addition to his background history Gutierrez went over the process by which the city of Rancho Cucamonga and National CORE partner up. Defense attorney Reiss questioned Gutierrez about his lengthy relationship with developer Jeff Burum, that began around 1992. Throughout this relationship Burum and himself would keep in contact on a consistent basis, Gutierrez said.

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Rancho Cucamonga City Councilman and former Assessor employee Rex Gutierrez has taken the stand in his own defense this morning.

Gutierrez faces four felony counts related to allegations of time card fraud and a conspiracy to give him employment.

Monday, June 21, 2010

This mornings events at the trial of Rancho Cucamonga City councilman and former Assessor employee Rex Gutierrez had the atmosphere of watching paint dry, until the lead District Attorney investigator on the case was questioned by defense attorney Jim Reiss.

Gutierrez is charged with four felonies related to alleged time card fraud and prosecution claims that his hiring by former Assessor Bill Postmus was a conspiracy orchestrated by Rancho Cucamonga developer Jeff Burum.

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Gutierrez

10:00 PM PDT on Monday, June 21, 2010

By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise

Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez and developer Jeff Burum exchanged seven phone calls while the City Council was hearing pitches from rival developers hoping to build on a 1,200-acre parcel, a district attorney’s investigator testified Monday.

Schyler Beaty, a senior investigator, said telephone records show the calls took place March 2, 2009. They occurred between presentations from different companies presenting plans for the highly sought-after surplus San Bernardino County land located in Rancho Cucamonga.

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Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 06/21/2010 06:55:33 PM PDT

Three days after his job at the San Bernardino County Assessor’s Office was eliminated, Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez asked developer Jeff Burum to persuade then-Assessor Bill Postmus to extend his pay until he found another job.

State and local prosecutors on Monday introduced as evidence in Gutierrez’s trial an e-mail the councilman sent to Burum on Oct. 10, 2008 – three days after the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors eliminated Gutierrez’s position as intergovernmental relations officer at the Assessor’s Office.

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www.iepolitics.com

Written by Administrator
June 20th, 2010 at 4:26 pm

This past week San Bernardino County Deputy District Attorney John Goritz and state of California Deputy Attorney General Melissa Mandel unveiled their “conspiracy theory” in the trial of former Assessor’s Office employee Rex Gutierrez. In addition to having worked for the county, Gutierrez also is an elected member of the city of Rancho Cucamonga City Council. Gutierrez is accused of conducting city of Rancho Cucamonga business on county time.

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Gutierrez

Councilman’s work at issue

Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Created: 06/19/2010 10:06:49 PM PDT

Prosecutors and a defense attorney battled it out last week in San Bernardino Superior Court in the criminal trial of Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez.

Prosecutors allege Gutierrez, 50, was hired at the county Assessor’s Office as a political favor to Rancho Cucamonga developer Jeff Burum and that Gutierrez spent county time furthering his political career.

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Next week the attorney for Rex Gutierrez is expected to begin presenting his defense to what is now being reported as a bored-looking jury.

The big question is who from the county government center will get a subpoena slapped in their hand?

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You can usually tell a newspaper and their agenda when you contrast and compare stories by two reporters for two different newspapers, who are sitting in the same room.

This is part two in a series covering the disparity in reporting by The Sun / Inland Valley Daily Bulletin Newspaper. The papers are a part of the Los Angeles News Group, which is a subsidiary of MediaNews Group.

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Gutierrez

11:45 PM PDT on Thursday, June 17, 2010

By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise

Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez’s role in city decisions involving an influential developer were the subject of debate Thursday, the third day of testimony in the San Bernardino County corruption trial.

Two of Gutierrez’s colleagues on the council faced lengthy questioning from attorneys about city negotiations over projects with companies connected to Rancho Cucamonga developer Jeff Burum.

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Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 06/17/2010 07:38:44 PM PDT

SAN BERNARDINO – Rancho Cucamonga City Councilman Rex Gutierrez was paid thousands of dollars for work never performed between May and October 2007 at the San Bernardino County Assessor’s Office, according to court testimony Thursday.

Gutierrez indicated on time sheets that he either worked a full eight hours at the Assessor’s Office or took paid sick leave for days he spent attending meetings, conferences in California and Nevada, and other events in his capacity as a councilman.

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Six San Bernardino County high schools made Newsweeks’s 2010 list of America’s Best High Schools.

The magazine ranks the country’s top 1,600 high schools. (6% of the total)

San Bernardino County schools making the cut are:

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Aleman

10:00 PM PDT on Tuesday, June 15, 2010

By RICHARD K. DE ATLEY
The Press-Enterprise

The credibility of the prosecution’s star witness in its corruption case against former members of the San Bernardino County assessor’s office was attacked in court Tuesday after he testified about how a Rancho Cucamonga city councilman was hired as a favor for a developer.

Former assistant assessor Adam Aleman said the councilman, Rex Gutierrez, was made an intergovernmental affairs officer in 2007 by then-San Bernardino County Assessor Bill Postmus.

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Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 06/15/2010 09:27:00 PM PDT

Former San Bernardino County Assessor Bill Postmus refused to discipline a Rancho Cucamonga councilman who worked in his office because Postmus didn’t want to upset a prominent Rancho Cucamonga developer, according to court testimony Tuesday.

Instead, Postmus had his assistant assessor, Adam Aleman, produce a talking points memo regarding the work habits of Rex Gutierrez so Postmus could go over them with developer Jeff Burum, Aleman testified Tuesday in San Bernardino Superior Court on Day 2 of Gutierrez’s trial.

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Wendy Leung, Staff Writer
Created: 06/15/2010 04:58:13 PM PDT

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – With his hopes of joining the state Legislature dashed, Mayor Don Kurth said he is unsure of his plans in November, when he is up for re-election.

Despite being the highest fundraiser among seven candidates for the 63rd Assembly District primary, Kurth placed third on June 8, behind winner Mike Morrell and tea party ally Paul Chabot.

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The long-awaited trial of Rancho Cucamonga City Councilman and former Assessor employee Rex Gutierrez is set to begin today in San Bernardino County Superior Court.

The Gutierrez matter is the first in a series of cases involving alleged corruption brought forward by District Attorney Mike Ramos leading up to his reelection last week. Ramos avoided a run-off with two lesser-known candidates by a margin of 4 percent.

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Gutierrez

By Mike Cruz
Posted: 06/09/2010 03:58:55 PM PDT

Jury selection got underway this morning in the criminal trial for Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez in connection with alleged malfeasance at the county Assessor’s Office.

Two panels of potential jurors were on tap for the jury selection process before Judge Duke Rouse in San Bernardino Superior Court. Gutierrez, 50, sat next to his lawyer James Reiss at the counsel table as the jurors entered the courtroom.

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Yesterday’s pre-trial court hearing in the case against Rancho Cucamonga City Councilman and former Assessor’s employee Rex Gutierrez was interesting to say the least.

Between Friday and Monday’s proceedings you would have thought it was two different cases.

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Falling revenues force city cuts
Wendy Leung, Staff Writer
Created: 06/06/2010 07:03:29 AM PDT

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – City Hall employees will take a week of unpaid vacation this year as the city enters its third straight fiscal year of revenue decline.

The planned furlough – to effect about 350 full-time employees – along with attrition and a dip into the reserves, will help the city meet its fiscal challenges without affecting services to residents, Jack Lam told the City Council at a budget workshop last week.

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Gutierrez

10:00 PM PDT on Friday, June 4, 2010

By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise

A former San Bernardino County assessor’s official will go to trial Monday with influential developer Jeff Burum among the witnesses expected to testify.

Prosecutors told Superior Court Judge Duke Rouse on Friday morning that they were ready to proceed with their case against Rex Gutierrez, 50, on charges of grand theft, misappropriation of public funds and filing a false claim.

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The trial for Rancho Cucamonga City Councilman and former Assessor employee Rex Gutierrez will commence next Monday.

Superior Court Judge Duke D. Rouse set the trial in motion when prosecutors and the defense indicated they were ready to proceed.

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Growth brings in donors

Sandra Emerson, Staff Writer
Posted: 06/01/2010 09:59:31 PM PDT

The mayoral campaigns in some of the Inland Empire’s fastest growing cities rake in more than $100,000 each in political contributions.

The last mayoral race in Montclair, a city with little room to grow, brought in $13,000 in contributions.

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PG&E power grab?

James Rufus Koren, Staff Writer
Posted: 05/31/2010 09:58:19 PM PDT

Local officials say a ballot measure backed by one of the state’s largest utility companies is a power grab disguised as a push for voters’ rights.

If approved, Proposition 16, which will appear on next week’s primary election ballot, would require citizen approval of any plans for a city to create or expand a city-owned electric company. Pacific Gas and Electric Co., a Northern California utility company and the sole financial backer of the Yes on Prop. 16 campaign, has committed $28.5 million to promoting the measure.

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Wendy Leung, Staff Writer
Created: 05/27/2010 06:15:57 PM PDT

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – City leaders this week joined developers of a Foothill Boulevard affordable housing project to celebrate the completion of 166 apartment units geared for low-income families.

Last fall, residents began moving in to the two- and three-bedroom apartments at Villaggio on Route 66.

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Finally! One of the alleged corruption cases is on the radar screen. Really it is!

The case calendar of Rancho Cucamonga City Councilman Rex Gutierrez now has a trial approaching.

Gutierrez is charged with grand theft and other crimes related to alleged time card fraud during his tenure at the Assessor’s office.

Read the rest of this entry »

This morning a San Bernardino County Superior Court Pre-Trial conference in the case involving Rancho Cucamonga City Councilman Rex Gutierrez was continued until May 25th.

This mornings hearing was to cover the topic of witnesses to testify and the scope of that testimony.

The discussion, when  it occurs is sure to prove interesting, especially the witness list for the defense.

Williams

R.C. councilwoman gives nod to mayor of Redlands
Wendy Leung, Staff Writer
Created: 04/28/2010 08:37:38 PM PDT

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – Councilwoman Diane Williams has thrown her support behind Redlands Mayor Pat Gilbreath in the 63rd Assembly District race, an unexpected endorsement that leaves Mayor Don Kurth without the backing of his colleague.

Williams announced her endorsement at a meet-and-greet event on Tuesday at Etiwanda Gardens.

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Don Kurth

By PE Politics
on April 26, 2010 10:14 AM

The California Medical Association has formed an independent expenditure committee to help Rancho Cucamonga Mayor Don Kurth win the June primary election.

Kurth is one of seven Republican candidates for the Inland area’s 63rd Assembly District. And, yes, he is a doctor.

By Mike Cruz
Created: 04/09/2010 03:15:05 PM PDT

A criminal trial for Rancho Cucamonga councilman Rex Gutierrez has been continued until June 1 because of witness availability issues, prosecutors say.

Gutierrez, 50, made a scheduled appearance Friday morning in San Bernardino Superior Court, where he faces charges stemming from an investigation into alleged malfeasance at the county Assessor’s Office when it was under the direction of former Assessor Bill Postmus.

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As expected, a Superior Court Judge agreed with San Bernardino County prosecutors to delay the trial of Rancho Cucamonga City Councilman Rex Gutierrez this morning.

The trial, which was scheduled to commence Monday morning, addresses charges against Gutierrez alleging time card fraud stemming from Gutierrez’ tenure with the San Bernardino County Assessor’s Office under Bill Postmus.

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Mike Cruz, Staff Writer
Created: 04/05/2010 06:13:07 PM PDT

SAN BERNARDINO – A criminal case against Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez inched ever closer to trial Monday.

Lawyers in the case against Gutierrez appeared briefly in San Bernardino Superior Court to confirm a trial readiness hearing on Friday before Judge Duke Rouse. The trial is scheduled to start Monday but could still face a last-minute delay.

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InlandPolitics has learned San Bernardino County prosecutors are seeking to hold off the trial of Rancho Cucamonga City Councilman Rex Gutierrez on charges resulting from an investigation into the operation of the Assessor’s office under Bill Postmus.

Gutierrez who is charged with four felony counts alleging time card fraud is set to go before a jury on April 12th.

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Created: 03/22/2010 05:33:19 PM PDT

When the economy began to decline in 2008, investments through the California Public Employees’ Retirement System took a hit.

As a result, cities in the Inland Empire have been juggling losses in revenue while making sure they meet employees’ retirement obligations.

This is the status of pension obligations of some Inland Empire cities:

COLTON

CONTRIBUTION: $5.75 million in 2008-09
PENSION OBLIGATION BOND: $31.14 million
EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION RATE: 19.498 percent fire, 20.052 percent police, 7.060 percent misc.
EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTION RATE: 9 percent fire, 9 percent police – paid by city. 8 percent misc. – city pays 4 percent.

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Michael J. Sorba, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/19/2010 07:36:00 PM PDT

COLTON – Pricey pension packages, budget breakdowns and deep deficits have reduced or jeopardized the reserves some cities have amassed over recent years.

Both Colton and San Bernardino are struggling with dwindling incomes that have burned cash reserves to dangerously low levels.

Rialto is struggling with higher pension costs set to start July 1, which a top official has said will deplete a sizeable $31 million reserve within three years if employees don’t agree to concessions.

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Wendy Leung, Staff Writer
Created: 03/07/2010 06:02:26 AM PST

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – So much of November’s City Council race rests on what happens this summer.

By then, results of the Republican primaries for the 63rd Assembly District will be in, which will indicate whether Mayor Don Kurth has a chance to replace termed-out Assemblyman Bill Emmerson, R-Rancho Cucamonga, and leave the City Council.

By summer, the outcome of Councilman Rex Gutierrez’s criminal case might be clearer, which will indicate whether his political career will continue.

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Wendy Leung, Staff Writer
Created: 03/04/2010 08:48:00 PM PST

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – Smoking and waiting in lines do not mix, according to the City Council, which gave initial approval on Wednesday to an ordinance that prohibits tobacco use in transit stops and outdoor service lines.

The ordinance, expected to go into effect mid-April, will prohibit smoking within 20 feet of bus stops, train stations and lines for services such as ATMs and theaters.

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Mike Cruz, Staff Writer
Posted: 02/26/2010 06:29:20 PM PST

SAN BERNARDINO – A motion filed by Rancho Cucamonga councilman Rex Gutierrez to dismiss his criminal charges was denied Friday morning by a Superior Court judge, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Judge Douglas Gericke denied the Penal Code section 995 motion during a scheduled appearance for Gutierrez in San Bernardino Superior Court. The charges stem from an investigation into alleged misconduct in the county Assessor’s Office, where Gutierrez formerly worked as intergovernmental relations officer.

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This morning a Superior Court Judge denied a procedural motion to dismiss all four felony counts against Rancho Cucamonga City Councilman Rex Gutierrez.

The charges stem from Gutierrez’s employment with the San Bernardino County Assessor’s office in 2007-08.

The commencement date of the estimated ten day trial is set for April 12, 2010

Wendy Leung, Staff Writer
Created: 02/21/2010 06:02:00 AM PST

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – Mayor Don Kurth, the newest member of the City Council, has been busy welcoming the newest member of his family.

Nearly two years into a sometimes emotional adoption process, Kurth and his wife, Dee Matreyek, have succeeded in bringing home a baby girl.

“I think it’s fair to say we’re both having the time of our lives,” Kurth said.

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Mayor Don Kurth

Former California State Republican Party Chairman and Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich has endorsed Don Kurth.

Kurth, who is currently Mayor of Rancho Cucamonga is one of a wide-field of republican candidates running for the nomination to represent the 63rd Assembly District.

\Wendy Leung, Staff Writer
Created: 02/16/2010 05:49:30 PM PST

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – The City Council is expected today to approve the release of confidential documents to the District Attorney’s Office for its ongoing investigation of corruption in San Bernardino County.

The documents are notes from closed session meetings in 2007 concerning an affordable housing agreement between the city and National Community Renaissance, a corporation focused on affordable housing. In August 2007, the city approved a $42.5 million contract with the corporation to ensure that more than 500 existing rental units will retain their affordable rate for at least 99 years.

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10:00 PM PST on Friday, January 29, 2010

By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise

A former San Bernardino County official must stand trial on corruption charges stemming from a probe at the assessor’s office, a superior court judge ruled Friday.

Judge Duke Rouse found that there was enough evidence to try Rex Gutierrez on charges of grand theft and misappropriation of public funds. The two felony counts carry a sentence of up to four years in prison.

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Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 01/29/2010 08:56:21 PM PST

A Rancho Cucamonga city councilman and former county employee stole from taxpayers when he attended city events on county time, billing the city for mileage and collecting pay from the county, according to court testimony on Friday.

At the conclusion of Councilman Rex Gutierrez’s preliminary hearing in San Bernardino Superior Court, Judge Duke D. Rouse ordered Gutierrez, 50, to stand trial on charges of felony grand theft and misappropriation of public funds.

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Wendy Leung, Staff Writer
Created: 01/27/2010 09:56:11 PM PST

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – Grant money, capital projects and a new furniture store were some sources of optimism for Mayor Don Kurth, who gave his fourth State of the City speech at Etiwanda Gardens on Wednesday.

Despite a budget shortfall and a shrunken City Hall work force, Kurth remained sanguine, reminding a group of business and community leaders that Rancho Cucamonga is still a “golden city on the hill.”

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Wendy Leung, Staff Writer
Created: 01/22/2010 04:53:51 PM PST

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – Issues concerning the budget, the upcoming elections and Councilman Rex Gutierrez were all on the table during an eight-hour meeting at the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center on Thursday that was meant to build City Council consensus and set goals for 2010.

Nearly every discussion of city matters was tinted by the cloud of budget cuts.

The City Council directed Community Services Director Kevin McArdle to cut two popular events – the July 4 fireworks night at the Epicenter and the volunteer appreciation dinner.

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Wendy Leung, Staff Writer
Posted: 01/20/2010 09:26:56 PM PST

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – The city is looking for ways to cut its budget deficit by a third as a response to sales-tax and other revenue shortfalls.

During a midyear budget review on Tuesday, the City Council directed City Manager Jack Lam to look for ways to trim the budget by about $1.2 million without affecting services.

City staff members are expected to present money-saving measures that are available in 30 days.

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11:04 PM PST on Friday, January 15, 2010

By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise

A former top official with the San Bernardino County assessor’s office got his job through a major developer’s influence and used that connection to avoid work, investigators testified Friday.

The testimony was presented in a preliminary hearing for Rex Gutierrez, one of five former assessor’s officials arrested as part of a corruption investigation of the office under former Assessor Bill Postmus, who also is facing felony charges.

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Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 01/15/2010 09:41:24 PM PST

SAN BERNARDINO – A former Assessor’s Office staffer who serves on the Rancho Cucamonga City Council stole from the public by engaging in personal business while on the county clock, investigators said Friday in San Bernardino Superior Court.

In a preliminary hearing for Councilman Rex Gutierrez, investigators testified that former Assessor Bill Postmus hired Gutierrez as a favor to a local developer and refused to take action when other employees complained about Gutierrez’s frequent absenteeism and poor job performance.

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Wendy Leung, Staff Writer
Created: 01/07/2010 05:51:43 PM PST

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – City Council approved a stop sign at the intersection of Amethyst Avenue and Hillside Road on Wednesday with a backdrop of political tension between a councilman and a San Bernardino County supervisor.

The unanimous vote followed testimony from 14 speakers, most were residents who believed a stop sign would impede speeders and make their neighborhood safer. Supervisor Paul Biane, who lives less than a mile away from the intersection in question, was the only speaker who opposed the stop sign.

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Josh Dulaney, Staff Writer
Posted: 12/12/2009 06:14:37 AM PST

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – A family claims they’re in the crosshairs of city officials because for hosting Christian gatherings in their home.

Joe and Diana Johnson say the city has been harassing them for hosting Bible studies in their rented house on Highgate Drive after a code enforcement officer determined the couple is disrupting the neighborhood by running a church there.

“We’re not going anywhere,” Diana Johnson said. “The Bible says (Christians) will suffer persecution for Christ. We realize they are not angry with us. They are angry with God.”

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