Jury deliberations began Thursday in the case against former Beverly Hills Unified School District Superintendent Jeffrey Hubbard , who is facing three felony misappropriation of public funds charges. Hubbard, 54, allegedly approved $20,000 in stipends and a $500 car allowance raise for former BHUSD facilities director Karen Christiansen without school board consent. He is also charged with authorizing a pay increase to former district employee Nora Roque in May 2005 without the board’s approval. “He was arrogant,” Deputy District Attorney Max Huntsman told the seven-man, five-woman jury during his closing arguments. “He felt that as superintendent he could do whatever he wanted and he didn’t care what the rules were.” Christiansen’s contract included a $150 monthly car allowance, and all changes to the contract were supposed to be made in writing, Huntsman said. Defense attorney Salvatore P. Ciulla countered during his closing arguments that although mistakes were made, Hubbard did not commit a crime. He also said Hubbard gave Roque a pay bump with the intent to put her on a salary schedule under which she would receive annual increases—something Hubbard said Roque was told would happen when she was hired. “He’s going to put his job on the line and possibly go to jail?” Ciulla asked. “It makes no sense.” Hubbard has pleaded not guilty to all three charges. He served as BHUSD superintendent from 2004-6. In July 2006, he took over the superintendent position at the Newport-Mesa Unified School District. Huntsman also alleged that Hubbard and Christiansen had a “special relationship” because the two exchanged intimate emails with one another. “It was certainly not the average employer-employee relationship,” he said. Christiansen, 53, was sentenced this month to four years and four months in prison. She was found guilty in November of four felony conflict of interest charges for secretly negotiating to be an independent BHUSD contractor while performing her duties for the district. Christiansen was hired by the district in 2004 and reportedly received a total of $5.2 million from BHUSD between 2006 and 2009. Ciulla described the emails between Hubbard and Christiansen as “tongue-in-cheek inappropriate comments.” But he said the communications do not demonstrate a romantic relationship existed. This report was compiled with information from City News Service. Be sure to follow Beverly Hills Patch on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook . More: Jury Begins Deliberating Case Against Ex-BHUSD Superintendent
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San Diego Prosecutor Commits Suicide In Front of Cop During a Traffic Stop
A deputy district attorney in San Diego commit suicide in front of a cop at a traffic stop last night. Escondido police had received a report that prosecutor Christine Trevino, 51, was acting suicidal. more › The rest is here: San Diego Prosecutor Commits Suicide In Front of Cop During a Traffic Stop
Final Witness Against Murray To Testify Today
LOS ANGELES — The trial of the doctor charged in Michael Jackson’s death will resume Wednesday after days of delay, with jurors hearing from a leading expert on the powerful anesthetic that authorities contend killed the King of Pop. Dr. Steven Shafer’s return to the stand on behalf of the prosecution comes after testimony was halted for three and a half court days. Time off was initially given to accommodate the Columbia University professor’s schedule, but his father died and the delay was extended. Shafer is the prosecution’s final witness in its case against Dr. Conrad Murray, who has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter. A judge canceled testimony Tuesday to give defense attorneys time to research new test results conducted by coroner’s officials on the level of the sedative lorazepam in Jackson’s body. Murray’s attorneys have claimed that lorazepam levels found in the singer’s stomach contents suggested he may have taken several pills in the hours before his death without his doctor’s knowledge. Murray has admitted giving Jackson doses of propofol in the pop superstar’s bedroom as a sleep aid. Murray’s attorneys have said that the amount of propofol their client gave Jackson on the day of his June 2009 death was too small to cause the icon’s sudden death at age 50. Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said Monday that the new results from the coroner’s office show that levels of lorazepam in Jackson’s body were lower than the defense claimed and were inconsistent with the theory Murray’s attorneys had presented to jurors. Lead defense attorney Ed Chernoff said Tuesday that he was seeking additional testing from an independent lab to confirm or disprove the coroner’s results, but that it would take several days for the defense to get the answers it needs. Walgren agreed that he would not raise the issue of the new tests until after the defense team presents its case. Murray’s attorneys will begin calling witnesses Friday. They plan to call 15 witnesses, who will include police detectives, character witnesses and Randy Phillips, the head of AEG Live, the promoter of Jackson’s planned series of comeback concerts. Chernoff said many of the witnesses will be brief and the defense should rest its case by Wednesday. Murray’s attorneys are also going to call one of Shafer’s colleagues, Dr. Paul White, as an expert to try to counter the prosecution’s case. Prosecution witnesses have repeatedly faulted Murray for his care of Jackson, noting that his use of propofol as a sleep aid was outside the drug’s intended use. They have also faulted Murray for not calling 911 sooner, for botching resuscitation efforts and for lying to paramedics and emergency room doctors about the drugs he had given Jackson. Two expert witnesses, cardiologist Dr. Alon Steinberg and sleep specialist Dr. Nader Kamangar, testified last week that Murray’s actions were gross deviations from the standard of care. Shafer briefly began his testimony Thursday and explained to jurors how he had crafted the warnings and guidelines included with each bottle of propofol – warnings that Walgren said in opening statements Murray had repeatedly ignored. ___ See the article here: Final Witness Against Murray To Testify Today
