See updates on South Bay Indictments.
Judge Ana Espana said that 24-year Sweetwater Union High School District trustee Jim Cartmill was among the "least culpable offenders" convicted in the South Bay school official scandal.
He and Bertha Lopez have decided to run for re-election.
It's fine with me. I don't think Jim or Bertha were more harmful to students than the average school official--which is not to say that Jim and Bertha aren't responsible for their support of business-as-usual behavior that keeps schools in failure mode.
Even if the bad behavior that got them in trouble were completely eliminated from every district, I don't think it would make much difference for students. The most serious problems in school governance were never addressed in the scandal. In fact, I think the reason there were no trials was that the District Attorney didn't want these small time crooks spilling the beans about how San Diego County Office of Education runs schools for the benefit of those in power.
Why Two Convicted Sweetwater Officials Can Run for Re-Election
Bianca Bruno
Voice of San Diego
July 22, 2014
Former [Sweetwater Union High School District] board president Jim Cartmill filed earlier this month for a
spot on the November ballot. Cartmill is running for a seat representing
District 3, which includes schools on the east side of Chula Vista.
Former trustee Bertha Lopez, one of 18 officials convicted in connection with the scandal, said at a hearing last week that she plans to run for re-election but has not yet filed the official paperwork, according to the Registrar of Voters...
San Diego Superior Court Judge Ana Espana initially ruled that
Cartmill and Lopez could continue to serve in their elected positions
until the end of their respective terms but later reversed that based
on a California code that suspends public officials from office after they’ve entered a guilty plea.
At Cartmill’s sentencing, the judge ruled he could run for
re-election.
Cartmill was sentenced in June to three years’ probation, 40 hours community service and just under $5,000 in fines.
See all posts re South Bay Indictments.
Showing posts with label . Cartmill (Jim Cartmill). Show all posts
Showing posts with label . Cartmill (Jim Cartmill). Show all posts
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Sunday, January 06, 2013
White Chalk crime is real, even though defense attorney Pokorney is right that the public doesn't want to believe that school board members could commit crimes
Attorney James Pokorney, representing Bertha Lopez, Manuel Paul and Jim Cartmill is right that the public doesn't want to believe that "these kind of people"--school board members--committed crimes.
I myself wouldn't have believed it twelve years ago. Then I got an education in corruption by Bertha Lopez herself, as well as Cheryl Cox, Pamela Smith, Patrick Judd and Larry Cunningham.
“The DA is leveling very serious charges against people who have no criminal records — people who have seen fit to devote their lives to students in south San Diego County,” Pokorny said. “The jury is going to have to swallow a lot to believe that these kind of people ... committed the kinds of acts that the DA is alleging.”
Indeed, the only problem with these indictments is that so many corrupt school officials are not being investigated.
See White Chalk Crime: The REAL Reason Schools Fail: Untold story of crime that has destroyed our schools by Karen Horwitz.
The net widens
Allison K. Sampité-montecalvo
Chula Vista Star-News
Jan 05 2013
A South Bay county corruption probe led by District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis broadened recently to include more defendants.
A San Diego Grand Jury on Dec. 28 returned indictments on Sweetwater Union High School District board members Bertha Lopez, Jim Cartmill and San Ysidro schools superintendent Manual Paul, according to criminal defense attorney James Pokorny, who represents all three.
In total, Pokorny said that 35 misdemeanor and felony charges were brought against the trio last Friday, including filing a false instrument, perjury, offering a bribe and receiving gifts.
The charges stem from actions taken by the DA’s Office in the last year with the arraignment of three current and former school board members, a former district superintendent and a contractor, according to Pokorny.
Sweetwater district board members Pearl Quiñones and Arlie Ricasa, former board member Greg Sandoval, former superintendent Jesus Gandara and contractor Henry Amigable pleaded not guilty to 26 felonies and eight misdemeanors, including perjury, filing a false document, accepting gifts and bribery on Jan. 13, 2012.
Dumanis said the defendants traded their votes for bribes when they neglected to report gifts on their statements of economic interest, required by law, and by participating in pay-for-play in multi-million-dollar construction contracts between 2008 and 2011.
The 19-member grand jury panel began meeting in November to investigate in lieu of holding a public preliminary hearing in open court.
A hearing is set for Monday, Jan. 7, where defense attorneys will enter another not guilty plea and a trial date will be set.
Gandara’s attorney Paul Pfingst said he received a letter Dec. 27 stating a complaint had been filed against his client.
However, a search on Monday at the County Clerk’s Office revealed no complaint had been filed, according to Pfingst.
“I’ve got a letter that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense,” he said. “The charges they sent me are essentially the same charges as before.”
Pokorny and other defense attorneys said they’ve not yet seen the facts alleged in the indictment.
“We are assuming that the groups of these counts relate to various dates,” Pokorny said. “I don’t know what dates the prosecution is alleging… We’re not going to know the specifics for quite some time.”
Pokorny said with the grand jury indictments the case in essence starts all over
. “The complaint is being abandoned,” he said. “The district attorney gave up the ghost on that attempt and decided to go by way of grand jury indictment so instead of presenting probable cause in an open court they’ve decided to do it secretly. We have to deal with that as best we can.”
Pokorny said that although the DA’s Office is well within its rights to proceed “by way of indictment,” a fairer decision would have been to proceed through a complaint.
“The DA is leveling very serious charges against people who have no criminal records — people who have seen fit to devote their lives to students in south San Diego County,” Pokorny said. “The jury is going to have to swallow a lot to believe that these kind of people ... committed the kinds of acts that the DA is alleging.”
Lopez, Cartmill and Paul are scheduled to be arraigned Monday, Jan. 7, at 2 p.m. in San Diego Superior Court.
A representative from the DA’s Office said that no comments could be made on an open case.
Other individuals scheduled to be arraigned include Gary Cabello, Jeff Flores, Jesus Gandara, Yolanda Hernandez, Pearl Quiñones, Arlie Ricasa, Greg Sandoval, Nick Alioto, Raj Chopra, Jorge Dominguez, Yolanda Salcido and John Wilson.
I myself wouldn't have believed it twelve years ago. Then I got an education in corruption by Bertha Lopez herself, as well as Cheryl Cox, Pamela Smith, Patrick Judd and Larry Cunningham.
“The DA is leveling very serious charges against people who have no criminal records — people who have seen fit to devote their lives to students in south San Diego County,” Pokorny said. “The jury is going to have to swallow a lot to believe that these kind of people ... committed the kinds of acts that the DA is alleging.”
Indeed, the only problem with these indictments is that so many corrupt school officials are not being investigated.
See White Chalk Crime: The REAL Reason Schools Fail: Untold story of crime that has destroyed our schools by Karen Horwitz.
The net widens
Allison K. Sampité-montecalvo
Chula Vista Star-News
Jan 05 2013
A South Bay county corruption probe led by District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis broadened recently to include more defendants.
A San Diego Grand Jury on Dec. 28 returned indictments on Sweetwater Union High School District board members Bertha Lopez, Jim Cartmill and San Ysidro schools superintendent Manual Paul, according to criminal defense attorney James Pokorny, who represents all three.
In total, Pokorny said that 35 misdemeanor and felony charges were brought against the trio last Friday, including filing a false instrument, perjury, offering a bribe and receiving gifts.
The charges stem from actions taken by the DA’s Office in the last year with the arraignment of three current and former school board members, a former district superintendent and a contractor, according to Pokorny.
Sweetwater district board members Pearl Quiñones and Arlie Ricasa, former board member Greg Sandoval, former superintendent Jesus Gandara and contractor Henry Amigable pleaded not guilty to 26 felonies and eight misdemeanors, including perjury, filing a false document, accepting gifts and bribery on Jan. 13, 2012.
Dumanis said the defendants traded their votes for bribes when they neglected to report gifts on their statements of economic interest, required by law, and by participating in pay-for-play in multi-million-dollar construction contracts between 2008 and 2011.
The 19-member grand jury panel began meeting in November to investigate in lieu of holding a public preliminary hearing in open court.
A hearing is set for Monday, Jan. 7, where defense attorneys will enter another not guilty plea and a trial date will be set.
Gandara’s attorney Paul Pfingst said he received a letter Dec. 27 stating a complaint had been filed against his client.
However, a search on Monday at the County Clerk’s Office revealed no complaint had been filed, according to Pfingst.
“I’ve got a letter that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense,” he said. “The charges they sent me are essentially the same charges as before.”
Pokorny and other defense attorneys said they’ve not yet seen the facts alleged in the indictment.
“We are assuming that the groups of these counts relate to various dates,” Pokorny said. “I don’t know what dates the prosecution is alleging… We’re not going to know the specifics for quite some time.”
Pokorny said with the grand jury indictments the case in essence starts all over
. “The complaint is being abandoned,” he said. “The district attorney gave up the ghost on that attempt and decided to go by way of grand jury indictment so instead of presenting probable cause in an open court they’ve decided to do it secretly. We have to deal with that as best we can.”
Pokorny said that although the DA’s Office is well within its rights to proceed “by way of indictment,” a fairer decision would have been to proceed through a complaint.
“The DA is leveling very serious charges against people who have no criminal records — people who have seen fit to devote their lives to students in south San Diego County,” Pokorny said. “The jury is going to have to swallow a lot to believe that these kind of people ... committed the kinds of acts that the DA is alleging.”
Lopez, Cartmill and Paul are scheduled to be arraigned Monday, Jan. 7, at 2 p.m. in San Diego Superior Court.
A representative from the DA’s Office said that no comments could be made on an open case.
Other individuals scheduled to be arraigned include Gary Cabello, Jeff Flores, Jesus Gandara, Yolanda Hernandez, Pearl Quiñones, Arlie Ricasa, Greg Sandoval, Nick Alioto, Raj Chopra, Jorge Dominguez, Yolanda Salcido and John Wilson.
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
Bertha Lopez and Manuel Paul indicted, and, surprisingly, a white male Republican: Sweetwater's Jim Cartmill
Back Row (Left to Right): Jim Cartmill, Dr. Ed Brand, superintendent, John McCann
Front Row (Left to Right): Bertha López, Arlie N. Ricasa, Pearl Quiñones
I am shocked. Bonnie Dumanis' Public Integrity Unit has indicted a white male Republican. Jim Cartmill has learned the hard way that he can't count on Bonnie anymore. But the D.A. has spent years going after people in the South Bay that Jim Cartmill wanted to destroy politically, so he should man up and pay the piper.
After Being indicted, former CVESD trustee Bertha Lopez (currently on the Sweetwater Union High School District board) said she has nothing to hide. In fact, she has been covering-up crimes at Chula Elementary School District for over ten years, along with CVESD board members Pamela Smith and Larry Cunningham. Teachers were pressured to perjure themselves to conceal the wrongdoing of Bertha and her fellow board members. The board included Pat Judd and current Chula Vista mayor Cheryl Cox.
The Union Tribune has long been a fan of Bertha Lopez.
Regarding Bertha Lopez:
"According to court documents, a contractor paid for Lopez and eight guests to attend an award ceremony hosted by the YWCA in 2009, which she did not disclose on state-mandated forms. She and her husband were also at Morton’s with Amigable and Paul, according to court documents, and she failed to report the meal on state forms."
3 more indicted in South Bay corruption probe
San Ysidro superintendent is among the new targets of the DA's investigation
Aaron Burgin
UTSD
Dec. 31, 2012
A probe into corruption among South Bay school leaders has widened to include another district, with indictments against three additional officials.
A grand jury has indicted San Ysidro School District Superintendent Manuel Paul and Sweetwater Union High School District board members Jim Cartmill and Bertha Lopez, according to a criminal defense attorney who represents all three.
Two other Sweetwater school board members were charged a year ago, along with a former board member and former Superintendent Jesus Gandara.
Attorney James Pokorny, who represents Paul, Lopez and Cartmill, said the grand jury has indicted them on multiple felony and misdemeanor counts including perjury, filing false documents, accepting gifts and bribery. He said they maintain their innocence.
“My take on this is that DA believes that they can target people in the community that have given their energy and lives for betterment of students and that they can topple these people and cripple them from running for office ever again,” he said. “Knowing the people the way that I do, I don’t buy what they are accused of, and I don’t think a jury will either.”
The District Attorney’s office declined to comment on the case.
Pokorny said he received a letter from the District Attorney’s office notifying him that his clients had been indicted, but has not seen the full indictment. He said that Lopez faces 19 felony and misdemeanor counts, Cartmill faces 10 counts and Paul faces six.
Paul admitted in a June deposition in an unrelated lawsuit that he had taken $2,500 in cash from a contractor seeking work from his district. He said the handoff in the parking lot of a steak house was a campaign contribution for a school board member.
It is not clear if the indictment stems from that incident, which has been under review separately by a federal grand jury.
Paul’s name has already appeared in some documents related to the Sweetwater corruption investigation, in which prosecutors are alleging meals, sporting events, plays and other considerations were exchanged for multimillion dollar construction contracts.
Paul and his wife, for instance, are listed in court documents as guests at a $1,700 meal at Morton’s steakhouse in July 2008 hosted by contractor Henry Amigable.
Other guests included three of those facing charges in Sweetwater — Gandara, former board member Greg Sandoval and current trustee Pearl Quiñones. They have all pleaded not guilty.
Amigable pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in May and is cooperating with county prosecutors.
Lopez and Cartmill largely stayed out of the fray as their colleagues were charged a year ago, although Lopez’s home was raided a year ago and she has been questioned in connection with the case.
“The district attorney is doing their job and I don’t have anything to hide,” Lopez said the day of the raid. “That is the bottom line.”
According to court documents, a contractor paid for Lopez and eight guests to attend an award ceremony hosted by the YWCA in 2009, which she did not disclose on state-mandated forms. She and her husband were also at Morton’s with Amigable and Paul, according to court documents, and she failed to report the meal on state forms.
Update Jan. 16, 2013:
I found another white male Republican that Bonnie has indicted. The case is discussed in this article about the bizarre and unsuccessful prosecution of Steve Castaneda:
HIGH STAKES IN CORRUPTION PROBE
DA aims to regain credibility after unsuccessful prosecution while South Bay figures fight stereotypes
By Aaron Burgin & Katherine Poythress
U-T
JAN. 12, 2013
...Since 2007, only one case lodged by the unit against an elected official has resulted in criminal punishment. Former Encinitas Councilman Dan Dalager was fined $1,000 in 2011 after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor conflict-of-interest charge stemming from accepting deeply discounted appliances from a store owner, then voting in the owner’s favor in a dispute with the city. His case was prosecuted after the transaction was exposed by The Watchdog. A lot is riding on the outcome of the latest cases, also sparked by initial reports from The Watchdog about the relationships between contractors and officials in South County...
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Seniors turned their backs on speaker, Sweetwater trustee Jim Cartmill
Mar Vista grads protest at ceremony
Seniors turned their backs on speaker, Sweetwater trustee Jim Cartmill
Caroline Dipping
UTSD
May 30, 2012
Protesting teacher layoffs, dozens of Mar Vista High School seniors turned their backs on the keynote speaker at their graduation ceremony Tuesday on the Imperial Beach campus.
Shortly after Sweetwater Union High School District board member Jim Cartmill began his remarks at the podium, the capped and gowned students stood and turned their backs to him. They held their stance for about 20 seconds before taking their seats at the request of Mar Vista Principal Wes Braddock.
The commencement exercise continued without interruption. Braddock said the fact the seniors resumed their seats within seconds indicated “they are respectful in their hearts,” but he was still disappointed by the demonstration...
A member of Occupy Sweetwater, a community activist group leading an effort to recall trustees Arlie Ricasa, John McCann and Cartmill, said the group was not involved in prompting or planning the students’ actions. The group has collected more than 500 of the 18,000 signatures needed by Aug. 27 to recall the board members in light of a district attorney’s investigation into construction contracting procedures.
“We’re just very proud that students took such a risk and stood up for themselves and their classmates,” said Lauren McLennan, an Occupy Sweetwater member. “Some adults are already trying to blame us, but it was the students’ decision and they organized it themselves.”
Hours after his graduation ceremony, Mar Vista High senior Josh Cade posted on Occupy Sweetwater’s Facebook page.
“We took a stand against their corruption and we recommend other graduating students mimic our actions to show the school board that they can’t continue this outrageous mishandling of their budget,” Cade wrote. “They are ruining lives of our cherished teachers, mentors, and friends; students, we need to show our disapproval.”...
Seniors turned their backs on speaker, Sweetwater trustee Jim Cartmill
Caroline Dipping
UTSD
May 30, 2012
Protesting teacher layoffs, dozens of Mar Vista High School seniors turned their backs on the keynote speaker at their graduation ceremony Tuesday on the Imperial Beach campus.
Shortly after Sweetwater Union High School District board member Jim Cartmill began his remarks at the podium, the capped and gowned students stood and turned their backs to him. They held their stance for about 20 seconds before taking their seats at the request of Mar Vista Principal Wes Braddock.
The commencement exercise continued without interruption. Braddock said the fact the seniors resumed their seats within seconds indicated “they are respectful in their hearts,” but he was still disappointed by the demonstration...
A member of Occupy Sweetwater, a community activist group leading an effort to recall trustees Arlie Ricasa, John McCann and Cartmill, said the group was not involved in prompting or planning the students’ actions. The group has collected more than 500 of the 18,000 signatures needed by Aug. 27 to recall the board members in light of a district attorney’s investigation into construction contracting procedures.
“We’re just very proud that students took such a risk and stood up for themselves and their classmates,” said Lauren McLennan, an Occupy Sweetwater member. “Some adults are already trying to blame us, but it was the students’ decision and they organized it themselves.”
Hours after his graduation ceremony, Mar Vista High senior Josh Cade posted on Occupy Sweetwater’s Facebook page.
“We took a stand against their corruption and we recommend other graduating students mimic our actions to show the school board that they can’t continue this outrageous mishandling of their budget,” Cade wrote. “They are ruining lives of our cherished teachers, mentors, and friends; students, we need to show our disapproval.”...
Monday, May 07, 2012
Lawyers donate to school board members, who then channel tax dollars back to them, says lawsuit against Garcia Calderon Ruiz
“Lawsuits are generally filed by people that are upset and angry,” according to Sergio Feria. I say give that man a genius award. Here's a quote from someone else: "Disgruntled ex-employees (or ex-founding partners) are usually the only ones who will tell the truth about an organization." I notice that Mr. Ruiz didn't file his suit until after he left the law firm.
Bonny Garcia has donated to the election campaigns of trustees Jim Cartmill, Arlie Ricasa and Sandoval. Campaign finance records show donations of $1,000 to Ricasa in 2001-02, $1,000 to Sandoval in 2002 and $975 to Cartmill in 2002.
Complaints preceded raids on South County school officials
Parents, retired teachers urged prosecutors to investigate Sweetwater board members
By Jeff McDonald, Ashly McGlone
UT-SD
December 21, 2011
...Another lawsuit filed this summer raises questions about the relationship between vendors for the district and the elected officials who award public contracts.
Rogelio Ruiz, a founding partner for GCR LLP, the longtime Sweetwater legal counsel formerly known as Garcia Calderon Ruiz, is suing his former partners, claiming they used company profits to make political donations to help secure work.
In his suit, Ruiz said partners Bonifacio Garcia and Yuri Calderon used $15,000 in law-firm proceeds to fund Citizens for Good Government in the South Bay, a political action committee that supported Sweetwater board members and others.
The committee “could funnel thousands of dollars in political contributions to Calderon’s and Garcia’s friends without attracting unwanted media attention and to avoid allegations of conflict of interest and pay-to-play schemes,” the suit states.
Ruiz also accuses his former partners of donating thousands of dollars to political candidates and groups around the state “in an effort to impress and curry favor with certain elected officials,” the suit adds.
Attorney Mark Isola, who is representing Ruiz, said Garcia and Calderon “took those funds and used the monies to get business.”
Sergio Feria, the San Diego attorney representing Calderon and Garcia, denied allegations in the suit and called it an accounting dispute between former partners.
“Lawsuits are generally filed by people that are upset and angry,” he said...
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