Jury Trial

Amber Willard CIVIC CENTER -- The jury trial for a frequent council critic Theresa Karam accused of obstructing an officer in the performance of his duties was postponed Tuesday for the second time. Karam is accused of ignoring an officer's order to stay outside the overcrowded chamber at an August meeting. She is scheduled to return to Burbank Superior Court on May 2 for a trial on the misdemeanor charge. Deputy City Atty. Jina Oh added a charge of refusing to leave property at the request of an officer against Karam on Tuesday.

Amber Willard CIVIC CENTER -- The jury trial for a retired Burbank police officer suspected of threatening a neighbor with a gun was continued until next month. Burbank Municipal Court Judge Rand Rubin agreed Tuesday to delay the trial at the request of Albert Madrid's attorney, Robert Walters. Madrid did not appear in court Tuesday morning with Walters. The trial is scheduled for April 18 in municipal court. Walters requested the extension because he plans to submit an extensive discovery request to the city attorney's office, which is prosecuting the case.

Karen S. Kim BURBANK -- A lawsuit filed in Burbank Superior Court in March by passengers of the Southwest Airlines flight that crashed last year at Burbank Airport was moved Wednesday to a federal court in downtown Los Angeles at the request of Southwest's attorneys. Though the plaintiffs' attorney, Clark Aristei, said the move could negatively influence his clients' jury, since a federal case requires a unanimous vote instead of a majority vote, attorneys for Southwest said the airline has agreed not to contest charges of negligence and that a jury trial probably won't be necessary.

Amber Willard CIVIC CENTER -- The jury trial has been delayed for a North Hollywood woman accused of obstructing an officer in the performance of his duties at an August City Council meeting. Theresa Karam, a frequent speaker at council meetings, is scheduled to return to Burbank Superior Court at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. The misdemeanor charge stems from the Aug. 3 meeting, when police said Karam, a psychologist, ignored an officer's order to wait outside the packed City Council chamber.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has ruled that the case against a man accused of shooting two Burbank police officers can proceed to trial. The ruling came after two days of testimony this week during the preliminary trial for James Willard, who faces two counts of attempted murder and other charges in the July 2010 incident in front of a Kmart in Burbank. Willard allegedly shot two Burbank police officers after he was able to wrangle one of the guns while under arrest at Kmart for alleged shoplifting.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has ruled that the case against a man accused of shooting two Burbank police officers can proceed to trial. The ruling came after two days of testimony this week during the preliminary trial for James Willard, who faces two counts of attempted murder and other charges in the July 2010 incident in front of a Kmart in Burbank. Willard allegedly shot two Burbank police officers after he was able to wrangle one of the guns while under arrest at Kmart for alleged shoplifting.

One of two Burbank siblings charged with felony animal cruelty in the fatal stabbing of a family member's dog is scheduled to face a jury trial this summer. The trial for Charissa Bodtcher, 23, is slated to be scheduled sometime in July after she appeared in Los Angeles County Superior Court this week for a pretrial hearing, a court clerk said. She faces one felony count of animal cruelty or neglect. Her brother, Timo Bodtcher, pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges last month and is on probation, the clerk added.

Jackson Bell A male prostitute convicted of strangling a Burbank man and then setting fire to the man's apartment has been sentenced to 20 years to life for his crimes. Juan Carlos Martinez, a 20-year-old transient, was sentenced Oct. 22 in a Pasadena Superior Court for second-degree murder and arson of an inhabited structure. He received five years in prison for the arson conviction and 15 years to life for the slaying of 62-year-old Charles Rivas.

Mark R. Madler An intensive care unit nurse testified Tuesday that the demeanor of three nurses made her feel "something was wrong" when she went into the room of a terminally ill cancer patient who had just died. Jessica Bradley was testifying on the first day of the jury trial of Amy Brunner, a former Providence St. Joseph Medical Center nurse charged with involuntary manslaughter and practicing medicine without certification in the June 2003 death of 80-year-old patient Pierre Azar.

TV blues Kordesia Hester v. Nickelodeon Studios and Viacom Inc., Case No. EC050247 Who created the concept for the hit Nickelodeon show ?True Jackson, VP?? Kordesia Hester, a New York corrections officer at Rikers Island, claims she did, and that Nickelodeon Studios stole her idea, according to a lawsuit filed in Burbank Superior Court. Hester got an e-mail about a Nickelodeon event, which was asking writers with diverse backgrounds to create a two-minute pitch for a unique show idea.

This post has been updated, see below for details. A lawsuit filed by the city against a former police lieutenant accused of stealing department records appears headed for trial, even though he returned the documents. Former police lieutenant Omar Rodriguez was part of a multi-plaintiff lawsuit filed against the city in May 2009 in which three Latino officers, including Rodriguez, a black officer and an Armenian officer alleged harassment and discrimination based on ethnicity and gender, among other claims.

The Burbank City Council this week voted this week to appeal a nearly $1.3-million verdict awarded to former Deputy Police Chief William Taylor after he claimed in a lawsuit that he faced on-the-job retaliation. The move will prolong a case that has already racked up more then $1 million in legal fees and other costs for the city, a fact that prompted Councilman David Gordon to be the lone dissenter in the 3-1 vote on Tuesday. Councilman Jess Talamantes was absent from the closed session meeting.

One of two Burbank siblings charged with felony animal cruelty in the fatal stabbing of a family member's dog is scheduled to face a jury trial this summer. The trial for Charissa Bodtcher, 23, is slated to be scheduled sometime in July after she appeared in Los Angeles County Superior Court this week for a pretrial hearing, a court clerk said. She faces one felony count of animal cruelty or neglect. Her brother, Timo Bodtcher, pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges last month and is on probation, the clerk added.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has ruled that the case against a man accused of shooting two Burbank police officers can proceed to trial. The ruling came after two days of testimony this week during the preliminary trial for James Willard, who faces two counts of attempted murder and other charges in the July 2010 incident in front of a Kmart in Burbank. Willard allegedly shot two Burbank police officers after he was able to wrangle one of the guns while under arrest at Kmart for alleged shoplifting.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has ruled that the case against a man accused of shooting two Burbank police officers can proceed to trial. The ruling came after two days of testimony this week during the preliminary trial for James Willard, who faces two counts of attempted murder and other charges in the July 2010 incident in front of a Kmart in Burbank. Willard allegedly shot two Burbank police officers after he was able to wrangle one of the guns while under arrest at Kmart for alleged shoplifting.

TV blues Kordesia Hester v. Nickelodeon Studios and Viacom Inc., Case No. EC050247 Who created the concept for the hit Nickelodeon show ?True Jackson, VP?? Kordesia Hester, a New York corrections officer at Rikers Island, claims she did, and that Nickelodeon Studios stole her idea, according to a lawsuit filed in Burbank Superior Court. Hester got an e-mail about a Nickelodeon event, which was asking writers with diverse backgrounds to create a two-minute pitch for a unique show idea.

Every six months or so I come across a ?scary lawyer story,? and the following would be one of those. Let me add that this is an example of why it is so very important to choose your attorney wisely and be willing to spend a little more money if it means getting good representation. At least that?s what Joan Huang found out when her attorney, David Brockway, did her jury trial. Huang was charged with several federal felonies involving the selling of counterfeit goods. This case went to trial in May 2006.

CHARLES UNGER What will the California State Supreme Court do? The question before the justices in early June pertained to the April 2000 jury trial of Roy Garcia. Garcia was accused and convicted of shooting his neighbor over a property-line dispute. The evidence was mostly circumstantial, and Garcia was sentenced to life in prison. So, what was it that brought this case in front of the highest court of the state? It was the behavior of Superior Court Judge Hugh Mullin III during the jury trial.

Mark R. Madler Deliberations begin today in the jury trial of a former Providence St. Joseph Medical Center nurse charged in the death of a terminally ill cancer patient. A second defendant in the case, meanwhile, pleaded guilty Monday to unlicensed practice of medicine and was sentenced to five years probation. Amy Brunner, 26, and Kelly Ann Miyasato, 32, were charged with the June 2003 death of Pierre Azar, 80, by giving him the sedative Diprivan to calm him, even though his doctors did not prescribe the medication, authorities said.

Mark R. Madler An intensive care unit nurse testified Tuesday that the demeanor of three nurses made her feel "something was wrong" when she went into the room of a terminally ill cancer patient who had just died. Jessica Bradley was testifying on the first day of the jury trial of Amy Brunner, a former Providence St. Joseph Medical Center nurse charged with involuntary manslaughter and practicing medicine without certification in the June 2003 death of 80-year-old patient Pierre Azar.