Wednesday, July 14, 2010

PI's plea deal resolves cop confrontation

by Tom Nadeau

Private eye Jason Littlepage entered a negotiated plea of no contest in Yuba County Superior Court Monday to a charge of disturbing the peace in connection with a March 18, 2009 incident.

The nolo contendre deal ended a year-long dispute with the Marysville Police Department and represented a significant retreat by the district attorney from the prosecution’s original allegation that Littlepage had been drunk and had obstructed cops responding to an on-going domestic dispute.

Littlepage was supposed to go to trial that day in the matter of People v. Littlepage, YCSC #09-273, but after four hasty behind-closed-door sessions Littlepage’s attorney, Jesse Santana, and Deputy District Attorney Brad Enos had worked out the deal presented to Judge James F. Dawson.

The new arrangement called for the originally charged misdemeanors to be reduced to a single minor infraction. Additionally, the several fines, fees and penalties usually imposed were cut from about $750 to $60.

If no further incidents occur over the next 12 months, Littlepage, who operates as Superior One Investigations, license #23633, may ask the court to strike the entire event and resulting infraction from his record, Dawson noted.

For his part of the deal, Littlepage got to vent for the record some of the anger he felt over how MPD officers had handled the matter.

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