Torrance, 42 Days Probation, Violates, 1 Year Program

Our client, age 57, had lost his job with a Fortune 500 company two years earlier. He had always enjoyed alcohol, but discovered he did even more so when combined with prescription medications he received for depression.

Distilled Down: Torrance, client on felony probation for 42 days when he violates probation; case resolved for one year residential treatment program, three years joint suspended, five years of probation.

His mom was living alone in Torrance. He had exhausted his savings, so he moved in with her to lower his expenses and help his mom with the daily tasks of living.

Next door to his mom was a family that our client watched closely. The family seemed, to our client, to constantly stare at him over the fence. This conduct greatly bothered our client, so one day he decided to let them know he did not appreciate it.

He broke out all the windows in their two cars that were sitting in the driveway, a 2006 Infinity G35, and a 2004 Honda CRV. He then proceeded to break out all the front windows of the neighbor’s house. The family retreated into a back bedroom and locked the door. They then called 911.

Police came to the house and arrested our client, who recited various passages of the Bible to the police. He was then deemed to be under the influence of alcohol and prescription medications.

Our client then spent 47 days in county jail, ultimately reaching a rather unbelievable plea bargain wherein he pled to one count of felony vandalism (Penal Code § 594(b)). He was ordered to complete a six month alcohol awareness program (AB762), serve three years of formal probation and, pursuant to a protective order, stay more than ten feet away from his neighbor’s house (but allowed to move back into his mother’s house).

The temptation to further contact the next door neighbor proved too great for our client, especially when combined with more alcohol and prescription drugs. Our client became convinced that the next door neighbor had offered to pay his cell phone bill, so our client put his cell phone bill in his next door neighbor’s mailbox. This violated the protective order.

Our client also placed roses on the next door neighbor’s front lawn and pictures of various patron saints from the Bible on her lawn as well. Our client went to church at least once a day with his elderly mom.
Torrance Police Department

The truth was that our client had quite a few prior convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, two misdemeanor domestic violence convictions, a conviction for DUI and two prior convictions for possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia relating to methamphetamine use.

When our client would not obey police orders and police realized who he was, they used physical force to subdue him and handcuff him. He allegedly resisted arrest and, as officers struggled with him, their uniforms got dirty.

Our client was then charged with multiple counts of violating a criminal protective order (Penal Code § 166), resting arrest (misdemeanor Penal Code § 148(a)(1)), as well as trespassing.

Greg was retained by the family because our client faced four years in state prison (to be served in county jail under AB109) on the probation violation, plus another three years on all the new misdemeanor charges. The family was quite fearful that their brother would go to county jail and not get the alcohol and drug treatment he needed.

Torrance Courthouse

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