Arrests Made After Same-Sex Couples Denied Marriage License

4 Protesters Were Blocking Doors In County Admin. Building

SAN DIEGO — Nine people were arrested Thursday during a demonstration outside the county clerk’s office by a group demanding that same-sex marriages be allowed in the San Diego area, despite court and ballot-box setbacks that have put the issue in legal limbo.

Weddings between gay and lesbian couples in the state had been scheduled to become recognized by law again Wednesday evening. Two days earlier, however, an appeals-court decision put that prospect on hold for at least four months.

Nonetheless, several same-sex couples arrived at the bayfront San Diego County Administration Center first thing Thursday morning to demand marriage licenses as a constitutional right, and dozens of others gathered to rally in support.
Quantcast

When the group of roughly 50 chanting activists was deemed an impediment to routine business at the government complex, the Sheriff’s Department sent in a team of riot-gear equipped personnel known as a mobile field force, Lt. Mike Munsey said.

The deputies ordered the protesters to disperse and gave them five minutes to do so. Those who refused were taken into custody.

The arrestees were booked at county jail on suspicion of trespassing, but they were released on their own recognizance late Thursday afternoon, 10News reported.

Proponents of same-sex marriage contend that forbidding the practice — as Californians narrowly voted to do via Proposition 8 two years ago — is unconstitutional on equal-protection grounds.

Two weeks ago, a federal magistrate came to the same conclusion. U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco ruled Aug. 4 that the voter-approved initiative violated the 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal protection to all U.S. citizens.

This week, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals put a final decision on hold until at least December, when it plans to hold a hearing on whether it would even hear an appeal of a Walker’s ruling striking down Proposition 8.

At the scene of this morning’s protest, County Clerk David Butler stressed that this week’s appeals ruling forbade him from granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples, at least for the time being.

“It the courts say this, they’re the final say at this point,” Butler told reporters outside his office. “And that stay, unfortunately, has stopped everything (to the point) where I’m legally prohibited from issuing a license at this point.”

In his ruling early this month, Walker put the resumption of same-sex marriages on hold until 5 p.m. Aug. 18, pending any intervention by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Attorneys for a group called ProtectMarriage.com appealed Walker’s decision and asked that a stay remain in effect until the appeal is heard.

The appellate panel, however, decided that it wanted to hear arguments about whether the opposition group has legal standing to pursue the appeal. The original defendants in the lawsuit were Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state Attorney General Jerry Brown, and they have both declined to further pursue the case.

The court stated that it would schedule a hearing during the week of Dec. 6 in San Francisco.

The county clerk’s office told 10News 91 appointments were made for Thursday, with 67 marriage licenses issued and 32 marriage ceremonies performed.

Jackson to serve 4 days in San Diego jail

San Diego Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson pleaded guilty to a 2009 DUI charge on Monday and received a four-day jail sentence and five years probation.

It is unclear when Jackson will serve his jail time.

Since joining the Chargers, Jackson has been arrested twice for suspicion of driving under the influence. He pleaded guilty in a 2006 case and was on probation when he was arrested again last January.

City Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Gina Coburn said Jackson was given the standard sentence for a DUI with one prior, including a $2,408 fine and 10 days of public work service. He also was given an additional five days of public work service on the 2006 DUI.

The jail time can be served as work release, Coburn said, and Jackson, who entered his plea on Monday, can report between now and March 23.

With the guilty plea, Jackson likely will be subject to the NFL’s personal conduct policy and could face at least a one-game suspension in the 2010 season.

Jackson faces arraignment on March 2 for driving with a suspended license. He was handcuffed briefly and had his car impounded following a traffic stop just a few hours before the Chargers’ playoff loss to the New York Jets. Jackson was pulled over for playing loud music. He was cited for driving with a suspended license and expired tags.

Jackson likely will be a restricted free agent this offseason, unless the NFL and its players can agree to a new contract before March 5. If a new contract is agreed to, then Jackson would be an unrestricted free agent.

Jackson enjoyed his best NFL season in 2009 with 68 catches for 1,167 yards and nine touchdowns.

Chargers general manager A.J. Smith didn’t return a call to The Associated Press seeking comment Tuesday.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

San Diego Jails release 260 inmates with California’s sentencing reform

Mothers across California saw their sons released from jail early. In San Diego County, the sentence was shortened for 260 inmates. The incarcerated were let out of jail in response to the new state law mandating San Diego to follow suit with the rest of California to reduce prisoner populations by 40,000 in coming years.

Parole officers will see their case load cut significantly. Critics doubt that the reform will reduce California’s recidivism rate now estimating 70 percent of offenders will become repeat offenders.

California’s Secretary of Corrections, Matthew Cate, explained the new law. “What this parole reform says is, if you commit a new crime you will go back, but not for technical violations.”

The current good time that prisoners earn will change so that now those sentenced can expect to serve half of the sentence given instead of the three-fourths time in effect until now.

About 9,000 of the violators who leave prison will now be on nonrevocable parole. Close to 5,000 classified as being a low risk will no longer be court ordered three years of supervised parole. In other words no one will be sent back to prison for a failed drug test anymore.

California’s over-populated prison system is a result of the hundreds of inmates serving life sentences under the state’s Three Strikes Law. Under this law, inmates who have never murdered but will never be released – do their time watching murderers come and go through the prison gates.
`

Suspect in home invasions commits suicide in Central Jail

SAN DIEGO – A man linked by DNA evidence to a series of home invasions and sexual assaults killed himself in jail, police officials said Friday.

The body of Thomas James Parker, 39, was discovered at about early Friday at the San Diego Central Jail, police officials said. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, which runs the jail, confirmed that deputies found an inmate hanging in his cell when they made a security check at 7 a.m. Sheriff’s officials refused to identify the inmate until family members had been notified.

Parker was arrested Wednesday. Police said he attacked a woman in the garage of her Mission Valley apartment, but she was able to fight him off. The woman, a long distance runner, chased after her attacker until several bystanders, including and off-duty Border Patrol officer, caught him and held him for police.

Investigators said that Parker matched the description of a serial rapist being sought in connection with attacks on six women in the San Diego area over the last year. The assaults occurred in Carmel Valley, Tierrasanta, the College area and near UC San Diego, as well as Mission Valley. On Thursday, police announced that Parker’s DNA matched evidence collected in three of those attacks.

Parker was a married father of two young children and co-owner of It’s a Grind Coffee House in Little Italy.

Shawne Merriman and Tila Tequila: NFL Player Arrested

San Diego Chargers star outside linebacker Shawne Merriman was arrested Sunday and accused of choking and restraining his girlfriend, reality TV star Tila Tequila, as she tried to leave his suburban home.

Tequila, 27, signed a citizen’s arrest warrant, charging Merriman with battery and false imprisonment, San Diego County Sheriff’s Lt. Gary Steadman said.

Both are felonies.

Deputies responded about 3:45 a.m. to Merriman’s house in Poway, north of San Diego, after a woman called to say she was choked by the player and thrown to the ground when she tried to leave, Sheriff’s Department spokesman Jan Caldwell said at a news conference.

Merriman’s attorney, Todd Macaluso, disputed Tequila’s story and said he’s confident Merriman won’t be charged by the District Attorney’s Office.

“There was absolutely no wrongdoing on the part of Mr. Merriman,” Macaluso told The Associated Press by phone. “He essentially was doing what was appropriate under the circumstances in trying to protect the safety of Miss Tequila. There were numerous eyewitnesses that will support his version of the events that transpired at his home.”

Merriman, 25, was taken into custody and booked into the central jail at about 8:30 a.m. He was released shortly after 11 a.m.

Tequila was taken to a hospital. Her condition was not immediately available.
Story continues below

Caldwell said deputies determined Tequila had been drinking.

Asked if Merriman was trying to keep Tequila from driving drunk, Macaluso said: “We don’t want to comment on her conduct. The bottom line is, he did everything in his power to ensure her safety. He hopes she comes forth and tells the truth.”

Caldwell said she wasn’t sure if Merriman had been drinking. Macaluso said witnesses he spoke with said Merriman had ordered water three or four times when his group was at a downtown San Diego club before going to his house. The attorney said none of Merriman’s teammates were at his house.

Tequila, whose real name is Tila Nguyen, is best known for “A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila,” which ran for two seasons on MTV. The bisexual dating show featured men and women vying for Tequila’s affections. She has also modeled for Playboy and other men’s magazines.

Scott E. Leemon, an attorney for Tequila, said in a statement that neither she nor her representatives would comment publicly.

Merriman didn’t return two e-mails seeking comment. His agent, Tom Condon, said he hadn’t heard about the arrest when contacted by The Associated Press.

There had been considerable Twitter chatter between Tequila and Merriman during the last two months. She tweeted several times about going to the Chargers’ game Friday night and a party she held afterward at a downtown club, including:

_ “Im the Head Cheerleader Prom Queen and (at)shawnemerriman is the Prom King! hahaha! LETS GOOO! LIGHTS OUT! SAN DIEGO I WILL SEE U TOMORROW!”

Merriman was the 12th overall pick out of Maryland in the 2005 draft, and had 39 1/2 sacks in his first three seasons. The three-time Pro Bowl selection has been getting back into shape after missing nearly all of last season following knee surgery.

The Chargers, picked by some as Super Bowl favorites, open the regular season a week from Monday night at Oakland. Players had been off since after Friday night’s exhibition finale against San Francisco. They are due back at practice on Monday.

“It’s disappointing to hear about the issue involving Shawne Merriman,” Chargers general manager A.J. Smith said in statement. “We’ll continue to monitor the situation and let the legal process run its course.”

Smith didn’t return a call seeking further comment.

Smith often speaks of signing “character” players, yet the Chargers have had their share of embarrassing off-field problems in recent seasons.

In 2006, there were seven run-ins with the law by San Diego players, including linebacker Steve Foley’s shooting by an off-duty police officer who suspected him of drunken driving.

Merriman was suspended four games for testing positive for steroids in 2006, and linebacker Stephen Cooper was suspended by the NFL for the first four games of the 2008 season after testing positive for a banned stimulant.

Smith reportedly has been unhappy with Merriman’s extracurricular activities, and there’s been speculation the Chargers will let him leave when he’s eligible to become an unrestricted free agent. Merriman has various business ventures and is enamored with the Los Angeles social scene. While on injured reserve last year he flew back and forth to Los Angeles once a week to appear on a football preview show.

We Can Come to You

Abierto 24/7 Bail Bonds makes it easy by doing most bails over the phone and fax machine, or we can come to you thus saving you the time and embarrassment of going to one of our bail bond offices. Discretion and the privacy of our customers is very important to us. Great care is taken to insure you are very comfortable and are well informed on every step of the bail bond process.

If you would rather see us at our downtown San Diego office please call and we will set up an appointment at your earliest convenience.

Toll Free: 1-877-279-1999

Fax No: 1-877-227-7710

Abierto 24/7 Bail Bonds
2604 B Street Unit #8
San Diego, California 92102

Driving directions to San Diego Abierto Bail Bonds Office

Contacting a Defendant

Please be aware there is no way anybody outside the jail can initiate a direct contact with any detainee. It is just not possible for you or anybody else to call into the jail and talk to your loved one. You must wait for them to call you collect, email, or you can choose to schedule a visit if you wish to not post bail.

If a defendant has called you, let them know you have called Abierto 24/7 Bail Bonds and to not hire or work with another agency. If more than one agency becomes involved, a lot of confusion might occur, which will delay a defendant’s release from jail.

General Information about e-mailing an inmate

* There is no expectation of privacy for e-mail messages. Every message will be reviewed by jail staff; therefore this system should not be used for legal or confidential mail, or any other privileged communications.
* Please limit your correspondence to one message per day in lieu of a conventional letter.
* Messages are limited to a single page and may not contain pictures or other attachments.
* Inmates will not receive the message electronically. The message will be received by jail staff, printed and delivered in printed form to the inmate, generally the following morning.
* Inmates will not be able to respond via e-mail. Outgoing correspondence will continue to be by U.S. Mail.
* When prompted to enter your address, please enter the address that you prefer the inmate to use for any written return correspondence.
* Do not use the inmate email system to solicit business or advertise services. Messages that appear to be unsolicited advertisements will not be forwarded to the inmate.
* E-mail received for inmates who are no longer in custody will not be delivered.

Instructions for Sending an Inmate Message

1. Search for the inmate on the Who’s in Jail site using the inmate’s last name.
2. From the list of inmate(s), click on the inmate’s last name to bring up a detail screen for that inmate. Please note that the last name may not look like a link, but it is.
3. Near the middle of the page is an envelope icon to “Email this inmate.” Click that icon, and you will be directed to an e-mail verification screen.
4. Enter your email address in the verification field and click on “Validate.”
5. Shortly after clicking “Validate,” a new email message should appear in your Inbox from netwebmaster@sdsheriff.org. Open the email, click the link included in the message, and you are ready to begin your message to the inmate. Remember that you will be entering text into a web form, not your email program.
6. When you are done, click “Send” and your message is complete. You should get another email message indicating your message was received. Do not reply to the message as the netwebmaster account is part of an automated system and not regularly monitored.

Visiting hours for San Diego County Jails vary and are subject to change without prior notice.

Inmates are allowed two social visits per week, each visit lasting 30 minutes. For the purpose of counting weekly visits, the week begins on Sunday and ends on Saturday. Inmate workers are allowed additional visit time, but their visit schedule is dependent on their work schedule. Social visits are normally non-contact, conducted through a visit window using telephone handsets.

The following guidelines are important to remember when visiting:

Reservations should be made one day in advance by calling the number listed on the facility visit page.

When calling for a visit reservation, please have the following information available for each visitor:

* Full name
* Date of birth
* Home address
* Telephone number

When visiting, each visitor age 16 and older must have one of the following unexpired types of identification:

* Driver’s license
* Federal, state, local government identification card (any state)
* Military identification
* Passport
* U.S. Immigration identification (including visas)
* Border crossing card issued by the United States Department of Justice
* Current high school identification
* Matricula Consular ID card issued after April 22, 2002 by the Consul General of Mexico

Walk-in visits will be accepted, on a space available basis—and first come, first served—as long as the visitors check in one hour before the visit time. Once a visit is scheduled, no “add-ons” will be made over the phone. Additional visitors may be allowed, up to the maximum of three, by arriving one hour prior to the visit and checking in with the other visitors. Cancellations are not accepted over the phone. Due to security reasons, East Mesa and Facility 8 Detention Facilities do not accept “walk-in” visits.

San Diego Mail Format

San Diego Central Jail
PO Box 122952
San Diego, CA 92112-2952

Vista Detention Facility
325 S. Melrose Dr, Ste 200
Vista, CA 92081

South Bay Detention Facility
500 Third Ave
Chula Vista, CA 91910

Las Colinas Women’s Detention Facility
9000 Cottonwood
Santee, CA 92071

East Mesa Detention Facility
446 Alta Rd., Suite 5200
San Diego, CA 92158

George Bailey Detention Facility
446 Alta Rd., Suite 5300
San Diego, CA 92158

Bail Bond Process

1-877-279-1999

Call 24 hours a day for immediate assistance.

If a friend or family member has been arrested and sent to any San Diego Jail you can call us to begin making arrangements for their release immediately. Most bails can usually be done over the phone and fax machine for your convenience. It is helpful if you have the defendants name, birth date, and city where they have been arrested. If you don’t have this information not to worry we will investigate it for you.

To execute a bail bond in San Diego we will also help you with the following:

* Locate which San Diego detention facility your loved one is in
* Determine co-signers and collateral if needed
* Bail bond forms completed (fax or in person)
* Secure payment (Cash-Credit Card-Check)

We can usually process the paperwork and have a bail bonds agent post the bond with in an hour. Sometimes there can be delays in the booking process or failures in the information systems of the jails that can delay the process. We pride ourselves in making it as quick and painless as possible, as we know how stressful the situation can be.

Bail Premiums

Bail premiums (costs) are regulated by the state of California and are non-negotiable. The cost of a bail bond is 10% of the bail amount. So if the defendant has a 10,000 bail the premium would be $1,000, and is non-refundable once the defendant is released. We do offer a 20% discount to union members, active military and attorney referrals as we have secured special permission by the state to offer this unique discount to those who qualify. Each bail agency is regulated by the State of California and is obligated by these pricing standards. We are one of the few companies that offer any kind of discount to union members and military personal.

Bail Bond Release Procedure

Once the paperwork and payment has been completed we will then go to the San Diego jail where your loved one is at and post bail. Most jails in San Diego take between 2-4 hours to process the paperwork necessary for the defendant to be released. San Diego Central Jail can sometimes take as long as 4-6 hours for a defendant to be released. While other smaller facilities can take as little as 45 minutes.

We will let you know and keep you up to date on expected release times. The facilities in San Diego County are extremely overcrowded and tend to be slow in their processing procedures.

Please be advised that we do everything in our power, and use all our connections to make the process go as smoothly as possible for each of our clients. Just understand that their are some things out of our control.

We have included for your convenience phone numbers, maps, and driving directions to all the San Diego Jails in the right sidebar. Please take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with location and procedures of the facility.

Accused Serial Rapist Commits Suicide In San Diego Central Jail

A Tierrasanta man accused of seven sexual assaults on women in San Diego over the past year died by hanging today in his cell at the San Diego Central Jail in an apparent suicide, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office and sheriff’s officials.

The body of Thomas James Parker, 39, was found hanging from a sheet around 7 a.m.

by deputies conducting a security check, according to the coroner.

Deputies, the jail’s medical staff, firefighters and paramedics attempted lifesaving measures, but he was soon pronounced dead, said San Diego sheriff’s Sgt. Roy Frank.

Parker was not on suicide watch, said sheriff’s Lt. Julie Sutton.

The husband and father of two children was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly tried to rape a 33-year-old Mission Valley woman in her garage, threatening her with a knife and grabbing her.

The Escala Circle resident screamed and fought back, and the assailant fled.

Parker was captured by police at a shopping center a few blocks away with help from passersby, including two off-duty Border Patrol agents.

Police said he had been linked through DNA and other evidence to seven sexual assaults.

Genetic evidence implicated Parker in at least three of seven home-invasion sexual assaults and robberies that began in June 2008, San Diego police said.

The assaults occurred in Carmel Valley, Tierrasanta, the College area and near UC San Diego, as well as Mission Valley.

Based on DNA evidence and other similarities in the assaults, authorities said they planned to charge Parker with all seven assaults.

Most of the victims were young Asian women, and in all of the attacks, the assailant demanded money before sexually assaulting the women, police said.

Getting the man responsible had been a high priority for the San Diego Police Department.

“Our efforts paid off (Wednesday) when (the) victim decided she was going to fight back against her attacker,” said SDPD Capt. Jim Collins.

Parker had been scheduled to be arraigned Monday.

Santee sues county over planned Las Colinas jail expansion

Santee sues county over planned jail expansion
By Michele Clock
Union-Tribune Staff Writer

July 24, 2009

SANTEE — The city of Santee has filed a lawsuit against the county of San Diego over the county’s $308.5 million planned expansion of Las Colinas women’s jail in Santee.

In the case, filed in San Diego Superior Court Wednesday, the city alleges that the county violated state environmental law in its preparation and approval of the expansion plans.

The county Board of Supervisors last month approved plans for a new 45-acre jail in Santee to replace the current 1960s-era facility. The city argues the county did not adequately evaluate the project’s impacts on traffic and public safety, among other issues, nor did it lay out sufficient steps to mitigate the effects.

Deborah McCarthy, chief deputy county counsel, said yesterday her office hadn’t had a chance to fully review the lawsuit yet, but that she assumed the county’s environmental documents would hold up in court.

“I don’t have any reason to believe that our (environmental impact report) is in any way insufficient,” McCarthy said.

Santee lost a suit it filed against the county last year over the county’s handling of a $100 million state grant for the jail expansion project. The city is appealing the decision.

Ryan Companies US Inc., which was developing a 1.9 million-square-foot mixed-use project next to Las Colinas, also filed a suit yesterday against the county over the expansion project