Former Chino Valley Unified board member hearing continued

By Will Bigham

Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO -- The sentencing hearing in former Chino Valley Unified board member Bobby Grizzle's conflict-of-interest case was continued Wednesday to July 1.

The hearing for Grizzle, 51, was delayed because the county's probation department failed to address in its pre-sentencing report whether Grizzle will be permitted to leave the state for work while on probation.

Grizzle pleaded guilty in April to a felony conflict-of-interest charge and agreed to a jail sentence of 30 days consecutively or 45 days to be served on weekends.

Prosecutors accused the former trustee of steering school district office-supplies contracts to his employer, Boise Cascade/Office Max.

In exchange for his plea, prosecutors agreed to drop three perjury charges against Grizzle for allegedly filing false statements of economic interest in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

On Wednesday in San Bernardino Superior Court, Grizzle appeared for a brief hearing where the probation department's report was addressed and a new sentencing date was set.

Grizzle's prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney John Goritz, told Judge Donna Gunnell Garza that he didn't object to Grizzle traveling out of state for work while on probation.

In an interview following the hearing, Grizzle said he is going to serve his jail time on weekends. "It's better for the family," he said.

He declined to comment further on the circumstances of his case. "I'll comment on July 1, when we come back," he said.

Prosecutors accused Grizzle of working to secure contracts for his employer beginning in 2002.

He abstained from board votes on the contract because of his conflict of interest, but behind the scenes he worked to influence the process, prosecutors alleged.

Following his guilty plea in April, Grizzle placed the blame for his conflict-of-interest charge on school district administrators and attorneys who he claims advised him poorly.

-- will.bigham@inlandnewspapers.com

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