Results tagged “Ricky Sisneros” from Crime & Courts

No one seemed more annoyed about the delay in sentencing Ricky Sisneros than Sisneros himself. The hold-up seems to be new information received from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation by prosecutors regarding Sisneros' criminal history. Before the 47-year-old can be sentenced, a "priors trial" must be conducted to see if the convictions and prison record attributed to him are, indeed, accurate. The judge must take his history into consideration in deciding penalty - especially if any strikes are involved. The strike issue looks like it will be a point of contention when the two sides get to it at it's new time - next Friday, Jan. 30.

Torrance Superior Court Judge Steven Van Sicklen asked Sisneros if he agreed to the delay. "We're not gonna come back and have something else pop up?" Sisneros asked. He was convicted more than five months ago and now seems eager to know how long he'll spend behind bars. It's not clear what his maximum is for the 10 weapons and drugs convictions, but it did come out in court today that he has 15 convictions dating back to 1980. We had previously only reported on the three that we knew about.

Previously: Did you hear the one about the gang member, the journalist and a bunch of attorneys?

It began on Dec. 3 when a process server left a subpoena for me at the front desk at the Daily Breeze for Ricky Sisneros' hearing the next morning. Sisneros is a Torrance gang leader who was convicted of being a felon in possession of weapons. I didn't know what the subpoena was about, but my new attorneys at Davis Wright Tremaine sent a letter to Sisneros' attorney, Caree Harper, and the prosecutor informing them I would not be coming to the hearing and the subpoena was improperly served.

The next day, the prosecutor asked Torrance Judge Steven Van Sicklen to contninue the hearing on Sisneros' motion for a new trial because Harper filed a 50-plus page motion the day before. Apparently, the issue of my subpoena was brought up and, since I wasn't there, Harper asked Van Sicklen to issue a body attachment (basically, an arrest warrant) for me. Since the prosecutor had my attorney's letter, the issue was moot and nothing more came of it.

In the coming days, Harper contacted one of my attorneys, Kelli Sager, to see if she would accept service for me. When Sager asked what this was all about, Harper hung up the phone after telling her I had "opened the door" by publishing articles about her client's case.

On Dec. 15, around 7 p.m., as I unloaded my family from a weekend away in my driveway, a baseball-capped figure appeared with a poinsettia, a bottle of champagne and a subpoena. She told me she had a delivery for me and "it was nothing personal." I took the subpoena - but not the plant and booze.

Last week, my attorneys attempted to get from Van Sicklen's courtroom Harper's motion for a new trial, but was told the judge had it in chambers. They were able, however, to get the prosecution's opposition to the motion - and we were finally getting an idea of what the subpoena was about.

Among the contentions in the new trial motion was that Deputy District Attorney Jeff Stodel engaged in prosecutorial misconduct by giving me Sisneros' rap sheet. In his opposition, Stodel included a sworn and signed declaration in which he said I inquired about Sisneros' criminal history and he directed me to the Information (the filing complaint) filed in court in June.

Which is exactly what happened.

Ricky Sisneros' sentencing hearing was postponed from today until Dec. 23. He is the gang leader convicted by a jury of having weapons in his possession. Here's some of our previous entries about the case.

Yesterday afternoon, a process server left a subpoena for me to appear at the hearing this morning. According to my attorney, Kelli Sager, I was improperly served because it wasn't handed to me personally and it was not served in compliance with the law that requires five days notice for journalists. When, and if, I am served properly, then we'll have to fight it.

No, it's not clear why Sisneros' attorney, Caree Harper, has subpoenaed me to appear at the hearing.

For now, though, Sager has advised that the subpoena issue is moot until properly served. Since I've learned that no warrant was issued for my arrest for failing to attend the hearing this morning, I now feel safe to go run some errands on my lunch break!

Ricky Sisneros' sentencing hearing was postponed from today until Oct. 29, according to a court clerk. He was the alleged La Rana gang shot caller convicted of having a bunch o' weapons in his home.

Previously:

Torrance gang leader convicted

Torrance gang leader trial