Results tagged “medrano” from Crime & Courts

It's time for me to talk down to all of you.

Oscar Medrano, who stepped down from the Gardena City Council dais and stepped into a vat of legal woes, had a brief apperance in Torrance Superior Court today for his child molestation case. A preliminary hearing, where evidence against him will be laid out, was scheduled for June 24.

Medrano, 48, was charged in March with 12 counts of committing lewd and lascivious acts on a young female relative. Two days before his arrest, he resigned from the Council, citing health concerns.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled today for former Gardena City Councilman Oscar Medrano, who is charged with lewd and lascivious acts on a minor. However, sources say that the hearing will likely be postponed. We'll have the details later.

**UPDATE: Medrano was ordered to return to court May 8 for a preliminary hearing setting.

On the online story about a man who planted a camera in his company's restroom so he could videotape a colleague, there was an interesting comment from a reader. Joe Public wrote: "Why does the Daily Breeze allow us to comment on sex crimes agains some Joe Smoe, but the editors decide against allowing the citizens to comment in regards to sex crimes against an elected public official (Medrano)? "

That's actually a pretty good question. Here's why: In sex crimes and those invovling minors, it is the Daily Breeze's policy (like most newspapers) to not identify the victim. However, we don't have control over what people write in the user comments section, and there was information that came very close to disclosing who Medrano's alleged victim is. Erring on the side of caution, we shut down the comments on that story - and didn't allow them on the follow-ups - to avoid this from happening in the high-profile, emotionally-charged case.

If someone were to disclose the name of the victim in the peeping Tom case, we'd do the same.

Former Gardena City Councilman Oscar Medrano appeared in court for the first time since his arrest last week. The story up on dailybreeze.com is just a quick update. Expect a bit more details in the story for tomorrow's newspaper.

Torrance attorney Gary Eto, who represents Medrano, thought it would be unfair to his client to allow cameras in the courtroom. He told Torrance Superior Court Judge William Beverly that the more this case is in the media, the more the jury pool would be tainted. Beverly agreed to allow Breeze photographer Brad Graverson and his camera, but denied requests by all but one of the local television news stations.

I arrived at work today to find my voice mail filled with anonymous messages accusing me of slanting the stories against former Gardena City Councilman Oscar Medrano.

First, let me say, I don’t know this man, I’ve never met him, don’t live in Gardena and have no personal stake in this. The sexual abuse charges filed against him are just another story in my 21 years of covering crime.

I called the councilman's family last week. They chose not to comment.

I don’t know whether the former councilman is guilty or not. Experienced sex crimes investigators and prosecutors decided enough evidence exists to file 12 felony counts against him, and I reported it. They obviously believe his accuser, and I'm told behind the scenes that they have a strong case.

Sometimes prosecutors are wrong. A few years ago, the DA's Office charged three Carson High School students with raping a UCLA student during a visit to the Westwood campus. I covered their trial and was mystified that we were even in court. In that case, the victim’s testimony made little sense and she lacked credibility.

The jury agreed, found the young men not guilty, and sent all three home.

Over the weekend, I received some emails and voice mails from people on both sides of the Medrano issue. Some support him, others want him to go to prison forever. One guy thinks he’s a lousy jeweler.

One thing that appears certain: Medrano’s supporters are ready to portray the alleged victim in this case as a mentally unstable girl making false accusations.

We'll have to let the court process play out.

Former Gardena Councilman Oscar Medrano is expected to make his first appearance in Torrance Superior Court today. He is scheduled to be arraigned on 12 felony counts involving lewd and lascivious conduct toward a minor. We'll be there, and we're trying to get photographs.

Prosecutors today filed 12 felony counts against former Gardena City Councilman Oscar Medrano, alleging he sexually abused a girl from the time she was in elementary school to high school.

Medrano, 47, is scheduled to be arraigned Monday at the Torrance courthouse.
Prosectors said the victim was molested on a regular basis beginning when she was in elementary school to age 14.
Medrano faces eight counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14, one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and three counts of lewd act upon a child 14 or 15 years old.

The last count relates to an incident that occurred when she was 15 years old.
The first nine counts also allege that the acts committed were of substantial sexual conduct, prosecutors said.
Medrano, who cited medical reasons when he resigned from the City Council on Tuesday, remains in custody on $500,000 bail.

Prosecutors are recommending his bail be increased to $960,000.


 

Gardena City Councilman Oscar Medrano, who resigned from his post Tuesday night, was arrested today on suspicion of child molestation, sheriff’s deputies said.

“We are confirming that we have an open investigation and he was arrested this morning,” said Sgt. Dan Scott of the Sheriff’s Department’s Special Victims Bureau.

Medrano was arrested on suspicion of lewd conduct with a child under 14.
“That’s all we can put out right now,” Scott said.

Medrano announced his resignation Tuesday night in a letter to the City Council.
Medrano cited health concerns for his decision.

“Due to the ongoing, unpredictable health problems that I’m experiencing, it has become very apparent to me that I am no longer able to serve in my current council member capacity.”

Scott said more information will become available later today.