Eyler gets trial date in San Bernardino County Assessor's Office scandal
Former taxpayer advocate Gregory Eyler, one of several people suspected of political malfeasance and fraud in the San Bernardino County Assessor's Office, has been scheduled for a jury trial in January.
Eyler appeared for a pretrial hearing on Wednesday before Judge Michael Smith in San Bernardino Superior Court.
The trial was set to start Jan.30. Smith said he was "treating this as a firm date." An assignment calendar date, to ensure the case is ready for trial, was set for Jan.27.
Eyler, 35, returns to court Oct.21 for another pretrial hearing.
Smith announced that the January trial date was firm if the case hadn't been resolved - for example, by a plea bargain - in October. Neither side has publicly discussed whether any settlement is in the works.
Eyler's lawyer, Deputy Public Defender Eric Teti, said a motion to dismiss the charges likely will be filed between the October and January court dates.
Eyler faces two felony charges stemming from county investigations at the Assessor's Office in 2008 while former Assessor Bill Postmus was at the helm.
Eyler was charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of presenting a false claim, according to court records.
Prosecutors said in August they could be ready to try Eyler after the defense reviews Grand Jury transcripts in an investigation into the Colonies Partners LP $102million settlement with the county.
Deputy District Attorney Lewis Cope told Teti at that time that witness statements about his client were in the Grand Jury transcripts from the criminal investigation into the settlement with the Rancho Cucamonga developer.
Teti needed to review the transcripts to determine if such statements in the Colonies investigation from Postmus, also former chairman of the Board of Supervisors, and Adam Aleman, former assistant assessor, relate to his case.
In January, Eyler settled a civil lawsuit with the county for $25,000 in connection with the Assessor's Office investigation.
County attorneys launched the lawsuit in May 2009 against Eyler, Postmus, Aleman, former Rancho Cucamonga Councilman Rex Gutierrez, who worked in the Assessor's Office, former Assistant Assessor Jim Erwin and political consultant Michael Richman and his firm, MPR Strategies.
mike.cruz@inlandnewspapers.com
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