Had to go on Google and X to find out about Facebook outage

 

Thought Facebook was working again. Still glitchy. 

Humboldt clerk DUI case dismissed days before trial; Public Defender's office assigns one of their most experienced attorneys for a misdemeanor?

 

Yesterday was trial confirmation for Humboldt Superior Court Deputy Clerk Annisha Harris' DUI case. I saw her sitting in court. Retired Humboldt Superior Court Judge John Feeney is in Courtroom 2 this week.

With all the cases on yesterday, I checked the court minutes which just said case was dismissed.

I checked with Deputy District Attorney Andrew Truitt and he said, "for insufficient evidence."

There was enough to arrest her and charge her but suddenly at trial confirmation, with a jury trial scheduled on 6/15, the case goes away?

Since when does the Public Defender's office assign an experienced attorney usually handling rape and homicide cases; Deputy Public Defender Ben McLaughlin for a misdemeanor? 

These are the two posts I did on her case.

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2026/05/public-defender-appointed-in-humboldt.html?m=1

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2026/03/da-charges-humboldt-deputy-clerk.html?m=1

At the Humboldt courthouse, everyone talks about everyone else's business. I am not going to repeat what they said about Annisha when she was arrested and before this dismissal because I have no idea if that is true, lies or gossip. Did she learn her lesson after her DUI arrest? Only time will tell.

She has spoken to me directly about drinking and invited me once for drinks which I declined. I have written about this in one of my many posts about the Courthouse. I did not name her in that post.

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2026/04/this-is-kind-of-unecessary-filing.html?m=1

I don't think any case involving anyone working for Humboldt Superior Court or in Humboldt Superior Court should be heard in Humboldt County. 

"Courts are full of delays."

Brian Harrison's jurors asked to come back at 10:30. Deliberations not started for today. 

James Atkins jury trial has not started because his attorney, Mr. Anthony Tall is not here. Jurors asked to return at 1:30.

I told Humboldt Superior Court Operations Manager Scott Anderson, "Not a good day to be a juror."

He responded, "Courts are full of delays."

12:51 p.m: Mr. Tall is here. Saw him outside the Courthouse. The trial was dark yesterday and Mr. Tall flew back from L.A. this morning.

2::12 p.m. Eureka Police Commander Wayne Rabang and EPD Forensic Analyst Carly Michaels are testifying this afternoon as rebuttal witnesses for the People in the Atkins trial.

2:30 p.m. Verdict in Harrison case. Sentencing tomorrow afternoon. I will do one post.

Trinidad Gomez sentenced to 8 years in prison

Convicted molestor Trinidad Gomez's sentencing concluded a few minutes ago. Count 1 6 years. Count 2 years. This information is from Humboldt County DA Investigator Ryan Hill right after the sentencing. Court minutes also included.

I had other cases to cover and had decided to just post court minutes and any press release from the DA's office. Senior Deputy District Attorney Whitney Timm was not going to be there or I would have attended in person. As I expected, Deputy DA Carolyn Schaffer appeared on the case.

Probation report was provided and filed on 6/8/26. Retired Humboldt Superior Court Judge John Feeney presided over the trial. Deputy Conflict Counsel Owen Tipps is Gomez' attorney.

"The Eureka Police Department reminds motorists that driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is dangerous, illegal, and will not be tolerated."

 

On June 11, 2026, at approximately 4:20 a.m., officers with the Eureka Police Department (EPD) responded to the 2100 block of Williams Street for a report of a vehicle collision into a parked vehicle.

New Humboldt County Deputy Public Defender Lauren LaBow assisting in domestic violence and false imprisonment jury trial

 This is not a case I am following and I did not  report on his May 13, 2026 arrest for these charges. 

These are the search results for Harrison in Humboldt Superior Court. He has convictions in all his prior criminal cases except CR1904370.

The alleged victim is not listed in the 2026 complaint so I don't know if it is the same woman from his family law case.

Harrison comes into the Courthouse with his backpack and quietly sits there until Courtroom 5 opens.

It was a short trial . Jurors started deliberations at 11:20 a.m. Today the jury sent notes at 11:50 a.m. and 3:02 p.m which were discussed in a closed courtroom. Court minutes state readback of testimony.

Humboldt Superior Court Judge April  

Van Dyke was assigned this trial after Harrison filed a disqualification against Judge Lawrence Killoran. 

Deputy District Attorney Matt Dobie is the prosecutor. This is his 4th jury trial.

Deputy Public Defender Ehvan Schectman is Harrison's attorney is assisted by new Deputy Public Defender Lauren LaBow.

Defense request for dismissal was denied yesterday. Prospective juror put up Facebook post about jury selection.

6/10/26: Jurors have not even started deliberating. They were asked to return at 10:30 a.m.

Six bailiffs ran into Courtroom 2

Six bailiffs ran into Courtroom 2.

I just saw them escort an inmate out of the courtroom, could not see who since they turned on the smart glass opaque feature. Retired Judge John Feeney is in Courtroom 2. 

I was at the other end of the hallway and I know better than to follow six deputies running into a courtroom. Never interfere with law enforcement when they are in the middle of doing their job.

Photos on second floor are prohibited.

Von Butterfield hires Patrik Griego; charged with possession of cocaine in this second DUI case and exhibition of speed

 

I was and have been the only one to report on Von Hawley Butterfield's arrest by Eureka Police Department. 

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2026/04/epd-arrested-von-hawley-butterfield-on.html?m=1

Janssen Malloy advertises with me and other local media yet I don't do selective coverage. I covered this arrest before Butterfield hired Mr. Patrik Griego. 

Hiring Mr. Griego is a smart decision since this is not a first DUI offense for Butterfield and there is an alleged drug charge. Butterfield needs an experienced criminal defense attorney.

Previously, Butterfield was represented by Mr. Ben Okin which I reported in my April 30 post.

The Humboldt County DA filed charges on 5/22/26. Butterfield was arraigned this morning on three misdemeanors. Count 1 driving when license is suspended or revoked due to DUI.  Count 2 possessing cocaine. Count 3 exhibition of speed.

Deputy District Attorney Dave Watson filed the complaint. Deputy DA Andrew Truitt appeared on the case today. Trial confirmation is on 8/12; jury trial on 8/17.

Will DA present and be able to prove alleged gang related allegations in Hoopa homicide co-defendant case?

Today, setting for preliminary hearing was scheduled in the Tselin Lincoln and William Warren case. I already reported that Ms. Rebecca Linkous, Warren's attorney filed a motion to compel which was scheduled for 6/16.

Ms. Andrea Sullivan is Lincoln's attorney. Senior Deputy District Attorney Roger Rees is the prosecutor for both cases.

As expected, the setting was continued to next week. All attorneys agreed. 

Mr. Rees requested that setting of preliminary hearing be "put over until next week when the  motion to compel" is scheduled. Ms. Linkous agreed and said, "significant discovery is outstanding." Ms. Sullivan was in agreement and told Humboldt Superior Court Judge Steven Steward, "she maybe present that day" in person. Ms. Sullivan practices all over California and currently based in Southern California.

What is more important is that both defense attorney brought up the several gang allegations alleged and what the DA intends to present and can prove in this case.

There is information shared with me in confidence from more than one source but requires verification and releasing it before a preliminary hearing in a case that has a lot of emotion and different factions of a community affected requires caution.

After losing his appeal in federal court, Watson is back in court for City of Arcata's request to renew restraining order

 

This is the last post I did on Brett Watson. I covered his criminal case, the case filed by the City of Arcata in which a permanent restraining order was granted for three years and his violation of probation.

Look at the number of posts I did on Watson from 2021 and, as usual, I covered what other media did not bother to or ignored.

On 6/10,  2022 case filed by the City of Arcata against Watson is scheduled in front of Humboldt Superior Court Judge Timothy Canning who granted the restraining order on March 17, 2023 for three years.

It is for the renewal of the workplace restraining harassment order. It was continued from 6/8/26. Watson already requested one continuance before that date on 4/13.

There have been a lot of developments including an appeal filed by Watson in federal court. It was denied.

San Diego attorney Ms. Kathryn Fox is the attorney for City of Arcata. Watson has hired a new attorney from Santa Rosa, Mr. Joel Fleck.

Commissioner Sarah Kaber is disqualified. I will add the declaration by Arcata City Manager Merritt Perry.

Most locals are familiar with the details of City of Arcata vs Watson and I have court documents in prior coverage. 

1:40 p.m.: No other media is here. No one in the courtroom. Attorneys, witnesses and Watson all are on Zoom. 

Mr. Fleck continued his cross examination of Danielle Allred, Contracts & Special Projects Manager for City of Arcata. There was some confusion since earlier, the name stated was Danette Demello. It is very hard to hear some people on Zoom, especially in Courtroom 4. Even the clerk and sometimes the judge have to ask people to speak up. Court minutes are in draft form  for 6/10 and not complete but I did confirm the name and the witness was Allred.

Allred made a statement about speaking to other people.

Mr. Fleck, "So you were encouraged?"

Allred clarified she asked the City of Arcata "HR director whether it was okay to speak to a particular individual who could not testify."

Mr. Fleck was particularly interested if Allred spoke with Arcata Councilmember Meredith Matthews. "Were you aware Meredith Matthews brought this motion to renew the restraining order?"

He stated, "Most people you spoke to was in 2021, 2022, 2023?"

2:20 p.m. Hearing is still going on. Testifying is former City of Arcata attorney Nancy Diamond. She testified about an email mentioned in the court documents, allegedly sent by Watson. She called him self serving. 

2:40 p.m Watson testified as a rebuttal witness. 

Ms. Fox, "Has he made other email addresses in the past?"

Diamond testified about Watson's computer savviness. She mentioned local media coverage in the past. "The comments included cute and  fictitious characters."

Diamond testified that she believed some of the online commenters on local media leaving comments favorable to Watson in October 2022 were made by him. Diamond mentioned users' names and the similarities to City of Arcata employees.

"Amelia Sinkhorn is very close to Emily Sinkhorn, the City of Arcata Environmental Director," said Diamond. "Emily Goldstein is close to Delilah Goldstein, another Councilmember."

You can come to your own conclusions whether Diamond was correct if a "strange" email sent to her was from Watson and about the online comments.

I blocked Watson years ago while covering his case and my own experience with him at that time made me agree with the original restraining order. These are ineffective, especially in Humboldt. There are many obsessive people in this County and they get fixated on people for years. If you have not experienced this firsthand, you cannot understand what the City of Arcata is going through.

I have experienced several people who have multiple email addresses, create multiple anon accounts and leave clues about their alleged identity. It is one reason I don't allow or trust anon accounts.

Witnesses are being questioned about information and the court documents have enough. This hearing did not need to go on for two days but Watson and Fleck will drag it out with unnecessary questions and waste time. Even there is a ruling today, I will update when it is concluded and if court minutes are available tomorrow.

6/11/26: Court minutes are still in draft form, there is no future date listed but there is an signed order from Judge Canning stating restraining order in this matter granted 3/17/23 is in effect until 9/8/26.

I will add court minutes later when they are available. I need to go through court documents to see what I included in prior coverage. I don't know when that will be. I want to wait for Judge Canning's ruling about the renewal before I waste time adding all documents. Very few people are going to look through all the court documents and I provide them for free.

The other media did not show up. If they cover this now because they read and follow me but you heard it here first from original reporting.

Convicted molestor Andrew Cunningham is still serving time, his case is on this morning for a hearing on restitution

 

Convicted molestor Andrew Cunningham's 2018 case is on calendar this morning. 

On 5/29, the Humboldt County District Attorney filed a motion for entry of restitution.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Whitney Timm is the prosecutor for this case. She is out of the office this week. Deputy District Attorney Carolyn Schaffer appeared on the case for the People. Mr. Michael Robinson is Cunningham's attorney for the case. Ms. Joanne Carter specially appeared for him today.

Ms. Schaffer told Humboldt Superior Court Judge Steven Steward that she was withdrawing her motion for $693.87 because there is not enough evidence at this time.

CDCR inmate locator shows Cunningham at the California Medical Facility.

I am not going to link all the posts I have done on this 2018 case. I provided screenshots of three posts and the links to those posts and three more which include his plea.

Opening statements tomorrow in Palisades fire suspect's case

 

With three judges gone this week, several Deputy DAs, expect more continuances this week

 

Judge Neel is not in tomorrow and there is no no coverage for her so one courtroom will be dark tomorrow. Two other judges are out this week. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, judges will be out because of graduation.

Humboldt Superior Court Judge Steward could have caught up with work tomorrow, had a light calendar because the James Atkins trial is dark tomorrow but Humboldt Superior Court Operations Manager Scott Anderson checked with him this morning about availability. 

Judge Lawrence Killoran is calling family law calendar but he has some special sets in criminal cases so there will be files, staff, judges moving between courtrooms. Judge April Van Dyke has been in Courtroom 5. There is a trial in Courtroom 5 and the defendant disqualified Judge Killoran.

Several Deputy DAs are out this week, either ill or time off. This in addition to Deputy DA Ian Harris gone for months for medical reasons and the loss of other Deputy DAs leaving.

Continuances this week are a given. 

I still have criminal cases and civil cases to update which I covered in court from last Friday and all week and most updates can wait and will be done starting this weekend because I am at the Courthouse all day, every day and there are multiple continuances, jury trials and verdicts. Court coverage is not a predictable or fixed schedule. 

Mendocino Judge Victoria Shanahan assigned to Troy Friedman's case

 

Troy Friedman's case was on for trial setting and change of plea this morning. I covered this in my May 4 post and court minutes in that post explain why and details about the change in plea.

Readiness Conference scheduled for 9/9. Motion in limine set at request of Mendocino Superior Court Judge Victoria Shanahan on 9/17. Jury trial for 9/2.

Deputy District Attorney Whitney Timm is the prosecutor. She is out of the office this week and Deputy DA Carolyn Schaffer appeared on the case today. Deputy Public Defender Ben McLaughlin is Friedman's attorney. Deputy Public Defender Emery Welton appeared in court today for his office.

I have provided court minutes which have a couple more details about scheduling and discovery.

“I am proud of what my team and the county have accomplished since Fall of 2022."

 

The County of Humboldt just issued a press release about audits. In April, I did my own interview with Interim Humboldt County Auditor Mychal Evenson.

Once again, he recognized his team.

Pa Cheng a no show for sentencing in her drug case; DA should not have dismissed her pandering case

 

I should have just added this update to the July 1, 2025 post with other continuances for sentencing.

Yesterday, Pa Cheng's sentencing was continued to 6/15. She failed to appear and a bench warrant issued by Humboldt Superior Court Judge Lawrence Killoran for $5,000 and held until June 15.

Destinee Rhamy retrial delayed so DOJ DNA samples can be sent to a private lab

 

I covered the Destinee Rhamy case, her first trial regularly with exclusives. Today, Readiness Conference was scheduled for her retrial.

Ms. Andrea Sullivan is her attorney. Deputy District Attorney Roger Rees is the prosecutor.

Rhamy was in court today. Ms. Sullivan appeared via Zoom.

No other media was there.

In my 6/2/26 update which was added to the March 27 post, I reported that Readiness Conference scheduled for 6/2/26 was continued by the DA to 6/9 because additional DNA needs to be tested.

Today, Mr. Rees requested the 6/15 jury trial be vacated. "People are still waiting for evidence to be tested and need to get the DOJ samples to a DNA lab."

That request was granted by Humboldt Superior Court Judge Kaleb Cockrum. 

Readiness rescheduled for September 1; jury trial for September 14.

The first trial, the jurors were hopelessly deadlocked.

DA pulls last minute stunt in court; had agreed after Marsy's Law compliance to allow Georgi Tonev to plead to three wage theft felonies and all human trafficking charges dropped

 

I just did a post yesterday on human trafficking suspect Georgi Tonev. I included links to all my previous coverage on Tonev for new readers.

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2026/06/30-day-time-estimate-for-human.html?m=1

Here is what was included in yesterday's post and since I am doing this post today, the word tomorrow was changed to this morning when mentioning the bench warrant.

I have been regularly reporting on human trafficking suspect Georgi Antonov Tonev's court case. Some updates from April to June were added to the April 17 post.

Since my last update, there was an intervention hearing added on 6/5/26. Humboldt Superior Court Judge Steven Steward met with Deputy District Attorney Rebecca Buckley-Stein and Ms. Andrea Sullivan at 4 p.m. Intervention hearings are not open to media and the public.

Today was Readiness Conference for the jury trial scheduled for 6/15. Time estimate with jury selection is 30 days.

A bench warrant was issued and held until this morning. That was not addressed in court today.

I spoke with Ms. Sullivan yesterday and she said, "For sure Georgi will be there tomorrow. There will be a big update in court tomorrow for those interested in this case."

Even before court opened, based on the way the Humboldt County DA has handled this case. No other media was present.

Tonev was in court.  

I should have known something was up when I did not see Ms. Buckley-Stein. 

Humboldt Superior Court Judge Kaleb Cockrum asked attorneys about the jury trial scheduled on 6/15. 

Ms. Sullivan said Ms. Buckley-Stein needed to provide updates.

At that point, Deputy DA Jessica Watson said she was appearing on the case for the People. Ms. Buckley-Stein has been out ill yesterday and today. Ms. Watson said, "the People confirm."

This was a surprise to Ms. Sullivan and Tonev.

Ms. Sullivan told Judge Cockrum that she has text messages from Ms. Buckley-Stein. It was her understanding that the DA wanted to comply with Marsy's Law and offered Tonev a plea for three felonies. 

In court, Ms. Sullivan just said three felonies. Judge Cockrum set another hearing on Friday 6/12. Ms. Sullivan and Tonev can appear remotely.

After court, I spoke with Ms. Sullivan. She provided me more details. "Marsy's law compliance being done currently for three wage theft felonies for each of the John Doe's. All human trafficking charges would be dropped."

The DA's office knows there are issues with the so called alleged victims and the handling of this case. If they want to take it trial, more details will come out that I will not post now since there is a potential plea and the case has yet to go to trial.

If you have not read my live coverage and prior coverage on this case, not available elsewhere; you should for background and context for today's coverage. 

The DA has a case with issues; they have had losses.If you have not read my live coverage and prior coverage on this case, not available elsewhere; you should for background and context for today's coverage. If you followed my coverage on this regularly, I have called both the DA and HCSO in real time. Facts and information not reported elsewhere.

6/12/26: Today, the jury trial for 6/15 was vacated. The case will resolve on 6/17.