On November 9, documents were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, on behalf of Ray Christie by one of his attorneys from the Larson Law Firm, Mr. Rick Richmond.
On October 14, I reported that federal agents raided Christie's property. I reached out to HCSO and the Humboldt County DA's office about the raid. I specifically asked the DA about this raid and the Humboldt Superior Court case and the retrial against Ray Christie.
My post on the federal raid and efforts to contact HCSO and the Humboldt County District Attorney's office is mentioned in the filings.
I confirmed with Mr. Richmond that no charges have been filed against Christie as of today.
Humboldt County Sheriff's PIO Samantha Karges responded to me the same day. To this day, Humboldt County District Attorney Maggie Fleming and Deputy DA Steven Steward have not responded to me.
The federal agents were sloppy in their inventory. One example is that no phone number is listed for the cell phone seized. I have seen EPD and HCSO do a better job. What they didnt observe or expect was that they were recorded on a home based app security platform.
Christie has usually answered my questions and been accessible. Since the federal raid, I have only spoken with him briefly twice. Is Christie avoiding me? Is Christie MIA? Is Christie busier trying to run his business without information he needs due to certain items seized during the raid?
Who is Ray Christie? A man politically targeted but innocent? Or is he being held accountable for alleged violations of the law? Time will tell.
Most of my recent communication has been with his lawyer which is what I prefer, given that there is now a federal investigation in addition to the Humboldt Superior Court case.
His lawyers, current and prior have been responsive. I can't make the prosecutors comment. They used to before the Larson Law Firm took over. Since the federal raid, radio silence. Ms. Fleming knows me well and is usually very responsive. Mr. Steward is a very professional and usually responds and promptly.
There has been no coverage of this federal raid in other local media. As usual, they have no cajones and are lazy and sloppy in their coverage; especially with courts.
I have reviewed all six documents filed. In this post I have made some observations based on my coverage of this case, my ongoing and independent investigation of this case and many conversations over months with Christie, his prior lawyer, his current attorney and many parties involved.
I will be publishing three more posts. One on the motion for return of property and suppression of evidence; one on a declaration by Mr. Richmond and the declaration.
I am not on anyone's side. I want to know the truth. I have known Ms. Fleming for a long time, personally and professionally. I have known Mr. Steward, the various deputies, investigators for a long time. I got to know Ray Christie during this case, his first trial, current retrial and now this federal investigation. I have independently gotten to know all his lawyers. The Larson Law Firm is in a league of their own.
Who is Ray Christie? If you have never met him; your opinion is irrelevant. If you have met him, what is your motive, relationship, history in this small county? The jury is out on my opinion of Ray, so to speak, as this is a dynamic evolving situation.
The DA is treating the Larson Law Firm just as they treated Christie's prior lawyer. I am not going to print all the emails of the defensiveness, the stonewalling, the lack of response. The documents are available on PACER which anyone can access.
What makes it hard for me to focus on the case and should for you is that the sloppy investigation, the lack of evidence beyond a reasonable doubt, the specific targeting of only Ray Christie, the abuse of power, disregard of due process and political witchhunt.
Ray Christie buys sick cattle. Why isnt the auction facility where he buys these cattle being investigated? There is no tallow facility anymore. These points have been raised but ignored.
Are we to believe Maggie Fleming, Rex Bohn and Billy Honsal and the community members who complain to them about Ray Christie don't know of any other rancher or farmer violating the law in Humboldt? Rex and Billy know a lot of farmers, ranchers, dairymen. Does every dead animal that is found by CHP or CDFW belong to Christie? I did some previous posts where an animal on the highway did not belong to Ray Christie but that is where they head first, why?
Read the declaration, see the exhibits and ask yourself. Would you want the People of California, the state, the California Fish and Wildlife and the federal agents to treat you like they did Ray Christie?
The remaining three declarations I may address in a future post. What is filed in federal court is relevant to the Humboldt Superior Court case. I wouldn't be surprised if there will be a similar filing in Humboldt Superior Court.
Whether Ray Christie is guilty or innocent; whether he is guilty of animal cruelty or not cannot be addressed until the state and feds do a proper investigation and dot every i and cross every t. I already wrote previously about the Humboldt case but I thought the feds would be better. Convictions can be overturned on appeal. Charges can be dismissed. Do Miranda rights
There is a hearing on November 15 in the Humboldt Superior Court case on motions in limine. Mr. Richmond will be here. Two of his associates, Nathaniel Wright and Caroline G. Glennie-Smith will appear via Zoom.
Recent posts:
https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2021/10/michael-acostas-letter-will-piss-off-da.html?m=1
https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2021/10/federal-agents-raided-ray-christies.html?m=1
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