During a public hearing Dec. 22 on the high-profile King City corruption case of former police Sgt. Bobby Carrillo, the court opted to delay jury trial for two months.
The decision to change the Jan. 4, 2016 trial date for March 21, 2016 came after defense attorney Susan Chapman and prosecutor Doug Matheson "could not reach a final agreement" to settle the case, Matheson says.
Carrillo, accused of being the mastermind behind a towing scheme in King City that defrauded low-income Latinos for several years, maintains his innocence. He is the only former King City police officer, of the six arrested in February 2014, with a criminal case still pending. All the others accepted plea deals from prosecutors to settle their cases.
Matheson says no plea deal is going to be offered to Carrillo and that jury trial will "definitely be happening."
The public pre-trial conference hearing on Dec. 22 was initially scheduled for 2:40pm, but at 9am attorneys in the case received a call from Monterey County Superior Court Judge Julie Culver to meet at 10am.
Carrillo was present, as were both attorneys.
"The judge wanted to meet early," Matheson said.
Carrillo is charged with conspiracy, accepting a bribe, and bribing an executive officer in connection to the towing scheme.
He is accused of giving the lion's share of the tow business to acting chief Bruce Miller's brother, Brian Miller, in exchange for cars as kickbacks.