Legal professionals for suspended Metropolis Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas concluded their protection on Wednesday, and though the veteran politician didn’t take the witness stand, two former colleagues on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors did.
Each Janice Hahn, the present chair of the Board of Supervisors, adopted shortly after by retired Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, asserted underneath oath that Ridley-Thomas didn’t goad them into supporting three motions that prosecutors allege have been tainted by a corrupt conspiracy with a USC dean.
“Did our shopper, Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas, stress you in any technique to vote for this proposal?” requested protection legal professional Arturo Gonzalez a few plan to increase a USC contract for a distant psychological well being clinic.
“No,” mentioned Hahn, who wore a royal blue blazer and a cross round her neck. “I don’t particularly recall this movement,” Hahn mentioned of USC’s Telehealth program, however defined, “It was one thing we believed in.”
There’s no allegation within the case that Ridley-Thomas pressured his colleagues on the board to vote a sure approach. However the testimony of Hahn and Kuehl — not more than quarter-hour in size — was amongst a parade of principally present or former L.A. County employees and officers summoned to inform jurors about native authorities.
The aim of the protection appeared to indicate that the three board actions — for the Telehealth clinic, for a probation reentry middle close to USC and a probation worker coaching program — weren’t a part of a corrupt quid professional quo with a USC dean as alleged by prosecutors, however as a substitute the results of a well-intentioned and mundane forms.
The within account of the county was paired with the testimony of Ann Ravel, former commissioner of the Federal Election Fee, who mentioned that Ridley-Thomas’ $100,000 donation from a marketing campaign account by means of USC to his son’s nonprofit was authorized underneath California regulation, regardless of the shortage of transparency over the last word recipient.
“It completely did adjust to the regulation,” mentioned Ravel.
The testimony — in a courtroom filled with Ridley-Thomas’ supporters — units the stage for closing arguments on Thursday.
Karly Katona, a longtime aide who rose to chief of employees in Ridley-Thomas’ Metropolis Council workplace, testified to an “intensive inside vetting course of” for motions that her boss put forth.
“He would get his pink pen out,” Katona mentioned of Ridley-Thomas studying draft motions.
The witnesses additionally vouched for Ridley-Thomas’ long-standing ties to USC and the depth of his coverage objectives, particularly for points which are a part of the case: psychological well being, probation and reentry from incarceration.
“He actually felt that individuals deserve second probabilities,” mentioned Katona, who summarized his philosophy as, “Folks don’t get effectively in a cell.”
Emily Williams, a former staffer for Ridley-Thomas, testified to the dealing with of a confidential letter from a USC dean that was hand-delivered to the supervisors workplace. The letter has been a central a part of the prosecutors’ case, laying out Marilyn Flynn’s requests within the alleged quid professional quo.
Williams mentioned she acknowledged the letter from a 2017 assembly when Ridley-Thomas referred to as her to his workplace.
“Had he referred to as you in his workplace to take a look at letters earlier than?” protection lawyer Ramsey Fisher requested. Sure, she replied — a weekly prevalence.
Different testimony appeared to inoculate Ridley-Thomas from the emails that type the majority of prosecutors’ proof. Williams was requested about an electronic mail wherein Ridley-Thomas advised the USC dean, “Your want is my command” with a wink emoji.
“He used emojis along with her as a result of he used emojis with us,” Williams mentioned, eliciting chuckles within the courtroom. “He’d typically say these pithy, succinct issues.”
On cross-examination, prosecutors sought to focus on the previous staffers’ loyalty to Ridley-Thomas, together with the bounds of their information.
Requested if she knew in Might 2017 whether or not Ridley-Thomas was discussing with Flynn his son’s attendance at USC’s social work program, Williams mentioned no.
“That’s since you wouldn’t be aware about conversations the defendant had with Marilyn Flynn?” Assistant U.S. Atty. Michael Morse requested.
After the jury left Wednesday afternoon, Assistant U.S. Atty. Lindsey Dotson summarized in court docket the arc of the protection: “The suggestion is: ‘Nothing to see right here of us,’” Dotson advised U.S. District Choose Dale Fischer.
The bookend of the protection case was not Ridley-Thomas however his spouse.
Avis Ridley-Thomas narrated how the couple have been highschool sweethearts now married for 44 years. They’ve twin sons, Sebastian and Sinclair.
Sebastian’s resignation from the state Meeting and the advantages he acquired from USC are the crux of the allegations towards her husband. Avis supplied insights of this era, significantly her son’s poor well being, in a relaxed cadence.
“He was simply not effectively,” she mentioned. “It was clear he wanted to do one thing else together with his life.”
There have been no questions in regards to the full scholarship and job he acquired from USC or the continuing sexual harassment inquiry when he stepped down.
As a substitute, jurors heard, Sebastian moved in together with his dad and mom, started his programs for USC’s grasp’s diploma and “appeared relaxed.”
“He was taking it very simple,” Avis mentioned.
