By Eva Knott / San Diego Reader / March 5, 2024
San Francisco attorney Curtis Briggs asked for the names of all policemen who were embedded in the Antifa mob during an assault in San Diego on January 9, 2021.
The demand was heard Friday, March 1, by Judge Daniel Goldstein. This judge, who will hear the trial, was hearing motions before jury selection, which is expected to begin in two weeks.
Three alleged Antifa rioters have pled not-guilty to multiple felonies: Brian Cortez Lightfoot Jr., 27, Luis Francisco Mora, 32, and Jeremy Jonathan White, 41. Eleven people were originally charged, eight already made plea deals, and of those eight, two were sentenced to state prison. Erich Yach, now 40, was the first one to make a deal and could be released from prison as early as April 1, 2024, according to a prison spokesperson. Jesse Cannon was sentenced to five years state prison last month, but so far remains in local custody.
At the hearing last week, prosecutor Makenzie Harvey confirmed that there were plainclothes or undercover police among the Pacific Beach leftists that day; this came out because one cop’s conversation was recorded by his own bodycam. That policeman, who was not undercover, was approached by a victim identified as J.C., who wanted to know why violent protestors were not being arrested. The cop responded that there were people embedded in the crowd and that action would be taken “later.” Besides the cop’s bodycam recording, the testimony of victim J.C. before a San Diego grand jury was in the grand jury transcripts obtained by defense attorneys.
The judge said this motion to reveal names and identities of those embedded officers, would be discussed “ex parte” with the prosecutor in a closed hearing, and no decision has been announced publicly yet.
Defense attorney Briggs wanted to obtain any information about how San Diego police might have been trained regarding Antifa, especially immediately after the January 6, 2021 disturbance in Washington, D.C. Briggs pointed out that the riot in San Diego happened just three days later, on January 9, 2021.
“I don’t want to get political,” Judge Goldstein warned. This judge has repeatedly warned all attorneys that he will not allow the trial to “get political.” But Briggs persisted and again referred to what happened in Washington D.C. on January 6, but the judge cut him off, “We are not tying the two together, I don’t want to do that,” the judge declared.
Attorney Curtis Briggs, who represents defendant Jeremy White, said he wants the entire case dismissed because of “selective prosecution.” Briggs is claiming that District Attorney Summer Stephan chose not to charge any “people on the right” for their alleged acts of violence during the “protest.” Briggs complained that San Diego police captain Matt Novak, who was on scene during “the supposed riot,” was an important witness, since the police captain told the grand jury that the people on the right were peaceful, and people on the left were violent.
For the balance of this article, please go here.
