Corey Bruins, the former president of the OB Town Council, who drove the long-time favorite OB organization into the drink — forcing it to re-organize itself under a new name and leadership, and then who was charged with embezzling thousands of dollars from the group — has now had his apparent stalling tactics brought to an end, hopefully. Bruins was originally charged more than 18 months ago.
Bruins is charged with nine felonies, including embezzlement as an aggravated white collar crime, grand theft, and six counts of identity theft. He pleaded not-guilty, and was released from custody shortly after his arrest without posting bail.
Bruins’ and his lawyers have repeatedly delayed his preliminary hearing, at which prosecutors will submit evidence and testimony about Bruins’ alleged embezzlement and identity theft.
Most recently, a judge agreed to delay the preliminary hearing after Bruins parted ways with his private-practice attorney, Earl Pott. The public defender’s office then assumed Bruin’s case, and his preliminary hearing was rescheduled for later this year, to give that attorney time to familiarize themselves with the evidence.
But at a September 16 status conference, Bruins asked Superior Court Judge John Pro for permission to fire his public defender. After speaking with Bruins and his attorney in a confidential hearing, Judge Pro denied Bruins’ request, and confirmed a November 17 date for the preliminary hearing.
As a former criminal defense lawyer, I can recognize these tactics as stalling techniques — not that I ever used them — and I’m not commenting on his guilt or innocence. But it’s been clear that Bruins has been putting off the eventual prelim — which every felony case gets – and trial — at every move. First he had an expensive lawyer – who he then fired and got delays and then got a public defender with more delays — who he just tried to fire. But finally, even the judge has had enough apparently.
The main thing for me is that the people of Ocean Beach have been waiting patiently for some kind of resolution to this case and the dire situation that Bruins, innocent or not, created nearly two years ago.
Paul Krueger assisted in reporting this development.
Too bad he isn’t a multi-millionaire MAGA Republican that can afford a pardon, eh? Look up the list of rich conservatives convicted of Fraud that have donated money to a certain convicted Fraudster that have been ‘granted’ (and I use that term loosely) pardons by said Fraudster. There is getting to be quite a list of happy smiling people. Going rate seems to be about $2million…
sealintheSelkirks