The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 188

El THURSDAY, MARCft 27, 1997 LOS ANGELES TIMES ORANGE COUNTY Judge to Hear Motion Today to Disqualify Capizzi in Baugh Case 1 1 I 1 1 1 1 1 Al I ll A A tl 1A pivotal in winning the indictments. political rhetoric" Ccrts: A second motion seeks dismissal of all charges assemblyman accused of violating election law. 1 fty MARTIN MILLER TIMES STAFF WRITER SANTA ANA A Municipal Court judge is set to hear a motion (oday to disqualify Orange County Dirt. Atty. Michael R.

Capizzi from prosecuting the highly charged end backed off the case because it's "a little too hot to handle." Baugh and his political mentor, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Hun-tington Beach) have publicly vilified Captzxi ever since prosecutors from bis office convinced the Orange County Grand Jury to indict the assemblyman, his chief of staff and a Rohrabacher aide on charges of violating election laws on the eve of the Republican primary last March. Their attacks intensified after a Superior Court judge in September tossed out 17 of 22 charges on which Baugh was originally indicted, on grounds that grand jurors had not been allowed to hear "prior inconsistent statements" by Daniel Traxler, Baugh's campaign treasurer. Trailer's testimony was helping recruit a close friend and former co-worker to run as a Democrat to siphon support from his principal Democratic rival and help ensure his victory. The decoy candidate, Laurie Campbell, and her husband contributed $1,000 to Baugh's campaign.

To conceal Baugh's relationship with Campbell, Traxler said, the couple's contribution went unlisted in several campaign finance reports. Traxler told investigators he later repaid Campbell's husband at Baugh's direction. Last July, the assemblyman aggressively attacked Traxler's credibility in a 51 -page analysis of his testimony, saying "without question, Traxler lied at every available opportunity and blamed the circumstances. Baugh." Captrsa's office refiled the charges a month later, and Baugh was subsequently arraigned on five felony charges of perjury and 13 misdemeanor violations of the California election law. Baugh faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.

The district attorney's office took aim at Baugh's repeated accusations of "a witch hunt" in hundreds of pages of court papers filed last week in Orange County Superior Court Prosecutors tout five declarations stating Traxler did not lie as crucial to Thursday's hearing. "We debunk their allegations of perjury," said Brent Romney of the district attorney's office. "We take the position that all Baugh's talk is If the defense motions fail, prosecutors hope to put on evidence against Baugh in preliminary hearings either Friday or Monday, Romney said. "We are going to lay our cards on the table at the preliminary hearing, and let the public decide if there's a case against Baugh or not" Romney said. Baugh's attorney, Allan H.

Stokke, did not want to comment on the district attorney's recent court filings except to say he "didn't quite understand" why it took so long for prosecutors to make their case. Baugh's alleged wrongdoing occurred during the campaign to recall Doris Allen in 1995. After the election, Baugh was accused of Baugh's attorneys contend that prosecutors are guilty of "outrageous conduct," including mailing a judge and coercing a key witness to perjure himself, for the sake of Capizzi's political ambitions. But prosecutors counter they've done nothing improper and call Baugh's heated attacks an attempt to divert attention from the assemblyman's conduct Prosecutors received a boost earlier this month when investigators of the state attorney general's office concluded that Baugh's allegations were groundless. Baugh dismissed the state's investigation, saying the attorney gen- ampaign-fraud case against Assemblyman Scott R.

Baugh (R- unungton Beach). Judge William L. Evans is ex- ted to decide whether Capizzi iffice should keep the case or pass on to the state attorney general. Evans is also expected to consider a econd defense motion to drop the entire case against Baugh. I ST QUALITY CER AMI CTn.E Fileclub FACTORY DIRECT SAVINGS! I npc Til I Knott's Gets the Drop on Its Customers With New Coaster IsTl! ilifAXrw i ilS4 PI I runUHAdtA EXPIRES 33197 400 SQ FT OR MORE 1 FREE DELIVERY Plan I LARESEDA ANAHEIM I 7129 Reseda Blvd.

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Together, they plunge and then the race begins. Knott's Berry Farm on Wednesday unveiled its $9-million roller coaster, Windjammer, leaving riders to debate whether the red or yellow track was faster. Windjammer, one of the park's most expensive attractions ever, is part of the park's new beach-themed area called the Boardwalk. The park's fourth steel roller coaster opened less than two weeks after the mega-hyped new attraction at Six Flags Magic Mountain, Superman the Escape, in Valencia. The Superman roller coaster is the world's tallest and fastest it drops riders backward 370 feet at 100 mph.

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And Cirque officials vowed to keep working with sound experts to contain the noise within the tent. JOHN CANALIS 'COSTA MESA The Orange County Fair Board of Directors on Wednesday apologized to neighbors who live near the Cirque du Soleil tent at the Orange County Fairgrounds for having to endure performance noise and formed a committee to work on the matter before shows end April 13. I "The members of the board are totally stunned" by the noise problems, said Randy Smith, a fair director. "We owe you a sincere apology for imposing on you as a neighbor. was a mistake." About 75 residents who attended the meeting from the nearby Col- i (near Chapman in the old COSTCO building) Excellent selection.

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