James Walter Nightingale, 30, was arraigned in Judge Richard Martin's Department 2 courtroom Friday afternoon, a week after the fatal incident took place.
On Sept. 24 Nightingale is alleged to have struck 57-year-old Zino Mezoui, who was riding a motorcycle on Highway 29 near Siegler Canyon Road, before fleeing and abandoning his Chevrolet Suburban not far from the scene, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Mezoui later died at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, officials reported.
Nightingale turned himself in on Wednesday afternoon after the CHP and other local agencies, aided by tips from the public, spent days tracking down leads in an effort to find him, as Lake County News has reported.
In court on Friday it was revealed that Nightingale has other cases in the courts. At the time of the crash he was driving on a suspended license and was on probation for drunk driving. He also reportedly has a warrant for his arrest out of another county.
Those issues are now translating into additional charges against him.
Initially, Nightingale was arrested on charges of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and hit-and-run resulting in death, and a misdemeanor warrant from an outside agency. Since then, additional misdemeanor allegations of driving on a suspended license that was revoked for driving under the influence, and two probations violations also have been placed on his booking sheet.
In court on Friday public defender Shawn Collins made a special appearance on behalf of Nightingale. The court appointed defense attorney Jacob Zamora to represent Nightingale, who is set to return to court in Clearlake next Friday.
Nightingale – whose booking sheet lists him as a general contractor, although the Contractors State License Board does not show a license for him – remained in the Lake County Jail on Friday, with bail set at $50,000.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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