LAKEPORT, Calif. – After disagreements surfaced earlier this year about the design and orientation of a proposed new Lakeport courthouse, a local group appointed to give input on the project has reached a consensus in support of an updated plan.

Following a Thursday afternoon meeting, the Lakeport Courthouse Project Advisory Group – which includes representatives from the court, local government and the business community – agreed on a revised “north option” for the 50,000 square foot building.

The new courthouse will be located at 675 Lakeport Blvd., according to the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The new building layout, which in earlier concepts was proposed to be two stories, will now be a single story with a basement that will be located on the north side of the Lakeport Boulevard property, with an extension curving around to the east, taking advantage of the site’s grade, the Administrative Office of the Courts said.

The new $55 million courthouse, which will feature four courtrooms, was determined a priority by the state judicial branch based on the crowded, cramped and – in the state's opinion – unsafe conditions now found on the fourth floor of the Lake County Courthouse at 255 N. Forbes St.

The Lakeport court has just over 15,000 square feet and must store some files in an off-site storage facility, according to court officials.

There's still no versions of the plan that the state is prepared to release to the community. The Administrative Office of the Courts said that when the design by the project architect, Mark Cavagnero Associates, is further along, the public will be able to see the design.

Judge Richard Martin, who has been a part of the advisory group since it began a few years ago, told Lake County News on Thursday that he was pleased with the outcome.

“The courts are happy that a collaborative effort with our Public Advisory Group has resulted in a very functional courthouse which will compliment our county, the city of Lakeport and preserve the view from Vista Point,” he said. “The project will provide a safe and efficient court for the citizens of our county well into the future.”

Supervisor Anthony Farrington, whose district includes Lakeport, had earlier this year raised issues about the state's renderings, which suggested that an original “north option” could potentially block views from Vista Point, the location of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce's offices.

However, Farrington – who also sits on the project advisory group – said on Thursday that the new plan was much improved, with better initial design lines, a more aesthetically pleasing look and a “completely different” building overall that better fits the terrain.

“The architects took into account the concerns that I had expressed about the previous proposals that would have obstructed the views from Vista Point,” Farrington said.

He said the new plan protects views of Clear Lake, Mt. Konocti and Big Valley. Farrington added that the county can be proud of the redesigned project.

Melissa Fulton, chief executive officer of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce and another project advisory group member, said that following a June meeting at Vista Point – in which a demonstration was held to show how the new building would block Vista Point – the advisory group knew that the state was making revisions to the plan.

At the Thursday meeting Fulton said there was no vote, but it was agreed that the new one-story north option appeared to address all of the new building's needed aspects and the community's concerns.

“It's a matter of working together and making it work for the community,” Fulton said.

Rona Rothenberg, a senior manager in the Judicial Council of California's Office of Court Construction and Management, said that the state had received letters from members of the Legislature representing Lake County, asking them to take the community's feedback under “serious consideration” in developing the final design.

“And we've done that,” said Rothenberg, explaining that she believes that the serious and thoughtful input from the community, Legislature and the courts “have really informed our studies of the site” and brought the state project team to the right response.

Along with the community's concerns about the view and the city of Lakeport's “cone of vision” easement that protects Vista Point, the state said the new plan meets the criteria for functionality, security, access, public presence and parking capacity.

Rothenberg said the new building will be a beautiful, lasting landmark.

She said the escrow on the property should close within the next few weeks. For all practical purposes, the site acquisition is finished, she added.

The Administrative Office of the Courts' current project schedule calls for next nine months to be spent on design. If the Judicial Council approves funding for the next phase, Rothenberg said they could be in working drawings at this time next year, with groundbreaking and bond issuance to follow in the spring of 2013.

The state said that the project's construction is scheduled for completion in late 2014, but that is subject to change.

New courthouse projects are funded by Senate Bill 1407, which allocates a portion of judicial branch fees, fines and penalties, with no effect on the state’s General Fund.

Although Lakeport's new courthouse project was ranked as an “immediate need” in the judicial branch’s capital-outlay plan, and is among the branch’s highest-priority infrastructure projects, state officials acknowledged that there is the potential for project delays due to recent state budget issues.

The 2011-12 state budget saw $310 million “borrowed” from SB 1407, one of the reasons why delays could occur.

The Administrative Office of the Courts said the specific effect of those fiscal issues on the Lakeport project – if any – won’t be known for several months.

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Jean Albert Littrell, 45, of Clearlake, Calif., was arrested on Tuesday, September 13, 2011, on marijuana cultivation and drug charges. Lake County Jail photo.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Clearlake man was arrested Tuesday after he was found with weapons and marijuana.

Jean Albert Littrell, 45, was arrested on Tuesday, Sept. 13, according to a report from Clearlake Police Sgt. Rodd Joseph.

On Tuesday Clearlake Police officers were conducting a marijuana grow compliance check on a property located in an isolated and undeveloped area of the city near the intersections of 10th and Boyles Avenues, Joseph said.

He explained that the Clearlake Police Department routinely conducts compliance checks on reported marijuana grows, most of which are found to be operating in compliance with current state law.

Joseph said officers conducted the compliance check on Tuesday after receiving complaints about the marijuana grow from concerned neighbors.

While conducting the compliance check, officers found Littrell caretaking the property, Joseph said. Evidence of criminal activity allegedly was located on the property during the routine compliance check, which led to the issuance of a search warrant for the property.

Clearlake Police Det. Ryan Peterson obtained the search warrant during the evening hours and he and other officers served the warrant, Joseph said.

During the service of the search warrant, approximately 168 marijuana plants were seized along with a loaded, double-barreled 20-gauge shotgun and approximately 41 additional 20 gauge shotgun “slugs.” Joseph said the search continued throughout the nighttime hours.

The estimated street value for the seized marijuana, when fully developed, is over $500,000.

During the investigation it was learned that Littrell allegedly had been hired to “caretake” for the marijuana grow by another person associated with the property. Joseph said Littrell was subsequently arrested and charged with several felony charges to include, unauthorized cultivation of marijuana, possession of an illegal firearm, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of ammunition by a felon.

Additional persons associated with the illegal operation have been identified and additional charges may be pending, Joseph said.

Littrell later was booked into the Lake County Jail, with bail set at $10,000. He later posted bail and was released, according to jail records.

The Clearlake Police Department thanked the Lake County Fire Protection District for assistance in providing lighting equipment during the nighttime investigation. The department also thanked the concerned residents who alerted the police department to this illegal marijuana grow.

Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact Det. Peterson at 707-994-8251. Callers may remain anonymous.

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LUCERNE, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday that a woman shot early Tuesday morning has died.

The woman, whose name has not been released, died in an incident that 911 reports indicated occurred at around 3:30 a.m., when several shots were said to have been fired in the Sherwood Court area.

Lt. Chris Macedo of the Lake County Sheriff's Office confirmed later in the morning that the female victim died.

Macedo said the woman and her boyfriend were staying at a Sherwood Court home.

He said two people have been detained and are being questioned.

Michelle Gonzalez of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said the sheriff's office would be releasing more details as the day progressed.

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As a result of California's continuing struggle to make financial ends meet, courts across the state are facing deep budget cuts, which is leading to concerns about sustaining essential services at the heart of the justice system.

At it July 22 meeting, the Judicial Council of California allocated a $350 million reduction for fiscal year 2011-12, which the Administrative Office of the Courts reported is the largest budget cut in state court history, and is expected to have a dramatic impact on judicial branch services for the public.

The state's overall funding cuts translate into a 6.8 percent cut in funding for the 58 California trial courts, a 9.7 percent cut in funding for the California Supreme Court and the six Courts of Appeal, and a 12 percent funding reduction for the Judicial Council and its staff organization, the Administrative Office of the Courts said.

The Judicial Council also approved $122.4 million in offsets to lessen the impact of budget reductions on the trial courts.

As a result of the council's actions, the Lake County Superior Court is facing a funding reduction of $300,000 for fiscal year 2011-12 – a roughly 6.7-percent reduction over the prior year – according to county Court Executive Officer Mary Smith.

It's a big cut for the small court, which Smith said has an annual budget that totals just over $3.6 million for the current year, excluding grants and reimbursements.

The budget cuts to the state's judicial branch this year are “profound and deep and ultimately unsustainable,” San Diego County Superior Court Judge David Rubin, president-elect of the California Judges Association, told Lake County News.

“The projected cuts for next year are much worse and we are doing everything we possibly can to engage our branch partners and legislators in the governor's office around these cuts,” he said.

Rubin said the impact on all courts – no matter what size – is profound. “You're talking about our ability to deliver services, and when I say services I mean justice.”

The cuts resulted in part because the state “borrowed” $310 million from the state judicial branch's State Court Facilities Construction Fund, which is meant to raise funds for courthouse building projects such as the new courthouse proposed to be built in Lakeport, according to the state judicial branch. Thus far no delays to the Lakeport project have been announced.

Rubin said nobody envied the decisions the Judicial Council had to make.

He said the California Judges Association stands with California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, who became chief justice Jan. 3 only to face the catastrophic cuts. Rubin said Cantil-Sakauye is working as hard as she can to make sure all courtrooms in the state stay open.

Because the Judicial Council offset some of the $350 million reduction through one-time fund transfers and other one-time solutions, the Lake County Superior Court will not see the full impact of cuts until fiscal year 2012-13, Smith said.

It's then that the courts could face what Smith said would be a devastating 15 percent reduction.

“It's getting to the point that we think those things may come true,” said Smith.

Just how the courts will deal with that greater funding challenge isn't certain, she added.

“I'm not optimistic these days,” Smith said.

Said Rubin, “Whether you are a judge serving a small community in a small county or whether you're a judge in a much large community in a very large county, it is disturbing to have the level of service that we can deliver to the citizens in these communities undermined by these budget reductions.”

The California Judges Association and the Alliance of California Judges both lobbied the Judicial Council to take options other than allocating the reductions to the trial courts.

Kern County Superior Court Judge David Lampe, president of the Alliance of California Judges, had asked the council to use its full legal authority to fully cover the cuts and allow reserves to be applied over a three-year period so that the trial courts could gradually implement structural changes and avoid devastating cuts.

He also lobbied for not funding the California Court Case Management System. The Administrative Office of the Courts said the computer-based case management system will allow jurisdictions statewide to electronically compile and share information, and give judges and law enforcement agencies real-time access to court information.

However, the program has been strongly criticized for its cost, which the Administrative Office of the Courts said is $315.5 million over the nine years of its development.

The council did agree to transfer $56.4 million from the case management system, which will result in a one-year delay in deployment activities for that program.

But critics of the program like Lampe wanted the Judicial Council to go further. Lampe pointed to a state auditor's report that found the Judicial Council was implementing the program without an appropriate cost benefit analysis. As a result, it's estimated the program actually will cost between $1.9 billion and $3 billion to fully roll out.

“They continue to spend as we speak on that project while the trial courts go without services,” said Lampe.

And there are more immediate challenges, with that 15-percent cut that's anticipated for 2012-13.

“We've now been informed that revenue projections are lower than anticipated in passing this budget,” said Rubin.

If the budget picture continues to worsen, Rubin said other budget reduction triggers will be pulled and there may be further reductions this fiscal year.

“We're not out of the woods yet,” he said, noting the budget picture won't become clearer until next spring.

Ongoing cuts, challenges

According to Smith, the Lake County Superior Court has had its budget reduced by 12 percent since the 2009-10 fiscal year. Since then, four jobs have been cut, reducing court staff from 43 to 39, a nearly 10-percent reduction.

Smith said the courts are avoiding layoffs this time around because the court's employees are working with the court to implement cost saving measures.

The court met with its employee groups, which agreed to 13 unpaid furlough days in fiscal year 2011-12, Smith said.

Smith said those furlough days will coincide with dates that the court is proposing to be closed to the public – the week of Thanksgiving, the week between Christmas and New Years, and the first Friday of each month, January through June.

On closure days the court will have a skeleton crew available to process the in-custody criminal arraignment calendar, arrest warrants and any other emergency matters, said Smith. As the court proceeds with the closure days, it will take into account public input submitted during a month-long comment period that ended Sept. 7.

Staff has agreed to forgo salary and benefit increases since 2008, and agreed to 10 unpaid furlough days in fiscal year 2009-10, Smith said.

Also in the 2009-10 fiscal year, the state implemented a court closure on the third Wednesday of the month, which ran through June 2010. Court employees and the judges agreed to take the closure days as unpaid furlough days, which amounted to a 4.6-percent pay cut, as Lake County News has reported.

In the midst of all of the reductions, Smith said court employees are continuing to work hard to provide the public with the best service possible.

Smith, who has been with the courts for 20 years, said of the budget constraints, “I haven't seen anything this bad.”

The courts have seen previous tough economic times, Smith said. “It kind of gets a little uncomfortable and then it gets better, but this has been a pronounced low period that doesn't seem to be ceasing, or getting better.”

Rubin agreed, noting that over the years there have been both lean times and good times. However, “No one's seen cuts on this scale,” he said.

While the Lake County Superior Court has implemented significant cost reductions since 2008, Smith said the courts don't have the reserves to absorb the current budget cuts without reducing services to the public.

At an Aug. 24 meeting in San Francisco, presiding judges and court executives from around the state told the state Judicial Council about the steps they've taken to manage the cuts – from measures to go paperless, eliminating cell phones and juror lunches – according to a report from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The consensus at the meeting was that the state's trial courts can't continue to sustain the cuts indefinitely. The Administrative Office of the Courts also reported that the group agreed that the Legislature and governor must be convinced that the courts can't survive if such massive cuts continue.

The Judicial Council followed up with a vote at an Aug. 26 meeting to consider new statewide fees or fee increases that could be recommended to the Legislature to help offset the budget reductions.

In some corners, the severity of the cuts are such that the Judicial Council has opted to take special action.

On Sept. 9, the council unanimously approved an emergency one-time $2.5 million allocation from Trial Court Improvement Fund reserves for the San Francisco Superior Court.

As condition of accepting the funds, the court had to agree to keep open 11 courtrooms identified for closure, repay the funds – interest-free – within five years and submit written reports to the Judicial Council on how it will use the funds.

The allocation was in response to a strongly worded Aug. 22 request from San Francisco County Superior Court Presiding Judge Katherine Feinstein – daughter of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein – who asked for $20.4 million over three years to cover the court's deficit.

Feinstein warned that her court was facing the loss of 177 employees – nearly 40 percent of the San Francisco County Superior Court staff – the dismantling of its civil division and the closure of 25 courtrooms.

She said the court had been prepared to lay off 122 employees last year but it “mistakenly” followed the Administrative Office of the Courts' guidance and didn't issue layoff notices.

The Administrative Office of the Courts had told San Francisco's court leadership that laying off the employees could endanger a pending $230 million legislative package that promised new revenues and redirected branch funds to backfill prior cuts, according to Feinstein.

However, that budget package didn't materialize, and the judicial branch actually suffered more cuts, according to Feinstein.

To protect the funding the Legislature allocates to the trial courts, the Alliance for California Judges is sponsoring AB 1208 by Assemblyman Charles Calderon, Lampe said.

Lampe said the bill would make sure that state funds go directly to the courts and can't be put to other uses.

The group also believes that the size of the Administrative Office of the Courts is disproportionate to its function, Lampe said.

While the judicial system is decentralized, the Legislature coupled that decentralization with allocating all of the money to the Administrative Office of the Courts, which he said leads to an institutional tension.

“I think ultimately that has to be resolved,” he said.

Lampe added, “We’re optimistic that the dire circumstances we find ourselves in is an argument in favor of our position to directly fund the trial courts.”

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews, on Tumblr at www.lakeconews.tumblr.com, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews.

The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport. TV8 will broadcast the meeting live.

Beginning at 10:30 a.m., the board will hold the grievance hearings, which are expected to run for much of the day.

The hearings will consider the Lake County Correctional Officers Association's level four grievance regarding unilateral change to sick leave policy and level four grievances on shift swaps and the change to eight-hour shifts; and the Lake County Deputy Sheriff's Association's level five grievance regarding unilateral change to sick leave policy.

The board also will hold a closed session to discuss labor negotiations with the Lake County Employees Association, Lake County Deputy Sheriff's Association, Lake County Correctional Officer's Association and Lake County Deputy District Attorney's Association.

A full agenda follows.

TIMED ITEMS

9 a.m.: Approval of consent agenda, which includes items that are expected to be routine and noncontroversial, and will be acted upon by the board at one time without discussion; presentation of animals available for adoption at Lake County Animal Care and Control; consideration of items not appearing on the posted agenda, and contract change orders for current construction projects.

9:05 a.m.: Citizen's input. Any person may speak for three minutes about any subject of concern, provided that it is within the jurisdiction of the Board of Supervisors and is not already on the agenda. Prior to this time, speakers must fill out a slip giving name, address and subject (available in the clerk of the board’s office, first floor, courthouse).

9:15 a.m.: Public hearing, (a) Protest hearing for proposed increase Board of Supervisors of water charges and fees for County Service Area No. 20 - Soda Bay; adjourns and convenes and (b) consideration of proposed ordinance amending the charges and fees for County Service Area No. 20 - Soda Bay.

9:30 a.m.: Hearing, appeal of an order for destruction, located at 1050 Scotts Valley Road, Lakeport (Veronica Anderson – Speedy).

10:15 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of proposed ordinance amending Article II of Chapter 2 of the Lake County Code establishing the boundaries of the Supervisorial Districts for the County of Lake pursuant to Sections 21500 et seq. of the Elections Code.

10:25 a.m.: Discussion/consideration of proposed resolution extending the registration fee/service fee for the Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Program in the County of Lake.

10:30 a.m.: Grievance hearings for the following: (a) Lake County Correctional Officers Association (LCCOA) Level 4 Grievance regarding unilateral change to sick leave policy; (b) Lake County Sheriff Deputy Association (LCDSA) Level 5 Grievance regarding unilateral change to sick leave policy; (c) LCCOA Level 4 Grievance regarding shift swaps; and (d) LCCOA Level 4 Grievance regarding eight-hour Shifts.

NONTIMED ITEMS

– Supervisors’ weekly calendar, travel and reports.

– Consideration of proposed policy and procedures regarding fraud, waste, or abuse involving the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and other federal and state grants.

– Consideration of proposed grant deed, memorandum of joint occupancy agreement, and irrevocable license agreement regarding water and sewer utilities, related to the transfer of title of the South

Civic Center to the State.

– Consideration of request to award Bid No. 11-08, Installation of Landfill Gas Migration Control at Eastlake Landfill; and consideration of request to approve agreement between the county of Lake and Bob Sonn Excavating, for Installation of Landfill Gas Migration Control at Eastlake Landfill, in the amount of $164,800.

– Consideration of proposed agreement between the county of Lake and Jim Steele, for professional services related to the Quagga Mussel Program, at a rate of $50 per hour, for a total amount not to exceed $50,000.

– Consideration of request for approval of an administrative encroachment permit for the Splash-In seaplane event; and consideration of request for a waiver of the permit fee ($215).

– Consideration of request to waive the formal bidding process and make a determination that competitive bidding would produce no economic benefit to the county; (b) consideration of proposed resolution to appropriate unanticipated revenue to the ISF Heavy Equipment Budget ($5000); and (c) consideration of request to authorize the Public Works director/assistant purchasing agent to issue a purchase order for one 2011 John Deere flail/rotary mower, Tiger Corp., in the amount of $124,031.41.

CONSENT AGENDA

– Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meeting held on Sept. 6, 2011.

– Approve agreement between the county of Lake and CASA of Mendocino and Lake counties, for fiscal year 2011-12 child advocacy services, in the amount of $5,000, and authorize the chair to sign.

– Approve agreement between the county of Lake and the Redbud Audobon Society for implementing “Conservation of Aechmophorus Grebe Colonies at Clear Lake” project (reimbursement for county staff support of project), and authorize the chair to sign.

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Patrick Turturici of Hollister, Calif., has been selected as Lake County's new undersheriff. Photo from Turturici's campaign Web site for his 2010 run for San Benito County sheriff.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The former undersheriff of San Benito County has been hired to fill the same role in Lake County.

Patrick Turturici, 48, of Hollister will mark his first day on the job on Monday, Sept. 12, the Lake County Sheriff's Office reported Friday.

Lake County News' requests to the Lake County Sheriff's Office to speak with Turturici on Friday were not acknowledged by public information officer Lt. Chris Macedo.

Turturici does not have a listed phone number and could not be reached for comment Friday.

“Patrick Turturici is a highly credentialed law enforcement officer with experience in both corrections and patrol operations,” Sheriff Frank Rivero said in a written statement issued by his office. “I am pleased to bring him on board and have every confidence in his leadership and management abilities. The people of Lake County can rest assured that, as undersheriff, Mr. Turturici will serve our community with the enthusiasm and integrity befitting the office of sheriff.”

Turturici held the undersheriff position from 2005 to 2010 in San Benito County, located south of San Jose, with a population of just over 55,000, according to the US Census Bureau.

He holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from San Jose State University and a master’s degree in public administration from Golden Gate University, according to his biography.

He also is a graduate of the FBI National Academy at Quantico, Virginia, and holds multiple basic, intermediate, advanced and management training certificates from the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.

The Board of Supervisors reestablished the undersheriff position late last year after Rivero's election. The board voted 3-2 to allow Rivero to appoint his choice outside of the normal recruitment process, as Lake County News has reported. The vote was 3-2, with Jim Comstock and Rob Brown voting no.

Rivero's original candidate for the post, retired San Jose Police Sgt. Jack Baxter – who also ran for the sheriff's seat in 2010 – was disqualified from consideration the first week of January, days after Rivero took his oath of office.

Lake County Human Resources Director Kathy Ferguson said the county received nine applications for the position when it was advertised earlier this summer. She said the county's policy is not to disclose the name of applicants as a matter of privacy.

The oral board for the undersheriff's selection reportedly included Rivero, his 2010 campaign manager Olga Martin Steele – now a Lake County planning commissioner – and Mary Beth Strong, the sheriff's office's finance manager. Ferguson said there are no personnel rules dictating the composition of interview panels at the department level.

Turturici most recently was San Benito County's undersheriff, a position that county's Board of Supervisors voted to eliminate last year, according to the Hollister Free Lance.

In that position Turturici managed an $11 million budget which included 105 deputies, correctional officers and civilian staff, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office's statement.

Turturici ran in 2010 to succeed retiring San Benito County Sheriff Curtis Hill in what would become a heated election.

According to his campaign Web site, he received the endorsements of several members of the Hollister City Council, the sheriffs of Santa Clara, Merced and Fresno counties, and a San Benito County supervisor.

During the primary he also had the endorsement of the San Benito County Deputy Sheriff's Association, but that group withdrew its endorsement before the November general election, citing ethical issues, according to the Hollister Free Lance. Later, the deputy sheriffs' associations of Monterey and Santa Clara also withdrew their endorsements of him.

The San Benito County union alleged that Turturici had urged deputies to post anonymous comments on the Hollister Free Lance's Web site about an opponent in the primary who had received a donation from a convicted felon who later donated to Turturici's campaign as well.

Sheriff Hill also hired a private investigator to look into allegations that Turturici had harassed sheriff's office staff as a result of the race, the newspaper reported.

Turturici denied the allegations in San Benito County news reports. No outcome from the private investigator's inquiry have been released.

Watsonville Police Lt. Darren Thompson went on to win the race by a nearly 15-percent margin, with Turturici resigning from the undersheriff's position, the Weekend Pinnacle reported.

Turturici's biography said his law enforcement career began in 1985, which him working his way up through the correctional ranks from correctional officer to correctional sergeant. In 1995 he became the San Benito Jail commander after he was promoted to correctional lieutenant.

During his tenure as jail commander there were no suicides or escapes from the 140-inmate facility, the Lake County Sheriff's Office said.

Turturici became the San Benito Sheriff’s patrol operations lieutenant in 2003, and was named undersheriff two years later.

Turturici and his wife Irene have two children, Dominic and Felicia.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews, on Tumblr at www.lakeconews.tumblr.com, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews.