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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The protest, scheduled to being at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, will be held at the casino's entrance on Highway 20, between Nice and Upper Lake.
Community members of all ethnic backgrounds are invited to the event, which the organizers says is meant to highlight the need for civil and human rights protections for American Indians.
Last month, the Robinson Rancheria Citizens Business Council voted to disenroll several dozen tribal members, as Lake County News has reported. At least 60 people had been up for disenrollment, although not all of those individuals lost their membership.
Tribal Chair Tracey Avila previously told Lake County News that the people whose names were removed from the tribe's membership rolls had been in question for some time, and that the council was conducting a housekeeping effort to finally have those names removed.
Among those organizing the protest on behalf of disenrolled families are EJ Crandell, whose election as tribal chair last summer was decertified by the tribe's election committee, and Mark and Carla Maslin.
Carla Maslin's entire 76-member family was disenrolled from the Redding Rancheria in 2004. Her family, along with other disenrolled tribal members from around the state, founded the American Indian Rights and Resources Organization – AIRRO for short – of which Maslin is board chair.
The protest organizers issued a statement this week saying that the tribal council has “created an atmosphere that oppresses their people from expressing opposing viewpoints, disregarded tribal traditions and laws to deny members their tribal identity and inherent rights.”
Those up for disenrollment already have reportedly lost regular payments tribal members are entitled to from its casino, as well as access services such as health care and education.
The Quitiquit family, with about three dozen members who were notified they are being disenrolled, reported that several members also recently were terminated from jobs with the tribe in recent weeks following the disenrollment action.
Avila said previously that the tribe only dismissed people from jobs for performance-related issues.
The tribal council's disenrollment decision has to be approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which has jurisdiction over the matter because of clauses in the tribe's constitution.
Those who were notified of their disenrollment have appealed the decision to the bureau, which is reportedly still in the process of arriving at a decision.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Dr. Kelly A. Arthur, 41, of Santa Rosa was pulled over by California Highway Patrol Officer Rob Hearn at approximately 5:20 p.m. Tuesday at Highway 29 and Armstrong Drive in Middletown, according to CHP Officer Josh Dye.
Arthur, who was traveling with a male companion, allegedly had driven her 2001 Mercedes through a crosswalk and nearly hit a pedestrian, which led to Hearn's stop, Dye said.
During the stop Hearn detected the odor of alcohol and conducted a field sobriety test on Arthur, arresting her shortly afterward for driving under the influence, said Dye. It's also alleged that Arthur had a small amount of marijuana in her possession.
Arthur was booked into the Lake County Jail shortly before 9 p.m. Tuesday on felony charges of possession of narcotics, and misdemeanor DUI and use of a controlled substance.
An additional felony charge of bringing drugs into the jail was added after Hearn found her in possession of Vicodin without a prescription, Dye said.
Bail for all charges totaled $28,000, according to jail booking records.
Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said Arthur bailed out of jail just before 3 a.m. Wednesday.
Arthur was in court on Tuesday morning to give testimony in the murder trial of David Garlow Deason, 69, who is accused of shooting his girlfriend, 48-year-old Marie Parlet, to death in December of 2004.
Deason previously was convicted of the murder, but that conviction was overturned by an appellate court in December of 2007, as Lake County News has reported.
Arthur is a staff pathologist for the Fairfield-based Forensic Medical Group Inc., which performs autopsies for several Northern California counties, and serves Lake on an “as needed” basis, according to the company's Web site. The company provides autopsies and autopsies for the Kaiser system, and also provides medicolegal consulting for criminal and civil court cases.
Lake County News was unable to contact the company for comment before close of business Wednesday, but left messages for company principals.
Deputy District Attorney John Langan said Arthur gave testimony in the Deason case beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday and ending around 11 a.m.
Langan said Arthur had preformed the autopsy on Parlet in 2004. Because this is a retrial, Arthur essentially was repeating previous testimony, not coming to new conclusions, said Langan. He didn't indicate any ramifications for the Deason case arising from Arthur's arrest.
While Arthur is only facing charges at this point, the possible impact of the situation on her credibility as a professional witness is a concern for local attorneys.
Stephen Carter heads Lake Legal Defense Services, which holds the Lake County public defender's contract. He said Arthur regularly testifies in local criminal trials.
If Arthur were to be convicted, particularly of the felony charges, Carter said it likely wouldn't cause concerns for past testimony, but it could become a credibility issue going forward.
“It might be something that the prosecution then has to disclose for future cases,” he said.
The situation also could create a conflict of interest for local authorities, faced with prosecuting an individual who has been an important witness in numerous cases, he said. In that situation, the California Attorney General's Office could be called in to handle the case.
Arthur's booking sheet says she is due in court on the charges in March.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Abram Louis Sassenberg, 27, was arrested following the chase, which ended about 10 miles inside the Lake County border, according to CHP Officer John Waggoner of the Williams area CHP office. Also arrested was a passenger in the vehicle, 29-year-old Joshua George Pine if Diamond Springs.
Waggoner said a CHP officer doing speed enforcement on I-5 near Williams saw Sassenberg's 1990 Plymouth Acclaim at about 8 a.m. traveling northbound at speeds the officer clocked at close to 90 miles per hour using radar.
The officer turned around in the center divide to pursue Sassenberg, who allegedly exited I-5 onto the Highway 20 offramp, where he ran a stop sign and continued west toward Lake County, said Waggoner.
Despite the pursuing officer putting on his lights and siren, Sassenberg allegedly continued on, driving at speeds of more than 90 miles per hour. Waggoner said Sassenberg was driving wrecklessly, passing other vehicles on blind curves and double yellow lines.
Sassenberg had three passengers with him in the car – two females and Pine, said Waggoner. “All three passengers were actually trying to get the driver to stop.”
As the pursuit continued into Lake County, it became clear something was wrong with Sassenberg's Plymouth. Waggoner said the vehicle began smoking and losing oil, and appeared to have lost the function of its transmission.
About 10 miles inside of Lake County Sassenberg pulled off onto a dirt road that led to a private residence, said Waggoner.
Sassenberg stopped the car and allegedly fled on foot, said Waggoner. The three passengers stayed with the car.
As the Williams CHP officer pulled up where Sassenberg had stopped his car, an unmarked Lake County Sheriff's vehicle driven by a sheriff's detective pulled up behind him, helping detain the three subjects in the car without incident, said Waggoner.
Capt. Jim Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office and Officer Josh Dye of the Clear Lake CHP office confirmed that their agencies assisted with the arrests, but that the Williams CHP office was the lead agency.
As additional local CHP and sheriff's units arrived, they conducted a search for Sassenberg. Waggoner said Sassenberg was found lying in the ground, hiding in some bushes not far from his car.
The two women, Sassenberg and Pine were taken back to the Williams CHP office. Waggoner said the two women eventually were released.
Currently is on parole, Sassenberg has a Department of Corrections warrant for failure to appear, “which is the reason he fled,” said Waggoner.
Sassenberg was arrested on a parole hold and a charge of evading arrest. Pine also is on parole and was arrested on a parole hold, Waggoner said.
Both Sassenberg and Pine remain in the Colusa County Jail without bail, Waggoner said.
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
California Highway Patrol Officer Adam Garcia reported that the collision occurred at 6:34 p.m. on Highway 29 at the intersection with Highway 175 in Middletown.
Garcia said that 55-year-old Steven Shafer of Lakeport was stopped in his 2005 Porsche SUV on northbound Highway 29 preparing for a left turn onto Highway 175.
Driving southbound on Highway 29 at Highway 175 was 36-year-old Ronnie Boyd Jr. of Clearlake in a 2003 Ford Ambulance owned by South Lake County Fire Protection District, said Garcia.
Roy Pike, 65, of Hidden Valley Lake was driving his 2001 Dodge Intrepid northbound on SR-29 approaching the rear of Shafer. Garcia said Pike was distracted and did not notice the Porsche stopped to his front until just prior to impact.
Pike swerved left but was unable to avoid a collision with the left rear of the Porsche, according to Garcia. Pike’s vehicle then struck the ambulance head on.
All parties involved sustained minor to moderate injuries, said Garcia.
Pike, Boyd and the ambulance passenger Mark Jones of St. Helena were taken to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake by South Lake Fire ambulance. Garcia said Shafer was not transported.
Traffic was detoured for approximately an hour until the scene could be cleared, Garcia reported.
Garcia said Officer Steve Curtis is handling the investigation.
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