Matt Guerrero
OPINION by OTIS PAGE
It appears that the John Wallace case reassignment from San Luis Obispo County to Santa Barbara County may have been politically managed because of the involvement of recently appointed Judge Matthew Guerrero as a possible witness in the Wallace case.
The reason for the reassignment: Guerrero also previously served as the Oceano District’s represented on the South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District’s Board of Directors.”
The article and the reason dismisses the fact that Guerrero, in serving as a director when Wallace was allegedly mismanaging the affairs of the district, may share in the liability of misdeeds given his fiduciary responsibility as a director.
This raises the question has an “invisible hand” of justice manipulated this more to save both Guerrero and Wallace from the legal liability that may have existed in this matter?
Superimposed on this is the fact a new team of lawyers from the Santa Barbara court must be brought up to speed on a matter well understood and managed by the office the the SLO District Attorney. All this suggests something may be wrong here.
I think it is a good move to have Santa Barbara County judges and lawyers oversee this dragged on case. I don’t have a lot of faith for the SLO District Attorney to be neutral or unbiased in this case. Too many “good ol’ buddies” in SLO County, let’s take it out and get a fair trial!
But, what about Director liability? Dismissed in SLO? Will it be a factor in Santa Barbara? I Wallace is found guilty — and the fact suggest he is — will his shadow be cast on the conduct of past Directors? It should be.
Guerrero is in this up to his eyeballs just like John Shoals, and Tony Ferrara.
Easy answer, “YES”