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Hit-and-run suspect enters plea to charges
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Randall Painter, 20, turned himself in to Ventura Police Sunday afternoon to face felony charges in the hit-and-run death of Beth Dunn.
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More from Other NewsA Ventura man accused of striking Beth Dunn with his truck, killing her, pleaded not guilty to vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-and-run charges Tuesday.
Randall Painter's lawyer, Laura Cota, then moved to have his $100,000 bail lowered.
Ventura County Superior Court Judge Kevin McGee set a bail reduction hearing for Thursday.
During the brief hearing, Painter, 20, was inside a large white holding cage in the courtroom.
The 2003 Ventura High School graduate is charged in the death of Dunn, a 45-year-old Ventura resident who was hit Friday night as she rode her bicycle through a crosswalk at Victoria Avenue and Thille Street in Ventura.
A court official told the judge that Painter has no criminal record and this was his first arrest.
After the hearing, Painter's lawyer expressed sympathy about what happened.
"It's been a terrible tragedy," said Cota, who is with the law offices of Bamieh & Erickson. "Our office and the defendant's sympathies go out to the family."
Cota said she will have further comment after more facts come to light.
McGee set a hearing date for Aug. 2 and scheduled a preliminary hearing for Aug. 6.
According to police, Painter walked into Ventura Police Department headquarters about 3:30 p.m. Sunday and surrendered.
Police said he was driving a Ford pickup truck that matched the description of the vehicle that witnesses saw when Dunn was struck.
Investigators said Dunn was hit about 9 p.m. Friday when the driver of the truck ran a red light, then drove off through the parking lot of the Ventura County Government Center.
Dunn, who worked as a clerk at Ralphs grocery store on Victoria Avenue, died shortly after midnight.
Witnesses gave police a detailed description of the truck. Police said Painter might have turned himself in because the description was so widely publicized.
The victim's father, Charlie Dunn, had said Painter did the right thing by turning himself in.
A funeral service will be held for Dunn at 11 a.m. today at Sacred Heart Church, 10800 Henderson Road, near Saticoy.
Posted by amycastillo78 on July 24, 2007 at 6:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
So much for full disclosure. Here, Star, let me help you out: "Bamieh and Erickson represents the Ventura County Star."
Posted by AnnaWhaat on July 24, 2007 at 8 p.m. (Suggest removal)
huh????
Posted by Just_wondering on July 24, 2007 at 8:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
And that would have to do with what?
Posted by collegestudentforlife on July 24, 2007 at 8:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow, amy, way to jump the conspiracy theory bandwagon. If you don't like the Star, here's my advice: don't read it!
That said, it's a good thing this young man turned himself in, for whatever reason, and I hope this justice is served.
Posted by TimeToThink on July 24, 2007 at 9:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
So much for full diclosure?.. I don't quite get the relievance at the moment.
Why does the paper keep saying that it was 330 when he turned himself in? It was closer to 1230 (noon). I feel the reporters of any nature have a resposibility to verify that the information they give is correct before relaying it to the public.
Posted by vta63 on July 24, 2007 at 10:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
From the Police press release:
Narrative
Today (July 22, 2007) at about 1:30 pm Randall Painter came to the Ventura Police Department and turned himself in.
From the Star:
Randall Painter, 20, walked into the Ventura Police Department headquarters about 3:30 p.m., said Sgt. Jack Richards, a spokesman for the department.
So, the spokesman for the police dept. stated it was 3:30, not the reporter.
Posted by TimeToThink on July 25, 2007 at 10:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How is the the Star's tied in with this case besides reporting about it? The articles are still lean to being biased against him as far as I'm concerned so don't see how using the same law firm has affected anything here.
Posted by TBSBooBoo on July 27, 2007 at 1:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I grew up with Randy, and I can honestly say that he is one of the sweetest guys i have ever known. Other friends have said that he wouldn't hurt a fly. While i do feel bad for the family in this tragic accident, and do not make any excuses for what happened, i think it is rude and harsh to judge someones Character by what the papers report. Do any of you know him personally as i do? Then do not judge on what you do not know. It is unfair and cruel. He did not go out that night and think, hey i will go end someones life. Thats why they call these things accidents, because they happen unintentionally. Randy is a great guy, and this could have happened to any of you, although you might not have fled the scene as he did. I feel very sorry for Beth's family. But I also feel bad for Randy.
Posted by junian on July 27, 2007 at 2:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I am sorry but I disagree. Accidents do not happen. They are caused. In this case caused by Mr. Painter in his vehicle. I will not judge Mr. Painter as a a bad man. I do not know him. However I do know he was a bad man that night. Leaving the scene of an accident that he was involved in creates an image of a person behaving badly.
Posted by TimeToThink on July 27, 2007 at 3:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hate to bring up a bad pun or saying but:
If accidents were "caused" as you say they would not be "accidents"... they would be "on-purposes"
Posted by NothingButTheTruth on July 28, 2007 at 3:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The ONLY thing that makes this an "accident" is that it lacked intent to kill. Really, what this is referred to in the Collision Investigation Manual, used by police agencies, is the term "collision". Why, because to borrow from TimeToThink, collisions are "caused" by errors drivers commit. Hence, we have vehicle code sections making driver caused errors, such as speeding, running red lights, drinking & driving, illegal. Don't put Mr. Painter on "the box" and ask him if he ONE of the reasons he waited 1-1/2 days was to conciously allow his blood alcohol level to drop to zero. It still troubles me that none of his family/friends he spoke with following the collision bothered to report him to VPD. Why? Why won't they fess up to the cover-up?
Posted by junian on July 28, 2007 at 4:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
An accident is something that could not be helped. Something that an individual had no control over. Something that a person did not mean to do. I am sure that Mr. Painter did not mean to kill Miss Dunn. However he caused the collision with behaviours that he did have control over. I am sorry but this incident has no bearing as an accident. This was caused by actions of an individual. The bigger issue is the "leaving the scene". That most definately was not an accident. That was a deliberate act to flee.
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