Date: August 18, 2005, 9:00 a.m.
Place: Ventura County Courthouse, courtroom 11
Occasion: First arraignment of Anthony Perez, Case Number 2005024688
Charge: Violation of Penal Code 594(b)(2)(a) Vandalism not exceeding $400
Court was called to order in courtroom 11 of the Superior Court of California, Ventura County. Judge Art Guiterrez was on the bench. After the usual preliminaries were taken care of in the courtroom, the judge began to call out the names of the people on that day’s court docket. Anthony Perez was called but he was not present in court for his arraignment. The judge then ordered a $2,500 failure to appear bench warrant to be issued against him.
While waiting for Mr. Perez’s name to be called we happened to hear another case involving misdemeanor vandalism. The person cited appeared in court to plead guilty and the judge fined him $250, ordered him to pay $100 into a victim’s fund and additionally ordered him to pay restitution to the business that was vandalized. He was also required to stay away from the location of the business for a term of 36 months.
So what happens next to Anthony Perez? That is most probably up to Anthony Perez himself. If he commits any sort of traffic infraction and the police do a check on him for “wants and warrants” they will find the $2,500 warrant. In this circumstance, they wouldn’t just issue him a speeding ticket or such, but would take him into custody because of the warrant. Any citizen that recognizes him can call his location in to the police and they will come out to arrest him. This warrant is in force for the entire state of California, not just Oxnard or Ventura County.
