Court of Appeal Presiding Justice Robert M. Mallano, who was the Superior Courts presiding judge in 1994 when the prosecution was launched, and retired Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Cecil J. Mills, who was then supervising judge of the criminal courts.
Gil Garcetti took a lot of heat over something that was not his doing, Mills says.
Heres the truth,*Mallano says. It gets ignored.
The determination wasnt Garcettis that the matter not be heard in Santa Monica.
The court made the determination, he tells me, for security reasons and because of earthquake damage in Santa Monica.
The Court of Appeal presiding justice, who heads this districts Div. One, says the recommendation was made to him by Mills; he consulted with the West District supervising judge, David Rothman, who concurred; and he gave his approval.
Garcetti got blamed for it, Mallano notes.
It was the courts decision, he reiterates, adding:
I keep telling everybody that.
He says he told that to a reporter at a time Garcetti was drawing criticism, but it wasnt included in the story.
Mallano adds:
Historically, the big cases were tried downtown. The fact that O.J. was tried downtown is more the observance than the breach.