Santa Rosa reached a partial settlement in a civil suit against 13 residents accused of organizing illegal street races in the city in July 2022, an effort to curb the spectacles that local defense attorneys called “unusual.”

On September 19, the city filed a motion to dismiss 12 of the defendants named in the lawsuit on the condition that each pay a fine and perform volunteer work, among other stipulations.

City Attorney Teresa Stricker outlined the terms of the settlement at an Oct. 22 City Council meeting.

It stipulates that each defendant pay the city $500 for property damage, perform volunteer work within 12 months and join a 20-hour rehabilitation program run by Restorative Resources, a nonprofit organization.

They will be required to pay the city an additional $15,000 in damages if the conditions are not met, Stricker told city officials last week.

The trial identified the 12 defendants as follows:

• Jorge Calderon-Caballero of Santa Rosa,
• Jesus Calderon Avalos of Santa Rosa,
• George Patino Flores de Santa Rosa,
• Alexys Aguirre-Serrano de Santa Rosa,
• Emiliano Bautista Rodriguez of Santa Rosa,
• Daniel Nunez Serna of Santa Rosa,
• Rodrigo López-Tapia de Santa Rosa,
• Richard Murillo of Rohnert Park,
• Joel Vasquez Cortez of Rohnert Park,
• Neri Orea-Vasquez from Rohnert Park,
• Manuel Garfia of Rohnert Park,
• Roberto Carrillo of Petaluma.

The only remaining defendant is identified in court records as Jersain Lezama Meza, a Santa Rosa resident, who is incarcerated in the Sonoma County Jail. on an unrelated matter.

All were accused of organizing a show on the weekend of July 9 and 10, 2022.

Sideshows are described as unauthorized vehicle demonstrations where drivers perform various tricks on streets and parking lots near crowds. They have been reported across California and have forced local and state lawmakers to take additional and unexpected steps to curb them.

In October 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed bipartisan bill which defines shows as an event involving two or more vehicles blocking traffic for the purpose of performing stunts, speed contests or reckless driving in front of an audience.

The city’s lawsuit, filed July 7, 2023, in Sonoma County Superior Court, accused the 13 defendants of creating a public nuisance through civil conspiracy and willful misconduct and polluted waterways by tire debris – in violation of California Fish and Wildlife regulations.

They were all scheduled to attend a trial on January 17, but the proceedings have now been canceled. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for May 22.

All were represented by Nicole Jaffee, who on September 26 sought to continue the lawsuit on behalf of Meza. In a court filing, she said he was involved in a criminal matter that “will likely prevent Mr. Meza from complying with the terms of the (settlement) and could result in incarceration, which would prevent the defendant from pursuing this lawsuit and/or to attend the ongoing trial. date.”

Meza was arrested on June 30 in connection with a pursuit and collision in Santa Rosa.

The Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office charged him July 1 with eluding police, hit-and-run, driving with a suspended license and possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Meza is scheduled to attend a preliminary hearing Dec. 12 before Sonoma County Judge Mark Urioste. Her attorney, Heather Wise, said Meza pleaded not guilty to the charges and declined to comment further.

California cities have historically sought injunctions to combat criminal behavior in cases involving other crimes, such as gang activity.

But Santa Rosa defense attorney Roy Miller called the city’s civil suit unusual when it was filed last year. He told The Press Democrat that he couldn’t recall in his 30 years of practicing law a similar approach.

“What I think they’re trying to do is they’re trying to send a message throughout Northern California to discourage, even intimidate, people from doing (shows),” Miller said, who previously represented a client charged in a case. presentation window.

Santa Rosa Police Chief John Cregan said spectacle prevention was among his priorities when he took over the department and that he was “proud” to work with the city attorney’s office to take legal action against anyone involved in the events.

“I will use every tool at our disposal to demonstrate that these spectacles will not be tolerated in Santa Rosa,” he previously told The Press Democrat.

Democratic reporter Paulina Pineda contributed to this article.

You can contact editor Colin Atagi at [email protected]. On Twitter @colin_atagi