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Carona trial testimony: Greg Haidl had ‘deer in headlight look’ - Total Buzz - OCRegister.com

Carona trial testimony: Greg Haidl had ‘deer in headlight look’
November 25th, 2008, 8:02 am
posted by Rachanee Srisavasdi

Jurors in the public corruption trial of former Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona heard testimony today from a sheriff’s deputy who said a higher-up directed him not to give Greg Haidl a citation for possession of marijuana, and ordered him to drive the teen home.

John Roche, a narcotics investigator for the Sheriff’s Department, testified today that he was on patrol the night of Oct. 26, 2003 in San Clemente when he came across Haidl — who was awaiting trial on rape charges — and two other friends skateboarding late at night.

Roche told jurors he searched their car, and found a small amount of the illegal drug. He interviewed Haidl about it. Haidl denied the marijuana belonged to him.

Haidl said, “My name is Greg Haidl, and I’m out on bail,” Roche tesified. He mentioned his father was then Assistant Sheriff Don Haidl, he added.

Jurors watched a tape of the incident. “Look at your eyes - they are all bloodshot and watery,” Roche says. “You have that deer in the headlight look Grergory … I’m asking for the truth …”

“It’s not my marijuana, sir,” Haidl responds.

Roche told jurors he wanted to cite Haidl, but was directed not to cite Haidl or write a report. Sgt. Richard Downing also told him to drive Haidl home, Roche said.

Roche said he wrote a generic log entry about the incident. Later, Roche testified, Lt. Bill Hunt asked him to write a report about the incident — then asked him to amend it.

“He said what I had written was not what he was looking for,” Roche said. “He basically wanted everything left out that had Greg Haidl as the possessor of the marijuana. He told me to point the possession of marijuana towards (another) juvenile.”

“Is this the santized version of the report?” federal proscutor Ken Julian asked.

“It is,” Roche said.

Hunt was later reprimanded for his handling of the incident.

“Did you give Greg Haidl preferential treatment?” Julian also asked.

“In my opinion, yes … he didn’t end up receiving a citation and I ended up driving him home,” Roche replied.

Forgot about the Greg Haidl case? Read a timeline about the case here.