ER - Witnesses say Salzman put stickers on city property

Witnesses say Salzman put stickers on city property
by Christine Bensen-Messinger, 5/9/2006

 Chris Cook and her husband Bill are private investigators who said they were driving in Old Town at approximately 9 p.m. on April 29 when they saw two people leaving the Avalon Restaurant and Bar.

“We were driving up … through that area by G Street and we saw a gentleman and a companion come out of the Avalon,” Bill said. “He was loud (and) that’s what drew our attention to him.”

Bill said he did not recognize the woman, but he recognized the man — from seeing his photo in the newspaper — as local political figure Richard Salzman.

While the woman he was with got into a white sport-utility vehicle, Chris said she saw Salzman grab something out of it.

“He looked around and then put something on a parking meter,” she said.

Bill said the couple saw him walk up to two more meters and place something on them as well.

While they watched him, Bill said he copied the license plate number of the SUV Salzman was driving and it was checked. The registered owner came back as Salzman.

When Salzman left, the couple approached the three meters, where they saw stickers — each which stated “Arkleyville” with a line through it — that had been placed on the meters.

“I reported it (to Eureka police) as a vandalism,” Chris said.

EPD confirmed that a call came in at approximately 10:39 p.m. on April 29 about the incident. As of now, the outcome is pending.

Chris said the crime appeared to fall under California Penal Code 594 (a) which states: “Every person who maliciously commits any of the following acts with respect to any real or personal property not his or her own, in cases other than those specified by state law, is guilty of vandalism; (1) defaces with graffiti or other inscribed material, (2) damages, (3) destroys.”

“I would testify all day long that I saw what I saw,” she said.

“Sounds like Mr. Salzman has a little too much time on his hands,” Cherie Arkley said when reached by phone Monday afternoon.

Last year, Salzman, a Trinidad resident, was investigated by the Trinidad Police Department for sending fake letters to the editors of various local newspapers under a variety of names that were not his own.

In December, the California Attorney General’s Office acknowledged that Salzman appeared to have broken the law by writing letters to the editors of local papers using names that were not his own, but declined to prosecute him. The case went to the Attorney General’s Office because Salzman had worked on District Attorney Paul Gallegos’ campaign, which meant there could be a conflict of interest had Gallegos’ office investigated Salzman.“I am of the opinion that Salzman technically violated (California Penal Code) 538 (a) (which makes it a crime to send a letter to a newspaper using someone else’s name), and certainly its spirit,” Deputy Attorney General Keith Lyons wrote in a letter dated Dec. 9 to Trinidad Police Chief Ken Thrailkill.

He said it appeared Salzman had the permission of some to write letters using their names.

“Even though it is not a legal defense to have the permission of the alleged signatory, on balance, it would weigh heavy in the jury room and I do not believe it is a wise use of resources to attempt a prosecution,” he wrote.

Lyons also noted in his letter that Salzman wrote letters using “Sarah Salzman,” which is the name of his dog, and was given permission by someone to write a letter using his name, but wrote two instead and signed the name of one of his supporters to a letter he wrote, although the individual was dead at the time the letter was sent.

A call and e-mails to Salzman were not returned by deadline.

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