San Luis Obispo County juror bails out rancher she helped convict
It won’t be three hots and a cot on Thanksgiving for San Luis Obispo rancher Dan De Vaul, who was sentenced to 90 days in jail earlier this week for illegally housing tenants on his property.
De Vaul, 66, will enjoy turkey with all the trimmings after being bailed out Tuesday by one of the jurors who convicted him of two misdemeanor violations. Mary Partin, who posted De Vaul’s $5,000 bail, told reporters that she regretted her guilty votes and wanted to help him.
His release came a day after a judge ordered him to serve jail time for unsafe conditions at his Sunny Acres ranch. Under California law, if a person is convicted of a misdemeanor and has filed an appeal, he can post bail, prosecutors said.
A jury in September convicted De Vaul for building a three-story dormitory without a permit and for housing residents of his sober living program in unsafe conditions, including exposed electrical wiring.
San Luis Obispo County Superior Court Judge John Trice sent De Vaul to jail after he refused probation conditions that would have required him to remove the 30 tenants on his property.
catherine.saillant@
latimes.com
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