McMartin Attorney Fined $500

Daniel Davis, the key defense attorney in the McMartin Pre-School child molestation case, was held in contempt of court Wednesday by Los Angeles Municipal Judge Aviva K. Bobb.

The judge fined Davis $500 for ignoring her order to remain silent during cross-examination of a 9-year-old witness earlier this week.

Davis said he was only trying to “make a record” of a gesture allegedly made by Bobb, which he said showed judicial bias. However, he apologized for what he termed his “zeal” in defending his client, former teacher Raymond Buckey, 27.

It was Davis’ third encounter with Bobb. The judge earlier threatened to impose sanctions if the lawyer continued to come to court late, and she postponed until the end of the preliminary hearing a contempt hearing on Davis having provided an outside attorney with sealed transcripts of testimony.

Bobb found the chief prosecutor in the case, Deputy Dist. Atty. Lael Rubin, in contempt last fall for refusing to tell the defense the name of her next witness. Rubin was fined $200, but it was reversed by a Superior Court judge.