Vista : Sentencing Set for Ex-Court Official

William Hartford, the former administrator for Vista Municipal Court, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of wrongful appropriation of government funds stemming from missing cash at the courthouse.

Hartford, 40, of Fallbrook, had 26 other counts of embezzlement by a public official, perjury, and filing false claims to San Diego County dismissed in an agreement with the prosecution.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Mike Pent said Hartford also signed a waiver allowing the sentencing judge to consider the facts in the dismissed counts toward the sentence.

San Diego Municipal Court Judge H. Ronald Domnitz set sentencing for Oct. 9. Pent said his office has agreed not to oppose a county jail term if such a sentence is recommended by the probation department. The maximum sentence Hartford could receive is four years in state prison, a $10,000 fine and restitution of the funds, Pent said.

Hartford resigned his job last January during the investigation and was not charged until March 28. His former secretary, Jo Allen, of Oceanside, was also charged with eight counts of perjury and filing false claims. Her trial is set for Sept. 12.

Hartford was charged with keeping funds that were supposed to go to Vista Municipal Court judges in his county travel account. The money was reimbursement to the judges from the state.

Some $1,971 in petty cash and stamps were found missing after a county auditor examined records, and Hartford was also accused of falsely billing the county for seminars that were actually tuition for his master’s degree.

Charles Goldberg, Hartford’s attorney, had requested a change of venue for the preliminary hearing, but that was dropped after the guilty plea was entered.

Another Vista court employee, Kathleen DeForge of Escondido, pleaded guilty July 24 to filing a fraudulent claim in billing the county for expenses already paid by the Municipal Court Clerks Assn. for a conference she attended.

DeForge will be sentenced Sept. 5 and could receive a year in jail and a $10,000 fine.