Umpire’s Assailant Agrees to Restitution

A Sun Valley man has agreed to pay more than $2,800 to an umpire he injured during a fight at an amateur baseball game.

The man, William M. Laufman, pleaded guilty Oct. 29 in San Fernando Municipal Court to disturbing the peace. However, after a restitution hearing Monday at which Judge Michael S. Luros ordered him to pay the umpire $856 for medical expenses and $1,950 for lost wages, Laufman threatened to withdraw the plea and take the case to trial, according to his attorney, Dennis Ryan. The judge had previously placed Laufman on three years probation for the misdemeanor.

On Tuesday, however, Laufman agreed to pay the money and not to change his plea. Ryan said that, although Laufman believes the restitution is excessive, he does not want to go through the expense and inconvenience of a trial.

The umpire, James H. Ellis, 43, said he hurt his back and suffered cuts and bruises in a fight with five members of the Laufman family after a baseball game in Hansen Dam Park on March 17. Ellis said the injuries caused him to miss seven days at his job as a fire-sprinkler installer.