Not-Guilty Plea Entered in Slaying of Driver After Traffic Dispute
Howard F. Barton Jr. pleaded not guilty Friday to a charge that he murdered Marco Sanchez on Feb. 22. after a traffic dispute involving Sanchez and Barton’s daughter.
Barton, a Pacific Beach real estate broker and a La Jolla resident, said, “That is absolutely correct,” when Superior Court Judge Jesus Rodriguez asked him if he had entered a not-guilty plea.
Rodriguez set Barton’s trial for Aug. 15.
Earlier in the week, Rodriguez denied a motion by defense attorney Clyde Munsell to release Barton on bail. Barton’s $500,000 bail was revoked May 14 by Municipal Judge Rafael Arreola after a preliminary hearing. At the end of the hearing, Arreola called Barton a danger to the public, ordered him to stand trial on the murder charge and revoked his bail. Barton has been in County Jail downtown ever since.
On Friday, Munsell asked Rodriguez to authorize an evidentiary hearing so Munsell could argue again that Barton had a right to be freed on bail while awaiting trial. Rodriguez refused and advised Munsell to appeal to the 4th District Court of Appeal if he believes Barton should be released on bail.
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