HUNTINGTON BEACH : Record Publicist Cleared of Charge

A record-label publicist accused of interfering with police officers as they tried to shut down a house party was cleared of wrongdoing Tuesday in Municipal Court in Westminster.

After the jury announced it was unable to reach a verdict in the case against Nathan Nociar, Deputy Dist. Atty. Jo Marie Escobar agreed to drop the charge.

Nociar, 23, radio promotion director of Orange-based Dr. Dream Records, was arrested May 24 after questioning a Huntington Beach police officer about why he was shutting down a house party. The gathering, which police later said they broke up because it was too loud, was held to promote the label’s release of a new record by the Swamp Zombies, a local folk-rock band.

Officers contended Nociar was provoking them and guests by challenging police orders that he leave the premises.

Nociar was charged with obstructing or delaying the duties of a police officer. If convicted, he would have faced a maximum sentence of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

But throughout the case, Nociar proclaimed innocence, insisting he was the victim of police harassment and that the arrest violated his free-speech rights.

Against the advice of friends and attorneys, Nociar in July rejected a plea-bargain offer to pay $50 in exchange for dropping the misdemeanor charge.

Nociar said afterward that he feels “absolutely” vindicated by Escobar’s decision to drop the charge.

“I achieved my goal,” he said, “which was to show that these police officers thought they could take certain liberties in a non-emergency situation, which they shouldn’t have. And it’s nice I didn’t have to take a plea bargain to get out of something I never did. But I sure did sweat a lot too.”