Countywide : Judge Orders May Trial Date for Elys
A Ventura County Superior Court judge on Friday set May 20 as the date the trial will begin for James T. (Tom) Ely, a trustee of the Ventura County Community College District, and his wife, Ingrid.
Tom Ely is charged with conspiracy, embezzlement and fraud in connection with the filing of allegedly false travel claims with the district. Ingrid Ely is charged with conspiracy.
During a hearing Friday, Judge Lawrence Storch ordered the trial to be set in May after reviewing a report from Tom Ely’s doctor, who said the trustee would not be able to stand trial for about three months because of a back injury.
Tom Ely, clutching a cane, and Ingrid Ely nodded in agreement as the judge announced the date.
The trustee then walked slowly from the courtroom.
According to the doctor, Ely, who hurt his back in a 1989 car accident, cannot sit for longer than 30 minutes at a time.
The Elys have pleaded not guilty to the charges arising from their district expense accounts, which they are accused of padding with more than $15,000 in improper claims for food, travel and lodging between July, 1988, and January, 1990.
The trial is expected to last four to six weeks.
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