VENTURA : Attorney Indicted on LSD Charges

A Ventura attorney accused of possession of LSD, conspiracy and furnishing LSD to a minor has been indicted by the Ventura County grand jury, The Times has learned.

Douglas Andrew Palaschak, 42, will be arraigned this morning before Superior Court Judge James M. McNally.

Palaschak, who has defended the use of LSD in some social settings, has said that he and his former secretary took the drug in his Ventura office May 9. Another office employee, a minor, slipped away and notified police, who arrested Palaschak and the secretary, 18-year-old Jessica Jobin. Jobin has pleaded not guilty to possession of LSD.

Palaschak was to have had a preliminary hearing today in Ventura County Municipal Court to determine whether there was sufficient evidence to warrant a trial in Superior Court. But the law also allows prosecutors to ask the grand jury to make that finding after hearing testimony in secret.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Kim George Gibbons, who is prosecuting the attorney, declined to comment on grand jury proceedings, but Palaschak acknowledged that he appeared before the panel on Wednesday.

He said that he declined to answer questions, except to provide his name and age. He said he will plead not guilty when the indictment is unsealed today.

The attorney expressed disappointment at not having a preliminary hearing. “At the prelim, we could have had evidence suppressed,” he said. “Our case depends on getting evidence suppressed.” He said he still hopes to accomplish that before his trial.