Lawyer Has Judge Removed From Ex-Child Actor’s Case

A judge who was hearing a case in which former child actor Adam Rich was charged with burglarizing a West Hills pharmacy for drugs was removed Thursday after being challenged by Rich’s attorney.

Under state law, attorneys on each side of a case have the right to disqualify a judge once without cause and ask that the case be transferred to another judge.

Van Nuys Superior Court Judge John Fisher last Friday raised bail for Rich from $20,000 to $100,000 after another judge ordered Rich, 23, arrested for being expelled from a drug treatment program in violation of his probation for shoplifting.

But Rich’s attorney, Floyd J. Siegal, said he felt that Fisher had abused his discretion in setting such a high bail for a burglary case in which nothing was taken.

“There was no sufficient justification to set bail at 20 times the normal amount for this type of case,” said Siegal, who added that bail for such cases is usually $2,500 to $5,000.

Prosecutors allege that Rich broke windows at a West Hills pharmacy last April looking for drugs. However, Siegal said his client merely broke the windows in anger after being refused painkillers at a nearby hospital. Nothing was taken from the pharmacy.

The case was transferred to Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Michael Farrell, who on Wednesday will hear a motion by Siegal to reduce bail.

On Jan. 23, a trial date will be set for the burglary case. That same day, Rich will be arraigned in a separate case. Rich, who played Nicholas Bradford, the youngest son on the TV series “Eight Is Enough,” faces a charge of possession of a drug-filled syringe. Farrell will hear both matters, but at least for now the two cases will be tried separately, Siegal said.

Rich was arrested in October for allegedly stealing a drug-filled syringe from a Marina del Rey hospital after telling doctors that he needed treatment for a dislocated shoulder.

In the shoplifting incident, Rich was arrested on suspicion of taking sunglasses and a pair of socks from a department store in Northridge. Rich pleaded no contest to trespassing charges and was placed on two years probation and ordered to complete a drug rehabilitation program. Last week, Rich was expelled from the program after administrators said he was not progressing and threw himself down a flight of stairs to obtain painkilling drugs.

San Fernando Municipal Judge Nora M. Manella on Monday sent Rich to jail for 30 days, but granted him a new probation provided he completes another drug rehabilitation program.

Manella said that if Rich violates his probation again, she would sentence him to 150 days in jail.