St. John Gets 90-Day Jail Term for Embezzlement

A Van Nuys Superior Court judge Thursday sentenced Juanita St. John, a longtime friend and business associate of Mayor Tom Bradley, to 90 days in County Jail for felony embezzlement and tax evasion.

St. John’s attorney, Victor Sherman, had asked Judge Michael Harwin to impose a sentence now rather than require St. John to undergo a 90-day state prison evaluation to determine her suitability for prison.

In February, Harwin ordered St. John to undergo sociological and psychological testing, but the order was postponed pending an appeal of her conviction. The state Court of Appeal, however, declined to hear the appeal because sentencing had not yet been imposed.

Sherman said he plans to refile the appeal now that Harwin has imposed a sentence.

St. John, who is free on her own recognizance, was ordered to surrender on June 11 to begin serving her sentence. However, if an appeal is filed by that date, St. John could remain free on bail pending its outcome, according to Sherman.

St. John was convicted in September of stealing $5,000 from Global Alert, a UCLA-based anti-genocide group, while she served as its treasurer. She was also convicted of two counts of filing false state tax returns for not reporting $125,000 in income.

St. John faced a maximum term of four years and four months but Harwin had indicated that a 90-day jail sentence was appropriate. Deputy Dist. Atty. Stephen Licker, who had argued for a 16-month prison term, said if St. John violates her three-year probation, she could be sentenced to the full prison term.

Sherman had sought probation for St. John, saying she had severe emotional problems. In addition, she must care for her husband, who has Alzheimer’s disease.

Licker said he will announce on June 11 whether he will refile grand theft and tax evasion charges against St. John. The jury deadlocked on those counts in the first trial. Prosecutors allege she stole $178,000 from the city’s nonprofit Task Force for Africa/Los Angeles, while she was the group’s executive director.