SHERMAN OAKS : Coffeehouse Owners’ Trial Postponed

A Van Nuys Municipal Court official on Monday granted a delay in the trial of the owners of a Sherman Oaks coffeehouse who were accused of disobeying a City Council order.

Commissioner Rebecca Omens put off the trial of Third Life Inc., which operates the Insomnia Cafe; company president Michael Pulwer, and secretary John Dunn until Dec. 6, at the request of defense attorneys Robert Sheahen and Stanley Stone, according to Deputy City Atty. Don Cocek.

Cocek said Sheahen is working in a murder trial and Stone is scheduled to begin a trial in Kansas City on Monday.

In March, 1993, a city zoning administrator ruled that the cafe, at 13718 Ventura Blvd., is a public nuisance after nearby residents complained that it was causing late-night noise and parking congestion and drawing unruly customers.

The city Board of Zoning Appeals upheld the ruling and ordered the cafe’s owners to limit business hours. The Los Angeles City Council also upheld the order.

The Insomnia Cafe was ordered to close at 11 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and by 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

But according to the city, the cafe operators have violated the order on at least two occasions since the Dec. 1 deadline.

If convicted, Pulwer and Dunn each face a maximum sentence of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine for each violation.

Cocek said he was disappointed that the trial was delayed again. Discussions about a possible plea bargain have been unsuccessful, he said.

“We haven’t been able to reach an agreement on that,” he said. “We might. You never know till you see the whites of the jury’s eyes.”