Credibility of Gang Expert Is Under Fire

Lawyers defending four Conejo Valley teenagers accused in the May stabbing death of a 16-year-old Agoura boy spent Tuesday hammering away at the credibility of the prosecution’s expert witness on gang issues.

In an admissibility hearing that began Monday and is expected to continue through today, prosecutors are trying to persuade a Malibu judge to allow evidence linking the teenagers with a suburban gang that began in North Hollywood.

The defendants, who ranged in age from 15 to 18 at the time of the death, are accused of stabbing Jimmy Farris during a fight over a bag of marijuana May 22. According to police reports, the teenagers--Brandon Hein, 19, of Oak Park; Tony Miliotti, 18, of Westlake Village; and Jason Holland, 19, and his brother Micah, 16, both of Thousand Oaks--had demanded pot from Farris’ friend Mike McLoren and picked a fight when he refused.

The prosecution is relying on the testimony of a Los Angeles police detective who specializes in gang crimes to link the defendants to two affiliated gangs--the Gumbys and the Gremlins. On Tuesday, Det. Rollie Landtiser, said he believes that all four of the accused are members of one or both of the gangs, based on a review of police reports, photographs of the teenagers wearing baggy pants and jailhouse letters written by known gang members.

But defense attorneys tried to cast doubt on Landtiser’s statements, pointing out that baggy pants are fashion fads at many high schools.

“If a kid walks in the room right now and he is wearing baggy pants, do you assume he is in a gang?” asked Jill Lansing, who is representing Hein.

The lawyers made the point repeatedly that Landtiser only learned of the existence of the two gangs last week.

“Have you ever rendered an opinion on Gumbys before?” asked Curtis Leftwich, Miliotti’s attorney.

“I didn’t even know they existed until Thursday,” Landtiser replied.

According to the defense, local gang experts believe Gumbys and Gremlins to be merely graffiti vandals--or taggers--not violent criminals.

“My key question is: ‘Why did the people need to go out of the local jurisdiction for expertise? “ asked Ira Salzman, who is representing Jason Holland.

Opening statements in the trial are expected Thursday.