Wrongful Death Suit Names Slain Teenager’s Friend and His Family

The family of a slain Agoura Hills teenager has filed a wrongful death suit against not only the Conejo Valley youths convicted of his slaying but also the close friend he died defending.

The civil suit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court seeks damages and funeral expenses for the family of 16-year-old Jimmy Farris, who was stabbed last year during a backyard brawl over a few bags of marijuana.

It targets the four youths convicted in May of Jimmy’s killing and two Ventura County parents. It also names Farris’ friend and the prosecution’s star witness, Mike McLoren, as well as McLoren’s mother and grandparents--the owners of the home where the killing took place. Although the suit was filed more than two months ago, the defendants were notified only last week.

Judie and Jim Farris, an LAPD officer, wrestled with the decision to file the suit until the last minute, submitting it on the anniversary of young Jimmy’s death and the last day before the statute of limitations ran out, said their attorney, James Gillen.

Although the civil suit could drag on for two years, Gillen said it would help the couple find closure.

But defense attorney Jill Lansing, who represents 19-year-old defendant Brandon Hein of Oak Park, said filing a civil suit will only prolong the Farris family’s grief and further the sufferings of the families of the convicted youths, who face life sentences.

“Obviously they are deeply hurt by the loss of a child,” Lansing said. “But short of having a child die, I can’t think of anything harder than looking at your 18-year-old son and knowing that he is going to die in prison.

“And to have your house taken away on top of all that seems to be vindictive. Someday they are going to understand that their anger is not going to bring back their son.”

Sharry Holland of Thousand Oaks, whose two sons were convicted of the slaying, said she found it ironic that she and the McLorens are named together in the civil suit.

“They want all these boys to spend their lives in prison but now they’re saying that Mike and his family are also responsible?” Holland said.

Gillen said McLoren and his family were named in the suit for practical, not personal, reasons.

“There is no personal animus toward them,” Gillen said, adding that naming the McLorens was necessary to determine whether their insurance policy could be applied to Jimmy’s death.

“The focus is to determine whether there is insurance. But the basis is they were negligent in supervising Mike. They didn’t even go out there to determine what he was doing in his tree house,” he said.

Mike admitted during testimony that he often sold pot out of the backyard fort where the fight took place.

Defense attorneys for the convicted teenagers--who are scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 19--said they were shocked at the apparent rift between the McLoren and Farris families.

“Why do they [the Farrises] want to punish Mike McLoren and Mike McLoren’s schoolteacher mother and his grandparents?” Lansing said. “I’m sure they are very hurt by this.”

Nancy McLoren, Mike McLoren’s mother, declined to comment on the suit. “I’m sorry, I really can’t discuss it,” she said.

Reached at her home in Agoura Hills, Judie Farris said she considers the suit a private issue.

“I feel like I have a right to do this,” she said.

She and her husband stood staunchly by Mike McLoren’s side during the lengthy trial. Asked if she now considers Mike culpable for her son’s death, Farris said Friday, “It is not Mike I blame the most.”

Both Lansing and Jim Sussman, who is representing 16-year-old defendant Micah Holland, said the two-month delay in serving the defendants with the civil suit raised questions.

“I think that one interpretation is that the Farrises knew they had 60 days to serve the suit, and they wanted to have the sentencing before the public had a chance to know they are seeking money,” Lansing said.

The four youths--Micah and his brother Jason Holland, 19, both of Thousand Oaks, Brandon Hein of Oak Park and Tony Miliotti, 19, of Westlake Village, were to be sentenced July 15, just six days before the Farris’ deadline to serve papers in the civil suit.

That sentencing was delayed until this month over strenuous objections from the prosecution.

“I don’t know what the prosecution’s knowledge of this thing was,” Sussman said. “I would certainly wonder whether their vehemence in opposing a continuance had to do with the civil lawsuit.”

Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. Atty. Jeff Semow said he had no idea that McLoren would be named in a civil suit. He said he spoke only briefly with Gillen to supply the names of the defendants and the prisons where they are housed.

The suit also names a fifth youth--Chris Velardo, 18, of Oak Park, who pleaded guilty last fall to voluntary manslaughter, as well as two parents: Sharry Holland and Brandon Hein’s father, Gene.

Sharry Holland said she has little to offer as restitution to the Farris family.

“I only have three things,” Holland said. “I have my daughter, a lot of bills and a leased car. And the only one of those things they can have are the bills.”