Lieutenant Files Libel Suit Against 2 Holdens : Courts: Sheriff’s official says the Pasadena and L.A. councilmen falsely accused him of soliciting a bribe in the sex case involving Michelle Holden.

A Los Angeles County sheriff’s lieutenant filed a libel suit Tuesday against Pasadena City Councilman Chris Holden and his father, Los Angeles City Councilman Nate Holden, alleging that they falsely accused him of soliciting a bribe from them.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, is the latest fallout from the sexual abuse case against Chris Holden’s wife, Michelle.

The libel action counters a civil suit filed in early August by Nate Holden alleging that Lt. Ronnie M. Williams tried to extort money from the family in return for promises that he would quash charges that Michelle Holden had sexual relations with two teenage boys.

The district attorney’s office investigated the extortion allegations last winter--after the Holdens lodged a complaint--and found insufficient evidence to pursue a case against Williams.

Bolstered by that finding, Williams’ suit seeks unspecified damages for what his attorneys say was a “malicious” misrepresentation to the media of a conversation the lieutenant had with Chris and Nate Holden last August in a Pasadena diner.

Williams, a 26-year department veteran who works out of a station in Altadena, would not comment on his lawsuit, which also names the cities of Los Angeles and Pasadena as defendants because city officials are involved.

At a news conference Tuesday outside Los Angeles City Hall, his lawyer, L. Bishop Austin, said publicity surrounding the extortion allegations kept his client from getting promoted to captain recently.

Those allegations “were made for personal and political reasons” aimed at garnering public sympathy for the Holden family, he said.

At the time of the diner meeting, Michelle Holden, 35, faced several county charges involving sex with two teenage boys, one of them a 15-year-old family baby-sitter. She pleaded no contest in May to sexual intercourse with that boy and was sentenced to three years’ probation, requiring drug and sex counseling. The other counts in the case were dropped.

The case against Michelle Holden was an embarrassment for the family as Nate Holden prepared to run for reelection and his son campaigned to win Pasadena’s mayoralty. The elder Holden won his race in June, while Chris Holden lost his bid in April but remains on the Pasadena City Council.

Both sides agree that last summer Williams arranged for a meeting to take place at the Green Street Restaurant in Pasadena. In attendance were Williams, Chris Holden, another sheriff’s deputy who is a mutual friend, and a social worker who knew Williams from community anti-gang violence efforts. Though not invited, Nate Holden attended the meeting.

The two sides disagree on what was said during that gathering.

According to Williams’ lawsuit, the social worker, V.G. Guiness, told the gathering about rumors that gang members who knew the boys in the sexual abuse case were planning to extort money from the Holdens and to possibly physically injure them.

Williams’ attorney said the lieutenant--aware that any crime in Pasadena would be outside his jurisdiction--only meant to tell the Holdens about the rumors so they could decide whether to alert the Pasadena police. Williams advised the Holdens to take safety precautions and warned them that whoever hoped to extort money from them would probably not relent until Michelle Holden’s trial ended, Austin said.

The Holdens’ attorney, Mark Geragos, said Tuesday that the death threats were concocted and, what’s more, that Williams solicited a bribe from the Holden family in exchange for promising to get rid of the charges against Michelle Holden.

During the diner conversation, Nate Holden became outraged, questioning Williams about his motives and wondering aloud whether a police sting operation was at play before leaving, Geragos said.

Williams had no legitimate business in contacting the Holdens and should have taken any concerns about their well-being to the Pasadena police, Geragos said.

Last month, the family of the 15-year-old who allegedly had sex with Michelle Holden filed suit against her for unspecified damages.