Angela Spaccia ends testimony on contentious note; defense rests

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Mayor Oscar Hernandez tells Bell resident Jose Orozco his time is up during a meeting filled with residents upset over the high salaries paid to city administrators. The overwhelming number of public speakers called for their resignations. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

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The crowd erupts in anger at Monday night’s City Council meeting at the Bell community center. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

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L.A. County sheriff’s deputies stand near the Bell City Council -- from left, Vice Mayor Teresa Jacobo, Mayor Oscar Hernandez, George Mirabal and Luis Artiga -- during a meeting filled with residents upset over high salaries paid to council members. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

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An angry Bell resident gestures toward the City Council during a meeting filled with locals upset about high salaries paid to members and other administrators. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

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A police barricade keeps those in line from entering the Bell Community Center, which was at maximum capacity during the City Council meeting where a decision to cut the salaries of the mayor and three council members was made. (Christina House / For The Times)

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Robert Mackin, center, a Bell resident since 1941, covers his ears while fellow resident Enrique Martinez, right, yells out after hearing that no more people would be allowed inside the Community Center to attend the City Council meeting where a vote to cut the salaries of Bell’s mayor and three other council members was being taken. (Christina House / For The Times)

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Galileo Gonzalez, 21, pens a caricature of Bell Mayor Oscar Hernandez on a sign protesting the salaries of the City Council. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

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Bell businessman Joseph Lee, left, and 15-year Bell resident Hussein Saleh help hang signs outside the Bell Community Center a few hours before the City Council meeting where the vote to cut the salaries of Mayor Oscar Hernandez and fellow council members Luis Artiga, Teresa Jacobo and George Mirabal was to take place. (Christina House / For The Times)

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Officers Tony Lopez, center, and Jose Garcia guard the door to the Bell City Council chambers, where council members held an emergency meeting Thursday to consider the fate of three highly-paid top city officials.
See full story (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

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Bell City Councilman Lorenzo Velez speaks to the media at the emergency meeting.
See full story (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Bell resident Danny Harber reacts after he and other residents are told that a special City Council meeting on the controversy over high salaries paid to city officials will be closed to the public.
See full story (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Bell City Atty. Ed Lee addresses the audience at the special meeting of the Bell City Council as City Clerk Rebecca Valdez watches.
See full story (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

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Protesters gather at Bell City Hall to demand resignations of city officials whose salaries are among the highest in the nation. (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

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Police try to calm the crowd of protesters trying to get into the City Council meeting. The council ordered city staff to prepare a report on salaries for its July 26 meeting. (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

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Bell Police Chief Randy Adams, whose $457,000 salary is 50% higher than that of his Los Angeles counterpart, attended the council meeting Monday. City Administrative Officer Robert Rizzo, whose salary is also causing an outcry, did not attend. (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

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As the City Council meeting got underway, people were collecting signatures demanding an audit of city finances. (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

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A number of people waved signs that read “Stop the abuse on our taxes” and “Welcome to Bell, where the City Council makes more than you do. Also, we have nice parks.” One person had a sign showing Mayor Oscar Hernandez with devil horns. (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

By Jeff Gottlieb and Ruben Vives

Nov. 19, 2013 9:08 AM PT

After seven days on the witness stand, Angela Spaccia finished her testimony and the defense rested its case in the trial of Bell’s former second-in-command, who is accused of 13 corruption-related charges.

The trial is expected to wrap up this week and head to the jury.

Her cross-examination ended on a contentious note as she told jurors that she continued to draw her full salary and benefits even though she didn’t work for about 18 months to take care of her ailing grandfather and son. She was never docked a single vacation or sick day and continued to draw her full salary and benefits.

In his cross-examination, Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. Atty. Sean Hassett zeroed in on the time Spaccia spent in Idaho to take care of her dying grandfather in 2005 and 2006.

“You think the people of Bell should have to pay for you to not work for them during this six-month period of time?” Hassett asked.

“That’s an interesting question,” she answered. “I’ve never looked at it that way.”

“Do you?”

“I don’t even know how to answer that. I looked at it that my employer made a decision on how to handle my pay and [vacation and sick leave] accruals. Is that fair or unfair? I don’t know.”

Part of Spaccia’s defense is that she couldn’t have committed the crimes she’s accused of because she wasn’t in Bell much of the time. Her boss, Robert Rizzo, the former chief administrative officer, pleaded no contest last month to 69 felonies and is expected to be sentenced to 10 to 12 years in prison.

After an emotional day in court, Harland Braun, Spaccia’s attorney, said his client was unscathed.

“She’s admitted she was overpaid, she’s admitted that some of the money may have to be paid back to the city of Bell,” he said. “There’s a lot of ethical issues, moral issues, maybe civil law issues involved here. But they’re not criminal.”

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jeff.gottlieb@latimes.com

ruben.vives@latimes.com