Road rage trial involving Glendale cop postponed
The trial for a Glendale police officer who was charged with battery in an alleged off-duty road rage incident in October was postponed again Wednesday after attorneys were unable to reach an agreement.
Michael Severo, the attorney representing Glendale Police Officer Eric Ritter, advised Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Margaret Oldendorf that he was unable to come to an agreement with prosecutors to resolve the case.
Oldendorf on July 7 requested Ritter — who had been absent from previous hearings — to be present in the Burbank courtroom Wednesday in the hopes of resolving the case.
With no agreement reached, Oldendorf continued Ritter’s case to July 27, when attorneys will meet again to discuss a potential deal. If an agreement is not reached by July 27, a trial could start as soon as three days from that date, she said.
The Burbank city attorney’s office in December filed the misdemeanor battery charge Dec. 10 against Ritter for allegedly striking Armando Alvarez during the road rage incident, according to Los Angeles County Superior Court documents.
The alleged incident occurred about noon on Oct. 14, when Burbank police said Ritter and Alvarez had been cutting each other off on city streets.
At a red light on Hollywood Way and Victory Boulevard, the men exited their vehicles and got into a brawl, police said.
Witnesses flagged down a Burbank police traffic officer, who responded to the scene and stopped the fight, police said.
After the Burbank officer discovered Ritter was an off-duty Glendale police officer, he immediately notified a Glendale police supervisor who responded to the scuffle, officials said.
Alvarez sustained a cut inside his lip, but he told Burbank officers at the scene that he didn’t want to press charges against Ritter. Ritter also didn’t want to pursue any charges, police added.
Ritter continues to be on administrative leave in connection with the battery charge.
Court officials also ordered Ritter to stay at least 100 yards away from Alvarez.