UPDATE June 12, 2015 4:13 p.m.: Jackson’s attorney, Ayo Omotosho of the Law Offices of Johnson/Omostosho LLC, said he is filing a demurrer on behalf of Jackson. The demurrer contests the legitimacy of the prosecution’s claims.
“Mr. Jackson is innocent of any wrongdoing,” Omotosho said.
Omotosho said the charges against his client are bogus, and that the demurrer will show this and result in charges against Jackson being dropped.
“Attempted extortion is not applicable,” Omotosho said. “There is no [extorted] property involved.”
UPDATE June 11, 2015 4:01 p.m.: The date of Jackson’s arraignment has been rescheduled to June 30, 2015, according to Ricardo Santiago, a spokesman with the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office.
LaMont Jackson, the L.A. Community College District student trustee whose term ended May 31, 2015, has been charged with felony extortion and is scheduled for arraignment Thursday, June 11.
Jackson met with the LACCD’s legal counsel Wednesday during a closed session meeting of the board of trustees, but the discussion itself is confidential and it is unknown how or if the district will respond to the situation.
“It’s a matter of ongoing investigation,” said district Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez. “There’s an administrative procedure that we have in terms of student conduct.”
Jackson was arrested March 10, 2015 and has been charged with violating Section 524 of the California Penal Code, which says that any person who uses threats of force or blackmail to “extort money or other property” can face up to one year in county jail or state prison, and may also be subject to a fine of up to $10,000.
The arraignment in the case of People v. Jackson is set for Thursday morning at the Inglewood courthouse, when he is expected to enter a plea in the case. Jackson’s bail was set at $35,000, which he posted on April 21.
Jackson was elected by the LACCD’s students in 2014 to serve a one-year term as student trustee, a term which ended last month. As student trustee, he sat on the board of trustees as a non-voting member in a position which represents the interests of students at the district’s nine campuses.
Jackson had not yet been reached for comment at the time of publication Wednesday.
