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Billionaire Bill Gross was found in contempt of court on Friday and ordered to perform two days of community service – instead of spending five days in jail – for “flagrant” violation of a restraining order in the community. in the midst of his very contentious high-decibel feud. with its seaside, neighbor of Laguna Beach.
The same Orange County Superior Court judge who discovered last year that Gross had targeted his tech entrepreneur neighbor with loud music loops, including the “Gilligan Island theme song,” said once again ruled against the legend of the bond industry. Justice Kimbery Knill said Gross and his wife, former tennis pro Amy Gross, refused to accept responsibility for their conduct.
“Obviously there is blood between the neighbors,” Justice Knill said when her decision was announced Friday in a Santa Ana courtroom. “As events have shown, we are not out of the woods yet.”
Bill and Amy Gross were each sentenced to five days in jail and a $ 1,000 fine. But due to COVID-19 conditions behind bars, the judge chose to turn two of those days into community service and will stay the remaining three days until the couple again violate the court order. ‘next year.
Gross, in a statement released minutes after the hearing, called the ruling a “travesty of justice and a black mark on the Orange County court system.”
“The judge in the case was the judge from an earlier trial earlier in the year, after which I wrote in one of my public outlooks that she looked like the judge hanging from the shore of Laguna Beach and that ‘She was using the case to advance her promotion to a higher court, “Gross wrote.” We thought she could overcome her prejudices as a result of this criticism, but obviously she couldn’t. “
A lawyer representing Gross’s neighbors said his reaction to the ruling proved Gross “still hasn’t learned his lesson. …
“He responded to his conviction not by accepting responsibility but by attacking and defaming the trial judge, who is widely regarded as an excellent and fair lawyer,” attorney Chase Scolnick said in a statement. “I hope the court ruling on a five-day jail sentence makes the Grosses finally realize that their billions don’t mean they’re above the law.”
At the request of Gross’s lawyers, the judge agreed to suspend the sentence for 30 days to give them the opportunity to appeal the decision. Patricia Glaser, lawyers representing Gross, told the judge the ruling was “draconian.”
Gross’s neighbors – tech entrepreneur Mark Towfiq and his wife Carol Nakahara – say the feud started after an unauthorized $ 1 million sculpture was installed on Gross’s property. Gross in turn accused Towfiq of violating his privacy and inappropriately recording him on his property.
After days of testimony last year, the judge sided with Towfiq and his wife, issuing a restraining order banning Gross from playing music from loudspeakers outside their home when no one was there, or at all hours of the night. Gross and his wife use the house as a vacation home away from their primary Newport Beach residence.
On July 7, according to video and testimony, Gross and his wife played loud music as they swam in their pool with a friend who had celebrated their wedding, which prompted Towfiq to call the police. Body camera footage captured officers commenting on hearing music in the din of traffic on the nearby coastal road, and unsuccessful attempts to get Bill or Amy Gross out of the pool to talk to them.
Days later, attorneys for Towfiq asked the judge to find Bill and Amy Gross in violation of the restraining order, launching the final round of hearings.
“They want to be free from harassment but most of all, they just want to live in peace and quiet,” Scolnick told the judge last week.
Gross’s attorneys alleged that Towfiq was just crazy for getting the city approved for the lawn carving on Gross property.
“When the city was about to approve the statue, Mr. Towfiq decided he would turn the court order into a weapon,” Glaser told the judge last week.
Judge Knill determined that the loud music on July 7 was indeed a violation of the court order. The judge particularly noted what she described as a “dreadful” video Amy Gross took of herself in the pool, spinning around and singing in a loud voice: “We’re out, Yes Yes Yes Yes.
“Les Grosses must be held accountable for conduct for which they still refuse to accept responsibility,” the judge said.
In addition to the suspended prison sentence and community service, the judge also changed the restraining order to prohibit Gross and his wife from playing music at any time from the speakers. located outside their home.
Glaser asked Knill if it was possible for Bill and Amy Gross to serve a house arrest sentence, adding that she did not expect it to be at the Laguna Beach residence. The judge denied the request.
In brief comments to reporters outside the courtroom, Bill Gross said: “The only relevant facts in this case are that no police citation has been issued” for the noise complaint on the 7th. July.
“This ranks below a speeding ticket,” Gross said.
Scolnick said his clients were happy with the outcome and that he hoped it would allow the couple to live in peace.
The type of community service to be awarded will be determined in the future.
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