The Fairfax County Police

The Fairfax County Police
Sweeping it under the carpet for over fifty years

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Case delayed; CHP officer could face more charges in July



Case delayed; CHP officer could face more charges in July

By Sean LongoriaA California Highway Patrol officer under investigation in a child pornography case and charged with having a cache of illegal guns, explosives, drugs and stolen driver's licenses at his Anderson area home will have to wait until next month to find out whether he'll stand trial.

CHP officer Gerald "Gary" Roland Harris, 45, appeared in court only briefly Monday morning as prosecutors and criminal defense attorney Joe Gazzigli asked retired Superior Court Judge Anthony Anderson to hold off setting preliminary hearing date as the District Attorney's Office contemplates filing further charges against him.

The officer is under investigation in a child pornography case, according to two independent sources and a sealed Shasta County search warrant. But the extent of the investigation remains unclear.

Harris hasn't been charged with any child pornography allegations.

Josh Lowery, chief deputy district attorney, last week said the CHP submitted a second report on Harris to his office, but a decision on whether to file additional charges won't be made until July.

Harris will be back in court July 11 to set a preliminary hearing date. Gazzigli initially asked to hold off until July 9 to see if prosecutors file further charges, though Sarah Van Slyke, deputy district attorney, requested the date two days later.

Harris, now sporting a goatee, quickly left the court after the short

hearing along with three others. Gazzigli was in-between cases but offered a brief comment to reporters outside the courthouse.

"My gut reaction is that they're struggling with it," he said of the DA's investigation into Harris.

It's the second delay in the case in as many months. Gazzigli and prosecutors during a May hearing asked for a continuance in the case as the District Attorney's Office continued an investigation expected to be complete this month.

District Attorney Steve Carlton wasn't available for comment Monday on why the case has met delays or the status of his office's investigation.

CHP investigators, who have said they were collecting evidence in a crime that occurred nearly a month earlier at the Redding CHP patrol office, searched Harris' Deschutes Road house Feb. 21.

Investigators said they found 10 illegal assault rifles as well as an illegal assault pistol, homemade explosives, methadone pills and dozens of stolen driver's licenses.

Harris is charged with 13 felony counts related to the guns, drugs and explosives and one misdemeanor count of embezzlement by a public or private officer for the driver's licenses.

After the much-publicized February search of the Deschutes Road home, Harris was cited and released.

He turned himself in March 2 and his bail was set at $100,000. He bailed out 70 minutes after he was booked.

Gazzigli has said Harris is on leave from his duties as a patrol officer.