text:
March 28th, 2005 Trial Analysis: Judge Melville's Decision on Prior Bad Acts & Settlements Evidence, George Lopez, Ann Serrano Lopez, and Robert Spinner (Direct & Cross Examination), Part 3 of 4
The next prosecution witness was comedian George Lopez, who at one point was friendly with the Arvizo family, until he was accused of stealing $300 dollars from Gavin's wallet, which was accidentally (or intentionally?) left at his home.
Lopez began his testimony by describing to Zonen his background, and his work with the Laugh Factory's comedy camp, where he initially met the Arvizo family:
6 Q. Mr. Lopez, good morning.
7 A. Good morning.
8 Q. Sir, what is your current occupation?
9 A. I'm a comedian/actor.
10 Q. And do you have a television show at this
11 time?
12 A. I do, named "George Lopez," on ABC.
13 Q. How long has that show been in progress?
14 A. The show has been on for four years.
15 Q. You're expected to go on for another four?
16 A. I'd like three more, and then to retire.
17 Q. Mr. Lopez, prior to going on television,
18 what were you doing professionally?
19 A. I was a host of a radio program in Los
20 Angeles, which was on 92.3, Mega 92.3, in the
21 morning.
22 Q. For what period of time did you do that?
23 A. From November of '99 to August of 2000.
24 Q. Have you been a stand-up comic for some
25 period of time?
26 A. 25 years.
27 Q. Are you familiar with The Laugh Factory in
28 Los Angeles? 3793
1 A. Yes, sir, I am.
2 Q. And where is The Laugh Factory?
3 A. It's located on Sunset Boulevard —
4 Q. Is that —
5 A. — in Hollywood.
6 Q. Is that a nightclub that features comedians?
7 A. It is.
8 Q. And have you performed there?
9 A. Many times.
10 Q. Over what period of time have you performed
11 at The Laugh Factory?
12 A. I've probably performed there over the last
13 15 years.
14 Q. Do you know Jamie Masada?
15 A. Yes, sir, I do.
16 Q. What is Mr. Masada's association with The
17 Laugh Factory?
18 A. He's the owner of The Laugh Factory.
19 Q. Are there other Laugh Factories other than
20 the one on Sunset in Los Angeles?
21 A. I understand he opened one in New York.
22 Q. Have you ever appeared at the one in New
23 York?
24 A. I have not.
25 Q. What is the comedy camp that's associated
26 with The Laugh Factory? What's that?
27 A. Well, Jamie Masada, for years, has had a
28 program where they took underprivileged youth and 3794
1 used comedians who worked the club as kind of
2 mentors to the kids, and they would teach them
3 stand-up, and also, you know, give them something to
4 do, you know, with writing jokes, and performing,
5 and stuff. And it was available during the day when
6 nothing really was going on at The Laugh Factory.
7 Q. Do comedians periodically come by and assist
8 with mentoring the children?
9 A. Yes, sir.
10 Q. What's the criteria for being a child
11 attending that club?
12 A. I think Jamie puts it out, and all — you
13 don't really need to pay anything, it's just whether
14 you're interested and have, you know, a way to get
15 to The Laugh Factory, you can sign up.
16 Q. Do you know if these are children that are
17 either at risk or disadvantaged in some fashion?
18 A. Most of the time they're at risk and
19 underprivileged youth.
20 Q. Do you know how many years Mr. Masada has
21 been running the comedy camp?
22 A. It seems, to me, he's been doing it for
23 about seven or eight years.
24 Q. Does he periodically solicit the assistance
25 of the comedians from the entertainment community?
26 A. Yes, sir.
27 Q. And are you one of them?
28 A. I am one of them. 3795
1 Q. How many times — and perhaps "times" is not
2 quite the right way to ask it, but on which
3 occasions have you assisted in working with the kids
4 at comedy camp?
5 A. Over the years I've been asked several
6 times. And I've only performed — participated one
7 time, and that was in the fall of '99.
8 Q. And by "one time," does that mean one single
9 occasion, or one camp?
10 A. One camp.
11 Q. And that's for a period of time of how long,
12 then?
13 A. Probably — probably seven weeks.
14 Q. All right. Were you there for the bulk of
15 those weeks?
16 A. Yes, sir.
17 Q. Do you know the Arvizo family?
18 A. I do.
19 Q. And do you know the children who are members
20 of the Arvizo family?
21 A. Yes, I do.
22 Q. How do you know them?
23 A. Jamie asked me if I would participate in the
24 camp; that there was a special Latino family that
25 was underprivileged and they had requested me, and,
26 you know, it was a sister and two brothers. And I
27 said yes.
28 Q. What are their names? 3796
1 A. Davellin, Gavin and Star Arvizo.
2 Q. And for what period of time did you work
3 with those three kids?
4 A. I worked with them in the fall, probably
5 from the middle of November through the end — the
6 middle of October till the end of November.
7 Q. What year was that; do you recall?
8 A. I think it was '99.
9 Q. Okay. How old were the kids, as best you
10 recall?
11 A. I think Davellin was probably 15. Star was,
12 I think, nine or ten. And Gavin was 11.
13 Q. How did they do in the comedy camp?
14 A. They were pretty good. They were fearless.
15 So, you know, they talked about a lot of things that
16 I talked about, coming from an underprivileged
17 background. And, you know, they were fearless in
18 their performing. And they were kind of very sweet,
19 you know, and very kind.
20 Q. Did you work with them the entirety of that
21 time?
22 A. I did.
23 Q. Did you work with other kids, or just those
24 three?
25 A. I did not. Just those three.
26 Q. How many sessions do you think you had with
27 them?
28 A. You know, probably like seven. On Mondays, 3797
1 from like 3:00 in the afternoon to about 5:00. Just
2 two hours a week.
3 Q. Did you get to meet their mother?
4 A. I did.
5 Q. What is her name?
6 A. Her name is Janet.
7 Q. All right. Over the same period of time,
8 did you see her?
9 A. You know, I only saw Janet during the period
10 of time that we spent at The Laugh Factory.
11 Q. Was she there every time?
12 A. She was there.
13 Q. With the kids?
14 A. Every time.
15 Q. Do you know how they got there?
16 A. They took the bus.
17 Q. Did that impress you in some way?
18 A. Absolutely. I mean, you know, anybody that
19 rides the bus in Los Angeles is a hero to me.
20 (Laughter.)
Next, Lopez bolster's the prosecution's assertions that the defense exaggerated Janet's role in the family's money making schemes by denying that Janet had ever asked him for money or any other type of assistance:
26 Q. During the period of time that you knew the
27 Arvizos in association with The Laugh Factory, did
28 Janet Arvizo ever ask you for any assistance in any 3798
1 way?
2 A. No.
3 Q. Did she ever ask you for money in any way?
4 A. No.
5 Q. This went on for a period of how many
6 months, to your knowledge?
7 A. Well, the whole time that I've known the
8 Arvizo family, it was probably eight months.
Next, Lopez describes how he initially met the family:
9 Q. Did you ever meet the kids' father during
10 the time that the kids were at the comedy camp?
11 A. Yes.
12 Q. And what is his name?
13 A. His name is David.
14 Q. At some point in time, did you become aware
15 of the fact that one of the children became ill,
16 seriously ill?
17 A. Yes.
18 Q. And how did that come about?
19 A. I got a phone call from Janet on my cell
20 phone, and, you know, as any mother would be,
21 completely distraught and was asking for help. And
22 I went to the hospital as soon as I found out that
23 Gavin was as sick as he was.
24 Q. The call then came from Janet?
25 A. Yes.
26 Q. And did you then go to the hospital?
27 A. I did.
28 Q. And what did you find when you got there? 3799
1 A. Well, I found Gavin in dire condition. I
2 mean, he was really just clinging to life. And
3 that's when I met David. I had never seen him
4 before until I showed up at the hospital.
5 Q. You didn't meet him during the time — maybe
6 I'm wrong about this. During the time that the kids
7 were at the camp, at the comedy camp, that period of
8 a couple months —
9 A. Right.
10 Q. — did you meet David Arvizo?
11 A. I did not.
12 Q. You met him for the first time at the
13 hospital?
14 A. Yes.
15 Q. Do you know approximately how long after the
16 completion of the comedy camp it was that Gavin
17 became ill?
18 A. Probably six weeks.
19 Q. When you went to the hospital, did you go by
20 yourself or with somebody else?
21 A. I took my wife with me.
22 Q. And your wife's name is?
23 A. Ann.
24 Q. Did you return to the hospital on other
25 occasions to visit with Gavin?
26 A. Yes, I did.
27 Q. Over what period of time do you believe you
28 went to the hospital? 3800
1 A. Over the next four months.
2 Q. Did you ever visit him at other locations
3 besides at the hospital?
4 A. Yes.
5 Q. Where did you visit him?
6 A. I visited him at his home in El Monte.
7 Q. All right. Do you know this to be his home
8 or his grandparents' home?
9 A. I think it was his grandparents' home.
10 Q. Can you describe that home in El Monte for
11 us?
12 A. It was a tract home in El Monte that — it
13 was one of those places where — probably a
14 two-bedroom house where the living and kitchen blend
15 into the same room, and it probably had every stick
16 of furniture they'd ever owned in it. And it had
17 this one room that looked like a suite out of the
18 Four Seasons.
19 Q. And what room was that?
20 A. That was Gavin's room.
21 Q. And the rest of the house?
22 A. Reminiscent of my own childhood. Very —
23 you know, kind of plastic over the couch, and
24 plastic runners on the floor, and birds, and dogs,
25 and things like that.
26 Q. Modest?
27 A. Modest, to say the least.
28 Q. All right. And the one room that Gavin was 3801
1 in, describe that for us, as best you can.
2 A. That room was prepared for Gavin because he
3 was coming out of the hospital. I think Jamie had
4 made it so that he could get a hospital bed. And it
5 was — the carpet was removed, and it was kind of
6 like a cleanroom, like a place you'd go and it was
7 sanitary. I think you even had to wear a robe to
8 get in.
Lopez once again denies being asked for money by Janet, but recounts how David asked him for assistance in March 2000:
9 Q. For the entirety of that time that Gavin was
10 ill that you were visiting him, did you have contact
11 with his father?
12 A. I did.
13 Q. Did you have contact with his mother during
14 that time?
15 A. I did not.
16 Q. Can you explain that? Do you know why?
17 A. You know, I don't know why. When Gavin was
18 at The Laugh Factory, I dealt with the mother. And
19 as soon as he got sick, the mother — I never saw
20 the mother again, and the only person I saw was the
21 father.
22 Q. Did you ever speak with her on the
23 telephone?
24 A. I did not.
25 Q. Did she ever contact you other than the
26 initial phone call to tell you that Gavin was sick?
27 A. No.
28 Q. Did she ever ask you for money? 3802
1 A. She did not.
2 Q. During your dealings with the father at that
3 point, during the number of months that Gavin was
4 ill, did he ever ask you for assistance in any way?
5 A. Yes.
6 Q. And when do you think was the first time, if
7 you know?
8 A. Probably the first time was maybe February
9 or March of 2000, approximately. Yeah, around
10 there.
11 Q. But this was after Gavin became ill already?
12 A. Yes.
13 Q. And in what way did he ask for assistance?
14 A. Well, you know, he made it known that he
15 was, you know, strapped for cash. And at that
16 point, I would help him with whatever I had on me.
17 You know, I'd give him, you know, $40, $50 if I had
18 it. Whatever I had, you know.
19 I would bring things to the hospital to try
20 to get Gavin to eat, you know, different kind of
21 drinks and stuff, energy drinks and things like
22 that.
10 Q. Okay. Now, the requests for money from
11 David, was that a frequent request from him?
12 A. Yes.
13 Q. And did you give him money on a fairly
14 regular basis?
15 A. Yes. Well, I wouldn't call it fairly
16 regular. On occasion, I would say.
17 Q. How much would you give him?
18 A. You know, 40 here. Whatever I had. 30, 20.
19 I bought him a pair of shoes one time. Stuff like
20 that. But never, you know, a check for $10,000.
Lopez went on to describe the polar opposite views that he and David had on the fundraiser for Gavin; Lopez was more concerned with Gavin's health and well-being, while David was more concerned with raising money:
1 Q. Have you participated in fund-raisers at The
2 Laugh Factory before?
3 A. Yes.
4 Q. Is that something that's frequent at that
5 location?
6 A. Yes, it is.
7 Q. When fund-raisers are held at The Laugh
8 Factory, or any of the other entertainment clubs in
9 Los Angeles, is there a way in which they do that?
10 Is there kind of a traditional way that they raise
11 money?
12 A. Well, the way they do it is Jamie would ask
13 comedians to perform, and really that's your only
14 obligation. You show up, you perform, and that's
15 it. You're not — really don't understand where the
16 money goes to or any of that aspect of it. You're
17 just there to really give your time. And then
18 whatever they collect goes to whoever the
19 beneficiary is of the fund-raiser.
20 Q. And by "what they collect," what is it that
21 they're actually collecting?
22 A. The donation at the door, whatever the price
23 of the ticket is.
24 Q. All right. And can that vary?
25 A. Oh, yeah.
26 Q. They can make it whatever they want?
27 A. Whatever it is.
28 Q. All right. Did David talk with you about 3805
1 doing a fund-raiser on his behalf, or, rather, his
2 child's behalf?
3 A. Yes.
4 Q. And what was the nature of that discussion?
5 What is it that he was asking you to do?
6 A. He was asking me to take care of a
7 fund-raiser for Gavin, which I was more than happy
8 to do. But then it became apparent to me that it
9 wasn't about Gavin anymore. I was about how Gavin
10 was and how he was feeling. I wasn't about money
11 for Gavin. And it seemed to me at that time that
12 David Arvizo was more interested in the money than
13 he was about his son.
14 Q. All right. Was David working at the time,
15 to your knowledge?
16 A. To my knowledge, I don't think he was
17 working.
18 Q. Did he ever express to you any concerns
19 about insurance, medical insurance?
20 A. I was always led to believe that they had no
21 insurance whatsoever.
22 Q. All right. And that was from David?
23 A. Yes, sir.
24 Q. You never had a conversation with Janet
25 about that subject?
26 A. Never.
27 Q. She never asked you for money?
28 A. Never did. 3806
1 Q. All right. Did you come to an understanding
2 with David that you would assist in some kind of a
3 fund-raising effort?
4 A. Yes.
5 Q. And — go ahead. That —
6 A. Okay. Thanks.
7 THE BAILIFF: You have to — there you go.
8 THE WITNESS: (To the court reporter)
9 Hello.
10 Uh-huh.
11 Q. BY MR. ZONEN: What was the nature of the
12 fund-raiser that you were going to do, and where?
13 A. I was going to do a fund-raiser and use the
14 radio to raise money for Gavin and I was going to do
15 it at The Ice House in Pasadena. And I was going to
16 take care — I was going to do it myself. I was
17 going to plan the whole thing. And because of my
18 schedule at the radio, we kind of got a little
19 behind. And David became, you know, pretty
20 aggressive about when it was going to happen and how
21 much he thought we could raise and that kind of
22 stuff.
23 Q. What do you mean by "pretty aggressive"?
24 A. A lot of phone calls. A lot of, "When's it
25 going to happen?" And, I said, you know, "I'm
26 working right now, man. We're trying to put it
27 together. We're trying to get guys to perform."
28 And every call was about the same thing. 3807
1 Q. Did he always inquire about the money that
2 you would raise?
3 A. Yes, he did.
4 Q. Did he ask about specific amounts?
5 A. Yeah, he did. He asked about how much I
6 thought we could raise.
7 Q. What did you tell him?
8 A. I told him that with those things, you never
9 know. I mean, you never know how much you're going
10 to raise. And really, when I do fund-raisers, it
11 was never about, "How much money do you think you
12 could raise?" It was about getting it off
13 succesfully. It wasn't about the bottom line. It
14 was about doing a fund-raiser.
Zonen continues to drive the narrative that David Arvizo was responsible for the Arvizo's falling out with George Lopez by asking him about what differentiated David from other people that George has associated himself with, as well as asking him to describe in detail the wallet incident. Notice how Mesereau's objection to Zonen asking Lopez for a THIRD TIME if Janet had asked him for money was sustained by Judge Melville:
18 Q. You've dealt with other benefits for other
19 people in need, have you not?
20 A. Yes, I have.
21 Q. Was there something unique about David's
22 behavior as compared to the others?
23 A. Yeah. I mean, the guy was like — you know,
24 he was — it was more than one call, and it was
25 always about the same thing. And he'd call while I
26 was on the radio, while I was working. I couldn't
27 talk to him. And after a while, it became — I told
28 my wife that it was — I told my wife Ann that it 3809
1 was becoming apparent to me that it wasn't a good
2 idea to have the fund-raiser. I — I decided not to
3 do it because I didn't like the way it was kind of
4 turning out.
5 Q. Was there a particular event that occurred
6 that put you over the top on this, made you decide
7 not to do it?
8 A. Yes.
9 Q. What was that?
10 A. On May 5th of that year, I think 2000 —
11 whatever the year — 2000 — I think, to the best of
12 my knowledge, it's 2000. I was doing a show at the
13 Acapulco Restaurant on May 5th from 5:00 to 10:00 in
14 the morning in El Monte.
15 And at ten o'clock, he approached me outside
16 of the restaurant, right in front of the restaurant,
17 and asked me aggressively what was the deal with the
18 fund-raiser.
19 And I told him that I didn't think it was
20 going to happen. And he said, "What do you mean
21 it's not going to happen?" And I said, "It doesn't
22 look like it's going to happen." And then he — his
23 tone changed, and we had words, and that was the
24 last time I ever saw him.
25 Q. Did he ever call you again thereafter?
26 A. No.
27 Q. All right. Was there an event that preceded
28 that that affected your decision? 3810
1 A. Yes. There was a situation with a wallet at
2 my house.
3 Q. All right. Let's talk about this. Let's
4 start with, first of all, did you ever take Mr.
5 Arvizo and any of the kids, or Gavin, out shopping?
6 A. I did.
7 Q. All right. Did that begin with a visit to
8 your home?
9 A. Yes, it did.
10 Q. And your home at that time was in what area?
11 A. In Sherman Oaks, California.
12 Q. Have you moved since then?
13 A. I have.
14 Q. Who came to your home with David Arvizo?
15 A. Gavin.
16 Q. Only Gavin?
17 A. I think Star might have come also.
18 Q. Okay. Do you recall if Davellin was there?
19 A. She was not there.
20 Q. Where did you go that day? What did you do?
21 A. Well, I picked them up in El Monte. I
22 brought them to the house, and they played in the
23 backyard for a little bit. And then I took them to
24 Pizza Hut and I took them to the mall, and we walked
25 around the mall a little bit. And then I brought
26 them home, brought them to the house and they used
27 the rest room, and then I drove them back to El
28 Monte. 3811
1 Q. All right. Was Gavin still ill at this
2 time, or had he already gone into remission?
3 A. He had kind of gone into a little remission.
4 He was out of the hospital.
5 Q. But he was still going back and forth for
6 treatment?
7 A. Yes.
8 Q. How was his appearance at that time?
9 A. He was kind of energetic. I think he was —
10 you know, he was okay. He was walking around. He
11 wasn't, you know, as frail as he was when he was in
12 the hospital. He was doing okay.
13 Q. All right. And David was there; is that
14 right?
15 A. Yes.
16 Q. Did you notice anything unusual about their
17 behavior when they were in the stores?
18 A. Well, you know, like any kid in the mall,
19 you know, Gavin wanted everything, and David kind of
20 was off to the side, a little bit in the back, kind
21 of conspicuously out — just out of the way. He
22 wasn't really with us. Kind of off to the side.
23 Q. Was Gavin asking for things?
24 A. Yes.
25 Q. And were you purchasing things for him?
26 A. Not everything, but a few things.
27 Q. Okay. Did David's behavior strike you as
28 unusual? 3812
1 A. Yeah, I think so.
2 Q. In what way?
3 A. In that he was, you know, a little — he was
4 a little, you know, distant. He was distant but
5 yet, you know, always a little tense, you know. He
6 was a little — not as relaxed as somebody would be,
7 I guess.
8 Q. Did you feel he should have been a little
9 more responsible as a parent while his child was
10 asking you for things?
11 A. Yeah. He wasn't anywhere around.
12 Q. All right. Now, when you finally got back
13 home, and David left, what did you notice in the
14 house?
15 A. Well, I took them home, and I came back.
16 And we had this room that really a lot of people
17 have. It's very popular with Mexicans. We have a
18 room that's no one's allowed to sit in, and
19 everything stays — everything stays put. And it
20 was my — our house, and even I wasn't allowed in
21 that room.
22 So on the mantle, there's nothing on the
23 fireplace mantle except this brown and black wallet.
24 So as I walk in the house, your eyes immediately go
25 to the mantle. It's the first thing you see.
26 So I see this wallet, and I pick it up and
27 it's not mine, and I open it up, and it has an I.D.,
28 Gavin's I.D. And I look, and there's a $50 bill in 3813
1 it, one $50 bill.
2 So I go to the kitchen, where my wife is,
3 and I say, "Ann, Gavin left his wallet." So we call
4 Gavin, tell him that he left his wallet. They say
5 to drop it off at The Laugh Factory. We end up
6 sending it in the mail so that we can get rid of it.
7 And then sometime later, I understand
8 through Jamie Masada at The Laugh Factory, that
9 David Arvizo told Jamie Masada, who owns The Laugh
10 Factory, that I had taken $300 out of Gavin's
11 wallet.
12 Q. Okay. Janet Arvizo never accused you —
13 A. No.
14 Q. — of taking money from her son's wallet; is
15 that correct?
16 A. No. That's correct.
17 Q. Did you ever have a conversation with Janet
18 Arvizo about the wallet?
19 A. Never.
20 Q. All right. Did Janet Arvizo ever ask you
21 for money?
22 MR. MESEREAU: Objection; asked and answered
23 three times.
24 THE COURT: Sustained.
25 Q. BY MR. ZONEN: Following this event, the
26 conversation with Mr. Masada —
27 A. Yes.
28 Q. — about the wallet, did you ever have 3814
1 another conversation with David Arvizo?
2 A. I never did. Oh, after the wallet — after
3 the wallet, I had the exchange on May 5th.
4 Q. Now, when you had the exchange on May 5th,
5 did you already know — had you already had the
6 conversation with Mr. Masada about the wallet?
7 A. My wife did.
8 Q. All right. Did you know about it at the
9 time —
10 A. I did.
11 Q. — of the conversation?
12 Was that one of the reasons that you no
13 longer wished to be associated with them?
14 A. You know, that might have put me over the
15 top.
16 Q. Were you involved in any fund-raisers for
17 the Arvizo family at all?
18 A. You know, I can't recall.
19 Q. The one that was at The Laugh Factory, you
20 don't have a recollection of having been there?
21 A. You know, I think early on I may have. But
22 I really — I can't remember. I think — I think
23 the one that Fritz Coleman hosted was the one that I
24 performed at. But it was early on, so I really
25 can't say.
26 Q. Other than the one that you organized, or
27 began to organize at The Ice House, were you
28 organizing any other fund-raisers for the Arvizo 3815
1 family?
2 A. No.
3 Q. Did you give any money to any other member
4 of the family of the Arvizo family, other than David
5 Arvizo?
6 A. I did not.
7 MR. MESEREAU: Objection; misstates the
8 evidence.
9 THE COURT: Overruled. The answer was — is
10 in. Next question.
11 MR. ZONEN: Let me have just one moment,
12 please.
13 Q. In Janet's telephone call to you when she
14 announced that her child was ill, did she ask for
15 your assistance at that time in that conversation?
16 A. You know, other than —
17 MR. MESEREAU: Objection; asked and
18 answered.
19 THE COURT: Overruled.
20 You may answer.
21 THE WITNESS: Can I answer?
22 Q. BY MR. ZONEN: Yes.
23 A. Other than just finding out her son was
24 gravely ill and didn't know what to do, that's what
25 I got from the call.
26 MR. ZONEN: Thank you. I have no further
27 questions.
28 THE COURT: Cross-examine? 3816
1 MR. MESEREAU: Yes, please, Your Honor.
Mesereau's cross examination started off by him asking Lopez to describe the shopping trip that he went on with David and Gavin, and how Gavin constantly asked him to buy him gifts right in front of David, who did not tell Gavin to stop:
5 Q. Good afternoon, Mr. Lopez.
6 A. Good afternoon.
7 Q. My name is Tom Mesereau, and I speak for
8 Michael Jackson.
9 We've never spoken before, right?
10 A. No, sir.
11 Q. Now, you interviewed with the Santa Barbara
12 Sheriffs on — last Friday, correct?
13 A. I did.
14 Q. And who did you interview with?
15 A. I interviewed with the gentleman who was
16 just asking me the questions.
17 Q. That's Prosecutor Zonen?
18 A. Yes.
19 Q. Okay. And how long did you meet with
20 Prosecutor Zonen?
21 A. Me personally?
22 Q. Yes.
23 A. 25 minutes.
24 Q. And were you with your attorney?
25 A. I was.
26 Q. And your attorney is sitting here today,
27 right?
28 A. Yes. 3817
1 Q. Mr. Blancarte?
2 A. Yes, sir.
3 Q. Okay. And you didn't want that interview to
4 be tape-recorded, correct?
5 A. That's correct.
6 Q. So as far as you know, there was no tape-
7 recording of what you said, right?
8 A. That's correct.
9 Q. Okay. Now, you told Prosecutor Zonen that
10 you think you gave David Arvizo, in total, something
11 less than $400, right?
12 A. Right.
13 Q. And this had to do with moneys you gave him
14 at the hospital primarily; is that correct?
15 A. Yes, sir.
16 Q. But you also told Prosecutor Zonen that you
17 went shopping with David and Gavin, and Gavin kept
18 asking you to buy him things in front of his father,
19 correct?
20 A. Yes.
21 Q. And you found it kind of strange that the
22 father never told him to stop doing that or spoke
23 up, right?
24 A. Right.
25 Q. Okay. And did you buy him anything while
26 you were shopping with Gavin and the father?
27 A. Yes.
28 Q. Okay. What did you buy Gavin? 3818
1 A. You know, we took him to the Discovery Store
2 and bought a few — maybe like a race car track, and
3 a ball that extends, and things like that.
4 Q. Okay. And how often would you buy — well,
5 let me rephrase that. How often did you go shopping
6 with Gavin and David?
7 A. That was the only time.
8 Q. Just one time?
9 A. Just one time.
10 Q. And to your knowledge, how many times, if
11 you remember, did Gavin ask you to buy something for
12 him in front of his father?
13 A. Four.
14 Q. Okay. Did you buy whatever he wanted every
15 time?
16 A. Well, I — no.
17 Q. Okay. Okay. You bought some of the things
18 he wanted and didn't buy other things he wanted?
19 A. Kind of expensive.
20 Q. Didn't you also bring gifts to the hospital
21 when Gavin was ill?
22 A. Yes.
23 Q. And what gifts did you bring to the
24 hospital?
25 A. You know, cast-iron cars and things like
26 that.
27 Q. Okay. But the money — the actual money you
28 donated was to David directly, correct? 3819
1 A. Yes.
2 Q. Did you ever give Gavin anything directly?
3 A. No.
Next, Mesereau questioned Lopez about his signed declaration from February 16th, 2005, in which he contradicted his earlier statements by declaring "I never provided money to the Arvizos or any of them". Lopez explained that he "couldn't recall" at that time if he had given them money:
4 Q. Okay. Now, do you remember signing a
5 declaration under penalty of perjury in this case on
6 February 16th, 2005?
7 A. Um, yeah.
8 Q. Do you remember testifying under penalty —
9 excuse me, not "testifying." Do you remember
10 swearing under penalty of perjury the following:
11 "I never provided money to the Arvizos or any of
12 them"?
13 A. Yes.
14 Q. Well, that wasn't true, was it?
15 A. Well, at that time I couldn't recall.
16 Q. So on February 16th you couldn't recall,
17 under penalty of perjury, if you gave any money to
18 any of the Arvizos, correct?
19 A. That's right.
20 Q. But when you met with the prosecutor on
21 Friday, you suddenly recalled that you gave David
22 money on a periodic basis, right?
23 A. Right.
24 Q. You gave him, what, no more than 40 or 50
25 bucks at a time, correct?
26 A. Right.
27 Q. And you thought the total was less than
28 $400, right? 3820
1 A. That's correct.
Lopez had another memory lapse when he completed his signed declaration on January 18th, 2005, in which he stated that "I have not been involved, appeared or participated in a fund-raiser for the minor and alleged victim in the Michael Jackson case":
2 Q. Okay. Now, from what you said today —
3 correct me if I'm wrong, I think you said that you
4 were involved in planning for a fund-raiser, but
5 never went through with it?
6 A. That's correct.
7 Q. Okay. And you didn't go through with it
8 because David's activities offended you, correct?
9 A. That's correct.
10 Q. You thought he was leaning on you too hard
11 for money, right?
12 A. That's right.
13 Q. And was it your understanding that he was
14 married to Janet at that time?
15 A. Yes.
16 Q. Okay. Do you remember signing another
17 declaration under penalty of perjury in this case on
18 January 18th, 2005?
19 A. Yes.
20 Q. And you said, "I have not involved" — "I
21 have not been involved, appeared or participated in
22 a fund-raiser for the minor and alleged victim in
23 the Michael Jackson case," right?
24 A. That's correct.
25 Q. That wasn't totally truthful, was it?
26 A. I could not recall.
27 Q. Okay. So on January 18th you couldn't
28 recall if you had any involvement in a fund-raiser, 3821
1 but after you signed that declaration under penalty
2 penalty of perjury, you remembered that you were
3 involved in some of the early planning stages; is
4 that correct?
5 A. Well, I signed the — I couldn't recall, and
6 then I, you know, remembered.
7 Q. Okay. Okay. So that's two declarations you
8 signed under penalty of perjury in this case, right?
9 One on January 18th, and one on February 16th,
10 right?
11 A. Yes.
12 Q. Okay. Okay. And after signing those
13 declarations under penalty of perjury, you then
14 remembered some other facts that, had you known at
15 the time, you wouldn't have signed the declaration?
16 A. Well, at the time I couldn't recall.
Here's yet another memory lapse by Lopez! He couldn't remember if Janet had asked him to visit Gavin when he was in the hospital until Mesereau showed him a police report where he stated that she did ask him:
2 Q. Okay. Now, between the comedy camp ending
3 and Janet calling you to talk about the hospital,
4 how much time elapsed, if you remember?
5 A. Six weeks.
6 Q. Okay. All right.
7 A. Over the holidays of that year. Probably
8 six weeks.
9 Q. And Janet asked you to come and spend time
10 with Gavin, right?
11 A. Well, he was — you know, he was sick, so I
12 went to see him.
13 Q. But she asked you to go spend time with him,
14 right?
15 A. You know, I don't know if she particularly
16 asked. But when — you know, I was a fan of
17 Gavin's. So when he was not well, I went to the
18 hospital to see him as a friend.
19 Q. Would it refresh your recollection if I just
20 show you a police report where it says you told the
21 police "Janet asked George if he would come spend
22 time with Gavin"?
23 A. It could.
24 MR. MESEREAU: May I approach, Your Honor?
25 THE COURT: Yes.
26 Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Mr. Lopez, have you had a
27 chance to see that report?
28 A. I saw it. 3828
1 Q. Okay. Does it refresh your recollection
2 about what you told the sheriff?
3 A. It does not.
4 Q. It does not?
5 A. I mean, you know, if she asked me to — you
6 know, here's the difference. I mean, did she
7 formally ask me? She said Gavin was ill and I went
8 to the hospital. There wasn't a formal invitation.
9 Q. Okay. But you didn't tell the sheriffs
10 that, "Janet asked George if he would come spend
11 time with Gavin"?
12 A. You have to repeat the question.
13 Q. Yeah, okay. I'm asking you if, in your
14 interview last Friday, you told the sheriffs Janet
15 asked you if you would come spend time with Gavin in
16 the hospital?
17 A. Well, in a sense, that's what that is.
18 That's what that phone call was.
19 Q. Okay. Okay. Now, you began visiting Gavin
20 with your wife, correct?
21 A. My wife went the first time, and on a couple
22 other occasions maybe. But for the most part, I
23 would go right after I got off the radio, so I would
24 go by myself. I would try to sneak away to see
25 Gavin as much as I could, when I could.
26 Q. Right. And that's when you brought him
27 gifts and snacks?
28 A. Well, not every time, but on occasion. 3829
1 Q. Okay. Did you find it strange that you
2 never saw Janet at the hospital?
3 A. Well, you know, I — I mean, I knew she was
4 a waitress, so I thought — I really thought she was
5 working. I'd just say that I never really — I
6 wasn't there all the time, so I didn't know whether
7 she was there when I wasn't there. But every time I
8 went, she wasn't there, so I just figured that she
9 was always working.
10 Q. You really don't know if she was working, do
11 you?
12 A. I don't know.
13 Q. Okay. Okay. And you may have thought she
14 was a waitress, but you really don't know where she
15 was waiting tables, right?
16 A. She never served me.
17 Q. Okay. And never told you where she was
18 working, right?
19 A. No.
20 Q. And David never told you where she was
21 working, right?
22 A. Never did.
In this excerpt, Mesereau asked Lopez for more details on his relationship with David, the way that David would ask him for money, and for what reasons he would ask:
23 Q. Okay. Okay. How aggressive was David in
24 asking for money?
25 A. You know, it was — it was pretty
26 aggressive. I mean — I mean, when you're two guys
27 talking, and the subject always comes up, it — you
28 know, you kind of get turned off to it. Every time 3830
1 we spoke, it was always about — really about money.
2 Q. And he always said he had no way to pay the
3 family's bills, right?
4 A. That's right.
5 Q. And you gave him little amounts that you had
6 in your pocket at the time?
7 A. Yeah, I only had little amounts at the time.
8 Q. Okay. And you — and you told the sheriffs
9 you never turned down — David never turned down any
10 gesture of kindness you offered him?
11 A. Never.
12 Q. He always wanted money, didn't he?
13 A. He did.
14 Q. Okay. Okay. You thought the largest money
15 you gave him at one point was 80 bucks?
16 A. Probably around there, yeah.
17 Q. Okay. All right.
18 A. I literally would give the guy everything I
19 had in my wallet and just figured I'd get more
20 later.
21 Q. Now, did he ever tell you that he was giving
22 any of his money to Janet?
23 A. Never.
24 Q. Okay. You don't know one way or the other,
25 do you?
26 A. I don't.
Next, Lopez testified that he knew nothing about the $10,000 dollars that Louise Palanker gave to David Arvizo, which is ironic because earlier in his direct examination he just so happened to mention that he never gave David $10,000 dollars.Where did he come up with that figure?
27 Q. Okay. Now, do you know Louise Palanker?
28 A. You know, I don't know Louise Palanker. 3831
1 Q. Ever heard her name?
2 A. Yeah, I heard her name here.
3 Q. Okay.
4 A. And on E!
5 Q. Okay. You don't know anything about her —
6 you don't know anything about her giving 10,000
7 bucks to Janet, do you?
8 A. I don't.
9 Q. You don't know anything about her giving
10 10,000 bucks to David, do you?
11 A. No, I don't.
12 Q. Did you ever hear about that?
13 A. You know, I think it's odd when a comedian
14 has $10,000 period, you know, so I never —
15 (Laughter.)
Here's what Lopez said during direct examination by Zonen:
10 Q. Okay. Now, the requests for money from
11 David, was that a frequent request from him?
12 A. Yes.
13 Q. And did you give him money on a fairly
14 regular basis?
15 A. Yes. Well, I wouldn't call it fairly
16 regular. On occasion, I would say.
17 Q. How much would you give him?
18 A. You know, 40 here. Whatever I had. 30, 20.
19 I bought him a pair of shoes one time. Stuff like
20 that. But never, you know, a check for $10,000.
Here is more information from Lopez on how Gavin would ask for him to buy gifts right in front of David, who made no attempt to stop him from making those requests:
7 Q. Okay. Okay. When you went shopping with
8 David and Gavin, were Star or Davellin present?
9 A. I think Star was.
10 Q. Okay. But you seemed, in your interview
11 with the sheriffs, to particularly recall Gavin
12 asking you to buy things for him, right?
13 A. Yes.
14 Q. You never mentioned to the sheriffs that
15 Star was asking you to buy things for him, correct?
16 A. No.
17 Q. And you thought it rather odd the father
18 never just said a word as the son looked at you and
19 said, "Buy this for me"?
20 A. It would have been nice if he stepped in.
21 Q. But he never did, right?
22 A. Never did.
23 Q. Did you ever talk to him about it?
24 A. No.
25 Q. Ever ask him, "Why are you letting your son
26 just keeping leaning on me like this"?
27 A. He's not my kid.
28 Q. Okay. Okay. Now, would Gavin just 3836
1 typically come up to you and point at something and
2 say, "Would you buy that for me?"
3 MR. ZONEN: I'll object to "typically."
4 Talking about one event.
5 MR. MESEREAU: I'll rephrase it.
6 No, it's not — Your Honor, we're not
7 talking about one event. It's one day.
8 MR. ZONEN: Then it's vague for exactly that
9 reason.
10 Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: You went shopping with him
11 on one particular day, right?
12 A. Right.
13 Q. You went to a number of stores, correct?
14 A. Yes.
15 Q. Gavin was with you, right?
16 A. Right.
17 Q. David was with you?
18 A. Right.
19 Q. And you think Star was with you?
20 A. I can't remember, but I think.
21 Q. And in various stores, Gavin would point to
22 items and ask you to buy them for him?
23 A. You know how a kid does in a store, "Can you
24 buy me this?" And —
25 Q. Yeah.
26 A. — "Oh, I really" — it's the old, you know,
27 "Oh, I really like this."
28 Q. Well, but he wasn't looking at his father 3837
1 and saying, "I really like this."
2 A. No.
3 Q. He was always looking at you, with the
4 father standing right there, correct?
5 A. Yes.
6 Q. Okay. Okay. And you told the sheriffs,
7 "David seemed to intentionally stand back and make
8 no effort to rein in Gavin's requests"?
9 A. That's correct.
10 Q. You thought that was strange, right?
11 A. Seemed odd.
12 Q. Did you take them to lunch that day?
13 A. Yes, sir.
14 Q. Okay. And did you take them to lunch on any
15 other days; do you know?
16 A. No.
Mesereau then questions Lopez about the important details surrounding the accusation that he had stolen $300 dollars from Gavin's wallet:
17 Q. All right. Now, where did you see the
18 wallet?
19 A. The wallet was on the fireplace mantle of my
20 house. It was the only thing on the mantle.
21 Q. And when you saw it, how did you think it
22 got there?
23 A. You know, it never occurred to me how it got
24 there, because, you know, they — nobody played in
25 that room, so it was kind of odd that a wallet would
26 end up on that — on that mantle.
27 Q. And how high up was the mantle?
28 A. You know, shoulder height. 3838
1 Q. Taller than Gavin, wasn't it?
2 A. At that time, maybe.
3 Q. So, did it seem peculiar to you that
4 suddenly a wallet's just lying there?
5 A. Well, being that in that room, really
6 nothing's supposed to be in there, yeah.
7 Q. Had you seen Gavin or David in that room?
8 A. No.
9 Q. And how long had they been at your house?
10 A. Well, the beginning — when I first dropped
11 them off, they played in the backyard probably about
12 45 minutes to an hour. And then we went to the mall
13 and then came back. They just really came back to
14 use the rest room, because the drive was a little
15 far, so not much time.
16 Q. And you testified, I believe, there was a
17 $50 bill in Gavin's wallet?
18 A. Yes, sir.
19 Q. And there was also an I.D. card, correct?
20 A. A school I.D.
21 Q. That was for Gavin, right?
22 A. Yes.
23 Q. And you told the sheriffs you thought it was
24 odd that Gavin would have $50 in a wallet, right?
25 A. Yeah.
26 Q. Not to mention the wallet sitting up on the
27 mantle in that room?
28 A. Right. 3839
1 Q. Okay. And what's the first thing you did
2 when you opened the wallet, saw that Gavin's name
3 was on an I.D. card, and there's a $50 bill in it?
4 What's the first thing you did?
5 A. The first thing I did was show it to my
6 wife, who was in the kitchen.
7 Q. And then what did you do?
8 A. Then we called the Arvizo house and made
9 arrangements to get the wallet back to them.
10 Q. And how did you get it back to them?
11 A. We sent it.
12 Q. Did you call the Arvizo home?
13 A. Yes.
14 Q. Who did you talk to?
15 A. My wife called, and I think she spoke to
16 David.
17 Q. Okay. David said, "Just send it to the
18 house"?
19 A. Yeah.
20 Q. Okay.
21 A. Well, he wanted us to take it to The Laugh
22 Factory, but we ended up sending it to the house.
23 Q. Who first talked to you about planning the
24 fund-raiser for Gavin?
25 A. You know, at that time I was having
26 conversations with David, so — and being in the
27 hospital, so I think it was between David and I and
28 my wife. 3840
1 Q. Okay. And you told the sheriffs David was
2 particularly persistent and aggressive about how
3 much money they were going to make, right?
4 A. Yes, sir.
5 Q. And you are still never seeing Janet during
6 any of this, right?
7 A. No. That's correct.
8 Q. Never see her at the hospital, and she never
9 goes to your house, right?
10 A. That's right.
11 Q. At some point, your wife confronted David
12 about his constant requests for money, right?
13 A. That's right.
14 Q. Okay. And he got kind of nasty, didn't he?
15 A. He did.
16 Q. Okay. Were you there?
17 A. I was not there.
18 Q. Okay. But you heard about it?
19 A. I did.
20 Q. And that sort of started a downhill slide in
21 your relationship with the whole family, right?
22 A. Yes, sir.
23 Q. At some point you cut off all relationships
24 with that family, correct?
25 A. That's true.
26 Q. And you called off any work that you were
27 doing on the benefit?
28 A. That's right. 3841
In this excerpt, Mesereau questioned Lopez further about his falling out with the Arvizos; Lopez testified that he called David an extortionist because he felt that David was falsely accusing him of stealing money from that wallet. Lopez also stated that he was upset with Jamie Masada for repaying David the $300 dollars, which implied that Jamie believed that Lopez had stolen the money:
1 Q. All right. And I think you said David tried
2 to repeatedly call you at the radio station, right?
3 A. That's correct.
4 Q. Did you take his calls?
5 A. I did not.
6 Q. Okay. Did you tell anybody to tell them,
7 "Stop the calls"?
8 A. Well, he called usually when we were on the
9 air, but I wasn't going to take the call after his
10 conversation with my wife.
11 Q. Okay. Now, at some point you told David
12 there's not going to be any benefit, right?
13 A. That's right.
14 Q. And actually, that wasn't really correct,
15 was it? You just weren't going to work on it
16 anymore?
17 A. I wasn't going to do the one that I was
18 planning.
19 Q. There was some others being planned you knew
20 about?
21 A. I think so, yeah.
22 Q. How did you know about them? Through Jamie?
23 A. Through Jamie.
24 Q. Did Jamie seem to be your main source of
25 your information about the Arvizo family, other than
26 what you saw directly?
27 A. Yeah, that's how I met them. And pretty
28 much, you know, everything was kind of going through 3842
1 Jamie. He was kind of the guy that everybody talked
2 to.
3 Q. Okay. David tried to make you feel guilty
4 about not helping Gavin at that point, didn't he?
5 A. Um, yes. At the point of May 5th, he did.
6 Q. And you told him basically he's an
7 extortionist, correct?
8 A. I did.
9 Q. That wasn't a pleasant conversation, was it?
10 A. It was not.
11 Q. Okay.
12 A. And I don't use big words like that, you
13 know.
14 (Laughter.)
15 Q. All right. Now, after you called him an
16 extortionist, what happened next?
17 A. You know, it was pretty — it was a pretty
18 heated exchange. And after that, he left. And, you
19 know, I got — I got to be honest with you, after
20 that, I had no conversations with Gavin or any of
21 the Arvizos after May 5th of that day.
22 Q. You then learned at some point from Jamie
23 Masada that Jamie had given David some money
24 supposedly to make up for what he claimed was lost
25 from the son's wallet?
26 A. That's right.
27 Q. And the implication was that you had taken
28 it – 3843
1 A. That I had taken it.
2 Q. And you never took a thing, right?
3 A. I did not.
4 Q. Were you upset with Masada that he would
5 even pay him something?
6 A. I was. Yeah, I was.
7 Q. Did you complain to Masada?
8 A. I did. I said, "How could you do that?"
9 Q. Okay. And he basically said to you, he
10 wanted to make peace, or words to that effect?
11 A. Words to that effect.
Shortly before ending his cross-examination, Mesereau attempted to question Lopez about his knowledge of the JC Penney scam (but Judge Melville sustained Zonen's objection), and then questioned Lopez of his knowledge of the fact that the Arvizos had two residences, but then deliberately led him to believe that they only lived in the studio apartment in order to give him the impression that they were poorer than they really were:
12 Q. Okay. Okay. Now, are you certain you never
13 performed with Fritz Coleman at a benefit for Gavin?
14 A. You know, I'm not certain.
15 Q. So you may have done that?
16 A. I may have.
17 Q. Okay. Okay. Now, did anyone ever mention
18 to you anything about a J.C. Penney lawsuit while
19 you knew the Arvizos?
20 A. You know, I did not know about that until —
21 until after my — all ties were broken.
22 Q. Okay. And how did you learn about the J.C.
23 Penney lawsuit?
24 A. I think I learned about that from —
25 MR. ZONEN: I'm going to object as
26 irrelevant and hearsay.
27 THE COURT: Sustained.
28 Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Okay. Do you recall, 3844
1 sometime after your relationship soured with the
2 Arvizos, Janet gave you a key chain?
3 A. She did.
4 Q. And approximately when was that?
5 A. That might have been maybe six months after
6 our — my dealings with David.
7 Q. Okay. So six months after you pretty much
8 severed your ties with the family?
9 A. Yeah, a key chain showed up.
10 Q. She approached you, correct?
11 A. You know, I can't recall how I got it.
12 Q. She gave you a key chain as a way of
13 thanking you for what you'd done for the family,
14 correct?
15 A. That's correct.
16 Q. Do you know where that happened?
17 A. You know, I don't. I can't remember.
18 Q. Okay. Okay. Do you know approximately when
19 it was?
20 A. No.
21 Q. Okay. Do you remember speaking to her when
22 she gave you the key chain?
23 A. You know, I can't recall.
24 Q. Okay. But you told the sheriffs, in your
25 mind, it was her way of thanking you for what you
26 had done for the family. You told them that in your
27 interview, correct?
28 A. I think so. 3845
1 Q. Okay. Now, obviously it goes without saying
2 if Janet and David were discussing ways to get money
3 from people, you weren't there?
4 MR. ZONEN: I'll object as speculative.
5 THE COURT: Sustained.
6 Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: You spent very little time
7 in their home, correct?
8 A. That's correct.
9 Q. And you said they were from East L.A.
10 Did you mean El Monte?
11 A. You know, I only know El Monte. So if I
12 said "East L.A.," I meant El Monte.
13 Q. When you say "El Monte," you don't mean East
14 L.A. is El Monte, do you?
15 A. Well, you know, any Chicano knows better
16 than that.
17 Q. Well, let me ask you this: You said —
18 A. That's Chicano 101. East L.A. is not El
19 Monte.
20 (Laughter.)
21 Q. Right. Well, let me ask you this: You said
22 that when you first started at the comedy club, they
23 were taking a bus from East L.A., right?
24 A. Right.
25 Q. But you said when you visited their home,
26 you went to El Monte.
27 A. Yeah.
28 Q. So you never really visited a home for the 3846
1 Arvizos in East L.A., correct?
2 A. I did not.
3 Q. But they told you they were from East L.A.,
4 true?
5 A. Yeah. You know, I never really thought
6 about their geographic location whatsoever.
7 Q. Okay. So did it ever occur to you that
8 there may be two residences?
9 A. No.
10 Q. Well, if they said they were taking a bus
11 from East L.A., but they took you to their home in
12 El Monte, doesn't that suggest two residences?
13 A. I never thought about it.
14 Q. Well, as you think about it now —
15 A. I was way off. But once they got on the
16 bus, my contact with them ended.
17 MR. MESEREAU: Okay. Okay. No further
18 questions. Thank you.
19 THE WITNESS: All right.
Under redirect examination, Lopez was questioned about his concern for Gavin when he was in the hospital, and Zonen asked a leading question by asserting that Jackson's late night phone calls to Gavin were a cause for Lopez's concern, which Mesereau objected to but was overruled by Judge Melville:
26 Q. BY MR. ZONEN: Were you concerned at the —
27 what you were finding at the hospital when you found
28 out that Gavin had been visiting with Michael 3849
1 Jackson at his ranch?
2 A. Well, when I went to see Gavin during the
3 day, he was, you know, asleep. He was, you know,
4 tired, really tired and stuff.
5 Q. That was in conjunction with David telling
6 you he was on the phone for hours at a time in the
7 middle of the night?
8 A. Correct.
9 MR. MESEREAU: Objection. Leading; move to
10 strike.
11 THE COURT: Overruled.
Next, Lopez was asked to describe his intentions in helping out the Arvizo family, to explain why (at the time) he was a "big fan" of Gavin, and whether or not anyone besides David contributed to his decision to sever all ties with the Arvizos:
5 Q. BY MR. ZONEN: What was your intent when she
6 called you and notified you of her child's illness?
7 A. You know, when I was — the first time I met
8 the Arvizos at The Laugh Factory, you know, I really
9 enjoyed their company, and the kids were great. And
10 I had a really good time teaching them, and they
11 were fun, you know, so — and, you know, I'd take
12 them and buy them things after, snacks. And I kind
13 of invested in them, because I saw a lot of myself
14 in their family.
15 So when I got the call that he wasn't well,
16 you know, I did what any friend would do, is go to
17 the hospital.
18 Q. You said you were a big fan of Gavin. What
19 do you mean by that?
20 A. He's a great kid. I mean, he had a lot of
21 spirit. And he was fearless and — you know, he did
22 little dances and stuff. It was great.
23 Q. Even when he was asking you to buy things
24 for him at the shopping mall?
25 A. I don't know if he danced and asked at the
26 same time, but he was always kind of, you know,
27 interesting.
28 Q. When you said you cut off the family, did 3851
1 that have anything to do with the rest of the family
2 beyond David?
3 MR. MESEREAU: Objection. Leading; vague;
4 asked and answered.
5 MR. ZONEN: It's certainly not asked and
6 answered.
7 THE COURT: Overruled.
8 You may answer. Would you want the question
9 read back?
10 THE WITNESS: Yeah. That would be nice.
11 Thank you.
12 (Record read.)
13 THE WITNESS: It was — it was everyone in
14 the family. At that time I was only having
15 conversations with David by phone. And when that
16 happened, I never spoke to anyone in the family
17 again.
18 Q. BY MR. ZONEN: You're saying you cut off
19 everybody in the family?
20 A. Yes.
21 Q. But your reason for doing so — what were
22 your reasons for cutting off the other members of
23 the family besides David?
24 A. Was, you know, that the guy was aggressively
25 trying to get money from me. And when I cut him
26 off, you know, the rest of the family followed. I
27 wasn't going to talk to Gavin behind his father's
28 back, and — you know, the altercation we had May 3852
1 5th, he used that, you know, against me, because I
2 said to him, you know, "I only" — "I've only tried
3 to help you." And he said, "You've helped me?" And
4 at that point, it was just — you know, kind of the
5 wind went out of my sails.
6 And then he said, "What am I supposed to
7 tell Gavin?" And I said, "Tell him his father's an
8 extortionist."
9 Q. Was there anything that Davellin, Star or
10 Janet did to contribute to your cutting off the
11 family or your attention?
12 A. No.
13 MR. ZONEN: Thank you. No further
14 questions.
15 MR. MESEREAU: No further questions, Your
16 Honor.
17 THE COURT: Thank you. You may step down.
18 THE WITNESS: Thanks.
19 MR. ZONEN: And we'll call Ann Lopez to the
20 stand.
The next prosecution witness was Ann Serrano Lopez, the wife of George Lopez. She testified that she never met Janet Arvizo in person, but only spoke with her on the phone during Gavin's treatments:
22 Q. Were you ever introduced to the Arvizo
23 family?
24 A. Only in the hospital after Gavin got ill.
25 I was home with our daughter, so I didn't ever go to
26 the comedy camp.
27 Q. Did you know that your husband was a mentor
28 to the three children — 3855
1 A. Yes, I did.
2 Q. — in conjunction with the comedy camp?
3 A. Yes, I did.
4 Q. All right. At some point in time, did you
5 become aware that one of those three children had
6 become ill with cancer?
7 A. Yes. It was around two months after the
8 graduation.
9 Q. Did you visit with him at the hospital? And
10 "with him," I mean Gavin.
11 A. Yes, I actually met Gavin in the hospital.
12 Q. All right. Had you ever had a conversation
13 with Gavin's mother prior to his being stricken with
14 cancer?
15 A. No.
16 Q. Did you ever meet her?
17 A. No.
18 Q. Did she ever call you prior to that?
19 A. No.
20 Q. All right. Have you ever actually met her
21 at any time?
22 A. No.
23 Q. All right. So you wouldn't be able to
24 recognize her if you saw her?
25 A. No.
26 Q. Okay. Did you ever have any telephone
27 conversations with her at all?
28 A. Yes. 3856
1 Q. When did the telephone conversations begin?
2 A. The first telephone conversation was when
3 Gavin was stricken with cancer. She called our home
4 very distraught, and George spoke to her. And then
5 I got on the phone to comfort her about her sick
6 child.
7 Q. All right. And did you get on the phone and
8 have a conversation with her at that time?
9 A. Yes, I did.
10 Q. And did she tell you the extent of the
11 illness that she was dealing with?
12 A. Yes. She talked about the cancer.
13 Q. Did she say anything to you about the
14 description of the cancer that he had, or the
15 diagnosis, or the prognosis?
16 A. Just that it was very grave; that there was
17 a very large tumor, 10, 11, 12, something like that,
18 pounds in his cavity, and that they were going to
19 have to take out a kidney, I believe, and maybe a
20 spleen; that there were — you know, it was — that
21 there was spots on his lung. They had found spots
22 on the lung. So it was, very, very severe.
23 Q. How often did you go to the hospital?
24 A. I went less than my husband. Probably six,
25 seven times.
26 Q. The hospital we're talking about, can you
27 tell us which hospital it is and where?
28 A. I believe it was Kaiser Permanente. 3857
1 Q. And do you know where, the location?
2 A. In Los Angeles, I think, towards downtown.
3 Q. The Sunset and Vermont hospital facility?
4 A. That's where it was, uh-huh.
5 Q. When you got there, or any of the times that
6 you went there, did you ever see Janet?
7 A. No.
8 Q. Did you ever talk with her on the telephone
9 while you were at the hospital?
10 A. Yes. When she would call I would get on the
11 phone and speak to her, and just try to comfort her.
12 Q. Were those frequent conversations?
13 A. No. Maybe two or three times.
14 Q. Okay. How often do you think it was that
15 you visited Gavin at the hospital?
16 A. Between six and eight times. I'm not sure
17 exactly how many.
18 Q. Was David there?
19 A. Always.
20 Q. All right. Now, David is who?
21 A. David is Gavin's father.
22 Q. And his last name?
23 A. Arvizo.
24 Q. On each of the times that you were there, he
25 was there?
26 A. Yes.
Once again, Zonen tried to portray the narrative that David Arvizo was the grifter of the family, not Janet:
7 Q. Did you ask Mr. Arvizo, David Arvizo, where
8 his wife was?
9 A. Yes, I did.
10 Q. And what did he tell you?
11 A. He told me that she was just distraught;
12 that she couldn't handle being there at the
13 hospital; that she would break down; and that she
14 emotionally couldn't handle it.
15 Q. Did you have concerns about that?
16 A. Yes, I did.
17 Q. Did you have conversations with David Arvizo
18 about his financial state?
19 A. He had conversations with me about his
20 financial state.
21 Q. And tell me the distinction.
22 A. Well, he would hint that they were having
23 financial problems, and would tell me he wasn't sure
24 how they were going to pay their bills or how they
25 were going to pay the rent.
26 Also, he told me that they were living in a
27 studio apartment, and he didn't know how he was
28 going to get Gavin's hospital bed and how Gavin 3859
1 could go back to that place.
2 Q. This is early on, I. Assume?
3 A. The very first visit.
4 Q. Okay. Did you know where they were living,
5 where their residence was?
6 A. No.
7 Q. Did you ever go to visit them at his home?
8 A. No.
9 Q. Or did you go to visit Gavin at the time
10 that Gavin was out of the hospital in a residence?
11 A. No.
12 Q. So you don't know necessarily where they
13 were living?
14 A. No.
15 Q. All right. What did you think about his
16 initial comment on that first visit about his
17 financial state? What did you understand was going
18 on?
19 A. Well, it seemed to me that, you know, they
20 were a lower income family. He was taking a leave
21 of absence from his job. He told me that. And he
22 said that one of them had to work to make money for
23 the family.
24 And I found it a little strange that it
25 would be Janet because he said that she was a
26 waitress. And I thought, well, a waitress doesn't
27 make as much as he was making. And he was also —
28 he had told me his job was the job that had medical 3860
1 care, the medical insurance.
2 Q. Did he tell you any — did he express
3 concern to you about his medical insurance?
4 A. No.
5 Q. Did he have any conversation with you at all
6 about who was paying the bills?
7 A. No, he just said it was covering the
8 expenses and that his job covered the medical
9 insurance.
10 It wasn't until one of the later visits that
11 he said he was worried that the insurance was going
12 to run out. And I told him "Then, well, you should
13 go back to work."
14 Q. Did he tell you that he was concerned the
15 insurance would run out because he was not at work?
16 A. Yes, because his leave of absence was
17 already very long, and he — if he didn't go back to
18 work, then the medical insurance would lapse.
19 Q. What did you tell him?
20 A. I told him he should go back to work and get
21 on with it, and get his insurance for his son; that
22 that was the most important thing, that his son was
23 covered with medical insurance.
24 Q. At some point in time, did you make a
25 decision, perhaps with your husband or by yourself,
26 as to whether or not the Lopez family would be
27 contributing money from your own pockets to David
28 Arvizo? 3861
1 A. Yes.
2 Q. And what was that decision?
3 A. No.
4 Q. Had you talked with David about that
5 specifically?
6 A. No. I just — from the very beginning, I
7 saw things that just seemed very strange to me. I
8 didn't know them at all. This was the first
9 meeting. David and I walked — let George have some
10 time with Gavin the first meeting and be in the
11 room. And there was like a glass partition. So
12 David and I stepped out and we were talking. And,
13 you know, at first it was very normal. He was very
14 concerned about his son and the medical attention.
15 But when he walked back into the room, I
16 noticed that the children shied away from him. And
17 there was no — there was no closeness, there was no
18 touching. I didn't see anything that would indicate
19 that there was a bond between these children and
20 their father, especially at such a difficult time.
21 And then when he told me that Janet was not
22 going — was not going to be at the hospital, I also
23 found that — being a mother, I found that very
24 strange. Here was this woman that would take the
25 bus to take her three children to comedy camp for
26 months on end, but she can't be at the hospital with
27 her sick child. That just seemed very strange to
28 me. So I thought there was something a little off 3862
1 there.
Next, Ann Lopez recounts what she knew about the missing money that David alleged was taken from Gavin's wallet by George:
12 Q. Now, did you ever get a phone call back from
13 David Arvizo with regards to the wallet at any time?
14 A. No.
15 Q. Was there ever a subsequent conversation
16 from David, whether it was a phone call or in
17 person, where the subject of that conversation was
18 the wallet?
19 A. No.
20 Q. At some point in time, did you hear from
21 anybody with regards to an issue of money missing
22 from the wallet?
23 A. The way we found out about that was about a
24 month after we stopped having any contact with
25 David, I called Jamie Masada for a completely
26 different reason. I just needed a business number.
27 And, you know, we were talking. He gave me
28 the number I needed, and he said, "Listen, by the 3867
1 way, I want you to know that" — "remember that
2 wallet?" And I said, "Yes." And he said, "Well,"
3 you know, "David said that the wallet was empty when
4 it was returned." And I said, "Jamie, it had $50 in
5 it."
6 And he's like, "Well, he says there was $300
7 in it, and that it was empty when it was returned."
8 And I was just like, "Jamie, do you really
9 think we would steal $300 from this child that we've
10 been trying to help?" And he said, "No, I know you
11 didn't do it. But I gave him the $300 just to get
12 him off my back."
13 And I offered to reimburse Jamie $300. And
14 he said, "No, absolutely not. Don't worry about
15 it." I was like, "Are you sure?" And he was like,
16 "Yeah, just don't worry about it."
17 Q. Did you have any additional conversations
18 with David Arvizo after your conversation with
19 Jamie?
20 A. No.
21 Q. In other words, at the point where you
22 learned that Jamie had been — had given $300 —
23 A. No.
24 Q. — to Mr. Arvizo, no further conversations?
25 A. No.
Zonen ended his direct examination on a high note by, once again, reiterating to the jury that David was responsible for the falling out with between the Arvizos and George Lopez, while Janet had never asked either of them for money.
8 Q. Were you having conversations with David
9 Arvizo about what was happening in pursuit of this
10 fund-raiser?
11 A. Oh, yes. He was really hounding me, calling
12 me and asking me a lot of questions.
13 Q. And tell us, give us a sense of it. I mean,
14 how often was he calling, and what was he asking?
15 A. He was calling me like every other day and
16 asking me how much money could be raised. And it
17 was just — you know, he wanted to know how much
18 money, how much money can be raised. And I told him
19 I thought we could raise probably between seven and
20 $14,000, which was actually quite a bit for a Monday
21 night fund-raiser. But my husband had gotten
22 permission to announce it on the radio station that
23 he was working at at the time.
24 Q. Was his behavior, David Arvizo's behavior,
25 different than what you would expect of people for
26 whom you were doing fund-raisers?
27 A. He made me very suspicious, because I had
28 never done a fund-raiser where someone had asked me 3870
1 how much money was involved. I mean, usually people
2 are just so grateful that you're helping them. And
3 so this was very strange, and I got very suspicious.
4 Q. Did you finally decide to have a
5 conversation with him that dealt specifically with
6 where the money was going to go?
7 A. Well, what I did, was I decided to test him,
8 and I told George what I was going to do. I said,
9 "You know, this is" — I just started feeling very
10 uneasy. And I said, "You know, there's something
11 strange here. I want to test him to make sure that
12 his intentions are honorable."
13 And so what I did was, I called him up on
14 the phone and I said, "Well, David, I just wanted to
15 let you know, the fund-raiser is going to be at such
16 and such a time, such and such a date, and I need to
17 start getting your bills. You know, I need to get
18 the name of your landlord, I need to get your credit
19 card bills, your gas bills, so we can start paying
20 them."
21 And he became, you know, a little like,
22 "What do you mean? Aren't I just going to get the
23 cash?" And I said, "No, we can, like, pre-pay your
24 rent for six months. We can pay your bills." I
25 said, "No, that's not how it works."
26 And he said, "Well, some people that I owe
27 money to, I just owe them money." And I said, "Give
28 me their names so we can pay them." And he got very 3871
1 agitated. And I said, "Well, listen, this is" —
2 you know, "The radio station is involved, and that's
3 the way it has to be handled, because they need to
4 have documentation."
5 And then he got very angry at me.
6 Q. All right. You say he got angry at you.
7 How did he manifest that anger? What did he do?
8 What did he say?
9 A. He cursed at me.
10 Q. What did he say? I know this is a little
11 embarrassing, but what did he say?
12 A. He called me a fucking bitch and a
13 mother-fucking whore, and that's when I hung up the
14 phone.
15 Q. Was he angry while he was saying this?
16 A. Oh, he was irate. His whole demeanor
17 changed.
18 Q. And loud?
19 A. Oh, yeah, it was — he frightened me. I was
20 shaking when I hung up the phone.
21 Q. Did he ever present like that to you before,
22 prior to that date?
23 A. No.
24 Q. Either in person or on the telephone?
25 A. No.
26 Q. And you were frightened by that?
27 A. Uh-huh.
28 Q. What did you do after that telephone call? 3872
1 A. I immediately picked up the phone and called
2 my husband at the radio station.
3 Q. And you discussed with him what had
4 happened; is that correct?
5 A. Yes.
6 Q. Was the decision made not to engage in any
7 more conduct with Mr. Arvizo?
8 A. Yes. George was very angry. And really our
9 suspicions are true, were true. I mean, they came
10 to light that he was just wanting money maybe for
11 some other reason, and it wasn't going to go to the
12 bills. So we decided that the fund-raiser was off,
13 we weren't going to do it, and that was it.
14 Q. How many conversations do you think —
15 telephone conversations do you think you had with
16 Janet Arvizo?
17 A. Probably four at the most. Four or five.
18 Q. During any of those conversations that you
19 had with her, did she ever ask you for assistance?
20 A. No.
21 Q. Did she ever ask you for money?
22 A. No.
23 Q. Did she ever behave in any way
24 inappropriate, in your mind?
25 A. No.
26 MR. ZONEN: Thank you. I have no further
27 questions.
28 THE COURT: Cross-examine? 3873
Ann Lopez's cross examination will begin in the next part in this series: https://michaeljacksonvindication2.wordpress.com/2012/09/18/march-28th-2005-trial-analysis-judge-melvilles-decision-on-prior-bad-acts-settlements-evidence-george-lopez-ann-serrano-lopez-and-robert-spinner-direct-cross-examination-p-4/


text:
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Every one of us knows how expensive hybrid bikes are. In fact, many bike stores have high-end bikes that cost between $2,000 and $5,000 in stock. To be brutally honest with you, $5,000 is not pocket change. And for someone who is on a very tight budget, a hybrid bike may not be affordable.
Fortunately, you'll be pleased to know that there are affordable bikes that feature premium grade components just like high-end bicycles. In fact, you can get an inexpensive hybrid bike that performs well, the same way the most expensive hybrid bikes does.
And if you are looking for the best hybrid bike under $1,000, here is a roundup of the top 10 options to consider.
- 1 Top Rated hybrid Bike Bicycles Under 1000 Dollar Comparison & Rating Chart
- 2 Best Hybrid Bicycles Below 1000 Dollars : Top 3 In Summary
- 3 Top Rated Hybrid Bikes Below 1,000 USD Reviews - We picked the best bicycles under a budget
- 3.1 1. Fortified Theft-Resistant Bike
- 3.2 2. Raleigh Bikes Cadent 3
- 3.3 3. Raleigh Bikes Alysa 3 Women's Urban Fitness Bike
- 3.4 4. Montague Navigator Folding 700c Pavement Hybrid Bike
- 3.5 5. Mongoose Reform Expert
- 3.6 6. Pure City Classic Diamond Frame Bike
- 3.7 7. Brilliant Bikes Brilliant Bicycle
- 3.8 8. Tommaso La Forma Lightweight Aluminum Hybrid Bike
- 3.9 9. Montague Urban Folding Hybrid Bike
- 3.10 10. Windsor Rapide Claris Hybrid Bike
Top Rated hybrid Bike Bicycles Under 1000 Dollar Comparison & Rating Chart
Frame Build
Brake Type
Rider Height
mechanical disc brakes
5'6" to 5'10"
hydraulic disc brakes
5'3" to 6'4"
hydraulic disc brakes
5' to 6'
7005 Series Aluminum
mechanical disc brakes
5'3" to 5'10"
dual-sport aluminum
hydraulic disc brakes
5'3" to 6'4"
hi-tensile steel
front and rear alloy brakes
5'4" to 6'1"
lightweight chromoly
Shimano V-Brakes
5'2" to 6'2"
compact aluminum
Cantilever Rim Brakes
5'4" to 6'1"
disc brakes
5'11" to 6'4"
disc brakes
5'5" to 5'7"
Best Hybrid Bicycles Below 1000 Dollars : Top 3 In Summary
Fortified Theft-Resistant Bike
This is a good option for commuting to work, going to school, weekend ride, and beach cruise. It comes in two different frame sizes. It is sturdy and durable, so it can ride on different trails with ease.
Cadent 3 Urban Bike
The good option for riders who love to cruise the city streets and countryside trails. The color blend appeals to all female riders. It features 16-speed options and durable disc brakes.
Alysa 3
If you are in the market for an affordable fitness hybrid bike, then you should consider the Alysa 3 from Raleigh. It is a good option for female riders who love to cycle for fitness
Top Rated Hybrid Bikes Below 1,000 USD Reviews - We picked the best bicycles under a budget
1. Fortified Theft-Resistant Bike
Maybe you are in the market for a bike to commute to work. Or maybe you are looking for the best hybrid bike for weekend rides. Or perhaps you really need a strong bike for school and weekly errands.
Whatever your needs are, Fortified Theft-Resistant Bike can help a great deal. Built with durability and performance in mind, this city commuter bike can and will give you the best riding experience every time.
This bike is available in only two different sizes. The smaller frame is suitable for riders who have heights between 5 feet 4 inches and 5 feet 10 inches and the larger frame is suitable for riders who are 5 feet 10 inches taller or higher.
The 700 x 32C tires are not just durable. They can also handle different trails with ease. This explains why they perform well on asphalt paths, beach sand, and dirt trails. The 8-speed gear system gives you the power to ride the bike fast. And the disc brakes give you the stopping power that you need to easily control the speed of the bike.
2. Raleigh Bikes Cadent 3
Raleigh has been in the bikes business for a very long time now. It is a trusted brand, with a higher design standard. Like other bikes in the brand's series, the Cadent 3 is a masterpiece of the brand's art.
From color option that easily attracts almost every rider to premium components reserved only for some of the most expensive electric bikes, this bike has everything you need for the best riding experience.
When it comes to speed, this bike gives you enough options to ride as fast as you wish. In fact, with the 16-speed option, you can cruise the city streets at your own pace, ride easily on dirt roads, descend fast on smooth trails, and even ride easily up a steep terrain. The Claris Rapid Fire shifters make it easy for a rider to switch gears without taking their eyes off the road.
The disc brakes, which are currently the most durable option in the market, give you the stopping power that you need to control the speed of the bike, especially when riding fast.
3. Raleigh Bikes Alysa 3 Women's Urban Fitness Bike
Raleigh designs some of the best fitness bikes for women, and the Alysa 3 is a good example in their series. It is available only in white with gray and purple stripes, a perfect color combination that definitely appeals to many female cyclists out there.
For just less than $1000, you get a high quality bike that can cruise well on different trails, especially in the city streets.
To start with, the frame of this bike is made of high quality AL-6061 custom formed aluminum.
Aluminum has become the standards material used in designing bike frames because it is durable and lightweight. What a female rider gets in this case, therefore, is a durable bike that weighs just a few pounds after full assembly.
The gear system gives you the options you need to ride the bike at different speeds depending on the nature of the terrain. The disc brakes give you the ultimate stopping power that you need to control the speed of the bike, especially in the event that you are riding fast.
Alysa 3 also features Weinmann U28 double wall rims with wide tires. As you can imagine, this setup gives you the best traction on different trails, plus the stability you need to ride on different roads.
Montague Navigator may not be as close to a perfect mountain bike for the money as many options out there are, but it is an ideal option for people who are looking for the best commuting and touring bike. This bike has a number of unique features that really makes it stand out.
The bike's folding mechanism is one of the most outstanding features of this bike. Since the bike can fold down and take up less space, you can bring it with you whenever you want to go or store it away when it is not in use. The fact that it folds down easily also makes it a good option for riders that are limited in parking space.
Montague Navigator's 35 mm tires gives a rider the stability they need to ride easily and conveniently on different roads. That's because they give you sufficient grip and traction, which is exactly what you need to ride easily especially on gravel and dirt roads.
You get 27 speeds, which is enough to ride at the pace of your choice. And then there are disc brakes, which you can use to control the speed of the bike.
5. Mongoose Reform Expert
If you are looking for a hybrid bike that won't break the bank, then you should consider buying Mongoose reform Expert. It's a flexible bike, which means it can ride well on different trails.
From smooth city streets and countryside trails to rough terrains and mountain regions, you can ride the bike just about anywhere you wish.
The frame of this bike is made of pure aluminum, a standard material that makes the bike lightweight after full assembly. The aluminum material isn't just good because it is lightweight. It is also a good option since it is sturdy. Thus, a rider gets the flexibility they need to ride on different roads.
There's a SR Sun Tour NRX-E suspension on the frame. This unique integration absorbs all the shock from different trails. So, you have full control of the bike on rough trails, even if you hit a bump fast or unexpectedly.
The Shimano Deore 27-speed option gives you the ability to ride the bike fast, whereas the Alivi gear shifters make it easy for a rider to switch from one gear to another with ease. Plus, the bike features hydraulic disc brakes, which give you the stopping power to control speed.
6. Pure City Classic Diamond Frame Bike
Many bike brands take almost a similar approach in their bike design process. From bike color to gear options, there seems to be some kind of similarity in the design model and execution. Pure Cycles is different. The brand takes a unique approach to design and makes a bike like no other in the market.
Maybe the first thing you will notice about this bike is that it looks somewhat old school. However, the added gearing system makes it fit quite well in the list of the most affordable hybrid bikes. Also, this is one of the cheapest bikes on this list. It is, therefore, a good option for people who are looking forward to spending under $600 on a bike.
The diamond frame is available in three sizes. The small size, which is 50 cm, is suitable for riders of heights between 5 feet 4 inches and 5 feet 8 inches. The medium size, which is 54 cm, is suitable for riders of heights between 5 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 11 inches.
And then the large frame size, which is 58 cm, is a perfect choice for riders with heights between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet 1 inch.
It is important to note that Pure Classic City bike only has 3 speed options. So it is only suitable for city commuting.
7. Brilliant Bikes Brilliant Bicycle
Here is another bike that features a unique design standard. It is also a good option for people who are looking for a commuting bike. For just under $700, you get a flexible and sturdy bike that's easy to ride.
The frame, built from doubt-butted chromoly steel, is so lightweight that it makes it easier for one to ride bike easily on different trails.
The Brilliant hybrid bike does not give a rider many speed options. But for just daily commuting, the gear system is sufficient. In fact, the seven gears still allow you to ride the bike at a decent speed, just that it won't be as fast as a mountain or an electric bike.
Even for a road bike, you still expect this to cruise the city fast at the highest speed. So, to give you full control of how fast you ride, depending on the nature of the terrain, the branded added the Shimano V brakes to the bike. Of course, these aren't as powerful as disc brakes, but the performance is quite satisfactory.
8. Tommaso La Forma Lightweight Aluminum Hybrid Bike
Tommaso is one of the best bike brands in the world. The company continues to build their reputation in the market by designing high quality bikes at different prices. The La Forma, a model in the brand's hybrid bikes series, is one of the most affordable bikes on this list.
Like many Tommaso bikes, the frame of La Forma is made of pure aluminum. As such, the bike is so lightweight that it should be easy to ride on different trails.
Because the frame has an upright geometry, you can ride the bike for long hours without worrying about after ride fatigue.
La Forma also features a HTC Carbon fork, a good addition that easily absorbs shock from different roads, especially from rugged and bumpy trails.
The 27-speed system is a unique addition that gives you the option to ride the bike at different speeds. The Acera Rapid Shifters, which offer rapid and quick shifting, makes it easy for a rider to switch gears without taking eyes off the trail.
9. Montague Urban Folding Hybrid Bike
Montague isn't really a popular bike brand like Tommaso and Diamondback, but it also designs some of the best hybrid bikes. The Reform Expert 700C was the first bike from this brand that we looked at in this review. Then there is this one, a Pavement hybrid bike that's good enough for daily commuting.
The cost falls in the price range of some cheap road and mountain bike. Yet its components are premium just like those integrated on high-end bikes. Keep in mind that this bike is only good for commuting. In our opinion, this bike is not suitable for mountaineering.
One of the things that you will love about this bike is the folding mechanism. A bike that folds has a number of advantages. First, they are easy to store away when not in use. Since they take up less space, they are ideal for people that have less storage space. Second, they are easy to carry to different places.
Since the bike is available in three different sizes (17, 19, and 21 inches), the series can easily accommodate people of various heights. It also features high quality brakes and 21-speed options.
10. Windsor Rapide Claris Hybrid Bike
Some people say that cheap hybrid bikes don't guarantee the best performance. But that's not the case with this bike. In fact, the Windsor Rapide Claris is one of the best high-speed bikes that you can bring with you wherever you want to go.
The frame is made of aluminum, the same material used by big companies like Tommaso, Raleigh, and Diamondback use.
In addition to the durable disc brakes, this bike also features 24-speed system with Shimano shifters.

subset: commoncrawl


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A museum visit to view the treasures of a young king who died 3300 years ago gave visitors an unexpected revelation. At this amazing exhibition, thousands of ticket holders in major cities are confronted with a solid verification of the correct action on a serious social issue that has divided America. THIS treasure (among the treasures) should settle a major dispute once and for all.
Within the hour of this posting, The House of Representatives narrowly voted in Obama and Nancy Pelosi's Socialist Health Care Reform Bill. A bill was passed earlier prohibiting health care funds to pay for abortions. After tonight's victory for liberals, the democrats (crowing on TV) made it clear that they will not commit to that passage and will overturn it as the bill moves further on.
They made it clear in the beginning that their plan will indeed pay for abortions, not matter what the people say or how they vote. It was also established during tonight's reports that the public will be forced to buy the government health insurance or face fines and possible jail time.
In other words, the people have no voice whatsoever in the government of the new, United Socialist States of America The healthcare passage has now officially placed our country under Marxist rule.
As communists stated to this writer (behind the Iron Curtain) in the early 1980's, they will overthrow the government of the United States without firing a shot. It took place tonight. It had all been planned carefully from the first Socialist organizational meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1900.
They managed to maneuver into the White House, a Muslim who was not born in the United States, one Barack Hussein Obama who they began grooming years ago, put him through Harvard and then, with the help of ACORN and a misinformed public, shoe-horned this pretender into The Oval Office.
A Holocaust survivor's story
In Germany, when Hitler came to power, it was a time of terrible financial depression. Money was worth nothing. In Germany people lost homes and jobs, just like today. In those days, in my homeland, Adolph Hitler was elected to power by promising "Change." He blamed the "Zionists" around the world for all our problems.
He told everyone it was greedy Zionist Bankers who had caused every problem we had. He promised when he was leader, the greedy Zionist bankers would be punished. The Zionists, he promised, would be wiped off the face of the earth.
So Hitler was elected to power by only 1/3 the popular vote. A coalition of other political parties in parliament made him supreme leader. Then, when he was leader, he disgraced and expelled everyone in parliament who did not go along with him.
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Do you feel that your business is not growing enough? Are you looking to breathe new life into your business? Do you want to add value to your business without burning a hole in your pocket?
Breathing in new life to an existing business may seem an intimidating and expensive task. But remember small is big when it comes to giving your business a new flavor.
Here are 5 Tips for Bringing New Life to Your Business:
1. Build upon a brand identity:
A brand logo is one of the best marketing tools available to small as well as big businesses. An interesting logo creates brand re-call value and is the best way to improve on sluggish sales. Giving an identity to your business, products, and services is one of the best ways to rejuvenate it. With the help of a catchy tag-line to go along with the logo will help to infuse new energy into your branding.
Sometimes, changing an existing logo also helps create fresh interest in the brand.
A lot of businesses now use personalized custom labels to generate new interest in your products. Companies like iCustomlabel can help you with creating attractive personalized labels for a wide range of products like –wine labels, personalized placemats, beer labels, water bottle labels, and even cigar labels. Eye-catching personalized stickers may be used for attracting potential customers.
Decorating your business with the logo is also an inexpensive way of giving a new look to your workplace.
Several businesses also gift products with custom labels to existing and loyal clients during the festive season.
2. Social media:
Social media marketing is fast gaining popularity among businesses, especially small and medium businesses. The outreach of social media like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and What's App is immense.
With the help of social media platforms, businesses are able to harness the attention of clients from across the world. Marketing on social media is not at all expensive. It also doesn't require a lot of expertise. Regular uploads, blogs, and posts help in tapping potential customers from different parts of the world.
A lot of businesses are averse to marketing on social media, due to lack of know-how or due to the shortage of time. In such cases, you may consider employing social media managers. These professionals specialize in the field of digital marketing. They will give a specialized boost to your social media networking. They are well-versed with the nuances and secrets of social media marketing. They are able to generate more followers and likes for your business at a very nominal cost.
3. Collaborations:
A lot of times, it pays to collaborate with other businesses. For example, if you are a coffee shop owner, you may collaborate with book-clubs, students, and pet clubs and provide your café space to them for their events.
Depending on your products and services, you may try to build upon your network with organizations like schools, colleges, pet clubs, book clubs, photography clubs, literary societies, poetry clubs, and golfer's club to name a few. Such collaborations may not mean an immediate increase in revenue, but it is sure to bring in a stream of regular and loyal clientele.
You may also try to offer products and services to local organizations for charity. A lot of businesses even provide free products with customized labels at local fairs and events. This helps attract clients who may not have used your products before but are now willing to try it simply because they don't have to pay for it.
4. Map yourself:
Did you know that if you type pizza on Google Maps, it will show you the best pizza places around you? More and more people are now using services like Google Maps to find products and services around them.
It is essential that your business, product, or service is easily available on online platforms like—Google Maps, Foursquare, Facebook market, TripAdvisor or Yelp. In spite of offering the best products at the most competitive prices, you may be losing out on sales simply because you do not have a good online presence.
Good references are utmost important for supporting your business in today's world. You may persuade loyal customers, friends, and family to post good reviews or references about your business on different online mediums.
It is important to keep in mind that customer reviews should be honest and realistic. Never post fabricate and too good to be true reviews as most readers are able to read through fake and phony recommendations. Bogus references will damage the reputation of your business in the long run.
5. A great website:
Any business in today's world is incomplete without a good website to support it. Remember the Three I's of a good website. A superior website is always Interactive, Informative and Interesting.
An interactive website keeps the client engrossed at all times. It offers a good blend of animations, videos, and pictures for a superior online experience. It should provide comprehensive and interesting information about your business, its products, services, promotions, and special packages.
It should also cater to people with special needs and should be mobile-friendly. Today's businesses need the F5 key found on laptop and computer keyboards. A single touch for rapidly refreshing it! With all businesses, it is important to remember the maxim, "Winners don't do things differently. They do different things."
Article by Chris Myers
Chris Myers is a journalist and writer, covering business, marketing, latest technology and media topics.
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The last two posts have addressed questions from this month's Conversation Under the Oaks Q&A. Here are the remaining questions.
"What do you think about people blaming everything wrong or bad on Trickster Gods? Some Pagans use them the way some Christians blame everything wrong or bad on the devil instead of human error or lack of human action."
The comparison is accurate. For the most part, it's intellectual laziness. It's far easier to blame bad stuff on Loki or Coyote or the devil than it is to accept that sometimes bad things happen because you make bad decisions. It's the same thing with conspiracy theories. Some people feel better believing the world is run by a cabal of evil geniuses than to accept that no one is in charge and we're on our own.
Which is not to say that there aren't evil people conspiring to do evil things – there are. But they aren't pulling all the strings.
But also, this attitude is disrespectful to Trickster Gods. They aren't evil. I love order, but without chaos the world would stagnate. In many traditions, it is a trickster who gives humanity fire, or magic, or even language. They know we can't possibly use it without burning ourselves, literally or figuratively. And that provides them with amusement.
But in our failures, we learn. And then we grow.
So accept responsibility for your own mistakes. Blame human greed and fear for building oppressive systems, not deities you don't like. And give thanks for the opportunities that come with chaos.
"What is the nature of Trickster deities and why might one wish to serve them or avoid them?"
I've never had a Trickster question before, and now I get two from two different people. Apparently October is Trickster month.
I can't really speak to the nature of Trickster deities. I can speak to their area of responsibility, which is to keep us from getting too comfortable and too set in our ways. I don't think they're having fun at our expense so much as they're really dedicated to their work and they really enjoy it.
I have a strong preference for order, and so I avoid Trickster Gods. A few years I told Loki "NO!" in no uncertain terms. He accepted my answer, although I had some backup to help ("this one is ours and we're keeping him plenty busy").
But that's me. If you like chaos and the opportunities it brings, you might enjoy serving or working with one.
"How can a solitary with no established practice beat fear and reach out to the universe / gods / goddesses and believe that they are worthy of true connection to them?"
The short answer is to establish a regular spiritual practice. Make a choice. Build a foundation of reason and experience. Begin a devotional practice. And keep it up.
If you have religious trauma in your background, you will need to address it sooner rather than later. In 2015 I wrote Escaping Fundamentalism. It was geared toward people who grew up in a Christian fundamentalist environment, but the steps are the same whether you're trying to move on from conservative Catholicism, aggressive atheism, or simply your own doubts and fears.
This takes time. If you're young and grew up in a religiously neutral environment, it can take months. If you're older, or if you have significant negative religious experiences in your background, it can take years.
But the best time to start is now. Speaking for myself, it has been – and remains – a ton of work. But it's worth it a million times over.
"How does one welcome change that is at so deep a level that we have no conscious control over the outcome?"
This question – at least as I read it – has a strong Buddhist assumption behind it. Namely, that quiet equanimity is the proper response to all change. I'm a Pagan, not a Buddhist. Sometime welcoming acceptance is the best response to deep change. Other times the best response is determined and even violent opposition. The trick is knowing which approach to use in which situation.
A few years ago I came up with what I call the Willow Pentagram – five steps to deal with changes we find challenging.
- First, do no harm.
- Feel what you feel.
- Accept what is.
- Do what must be done.
- Return to center.
For example, I welcome the experience and perspective that comes with getting old. I do not welcome the declining physical capabilities. But I accept that they are, and I'm learning to deal with them.
"How does magic work, if it can be explained?"
Countless volumes have been written about magic over the centuries, but the vast majority of it has been from the perspective of "how do I do it?" not "how does it work?" If it works, does it really matter how? But in our modern materialist world, if something can't be explained "rationally" then we assume it can't exist, even if it's staring us right in the face.
Still, that's the environment in which we work. And I am an engineer – I want to know how everything works. I've thought about this a lot… probably more than I should.
I have a three-fold model for how magic works. Sometimes it works by the manipulation of unseen forces. Sometimes it works by the intercession of Gods and spirits. Sometimes it works by psychological programming. And sometimes it works by a combination of two or all three of those means.
Alternatively Dr. Dean Radin has proposed that magic works because consciousness is fundamental.
Will we ever know exactly how magic works in the same way we know how electricity works? Probably not. Then again, how many of us really understand electricity? But we keep on using it anyway.
"Is magic effective if someone else performs a working on one's behalf (even if that person does not know you and does it as a commercial service), or must magic always be done by oneself to be effective?"
Interesting question. I usually hear people claim the opposite, that magic worked for yourself will never be effective. I don't think either of those are true. Magic is magic. If it's done well, it works. If it's done poorly, it doesn't.
The advantage of doing magic for yourself is that you can keep doing it over and over again, taking a step by step progressive approach.
The advantage of hiring a magical professional is that they're likely to have expertise you don't, and they can bring an objectivity to the working that you're can't, because you're too close to the situation.
Choose the right approach for your situation.
"What is the relationship between Nature and the Gods? And between the Gods and the cosmic order?"
I think you're probably asking an ontological question that would be better posed to a philosopher than to a Druid and priest. But you asked me, so…
As I see it, Gods are the mightiest of beings, but They are beings, not being itself. They participate in being itself, as do humans, as do all living things.
Some Gods are the personification of natural forces. Others aren't. Some Gods help maintain the cosmic order. Others disrupt it.
Did the Gods always exist? Can They die? Did They create the universe in which we live? I don't know, and I don't think much about these questions – they have little impact in my mundane life or in my spiritual life.
But they can be fun to contemplate. Just bring whiskey.
Candy Wilcox McKinney asks "Most Pagans believe in being able to call upon the ancestors, to honor them and be helped by them. Also a lot of us believe in reincarnation as part of the great circle of life, death, and rebirth. I've always wondered how the spirit of my ancestor can be in the Otherworld and be already reincarnated at the same time. Or once they have been reincarnated will their presence in the Otherworld cease to exist?"
This is another deep question with no easy answers.
We know that time runs differently in the Otherworld than in this world. Perhaps it also runs on parallel tracks, so that a person can simultaneously be alive in this world and also in the Otherworld. I'm not particularly fond of that idea, but it's possible.
I tend to think that we usually spend more time (by this-world standards, anyway) in between lives than living in this world. So when we call on our ancestors, the odds are good they're there and not here. By the time they're ready to be reincarnated, everyone who knew them has joined them in the Otherworld.
But this is all speculation. As with the question above, it can be fun to contemplate, but it doesn't have much impact on my day to day practice. I honor my ancestors and I call the names of those I know. And some of them respond.