MODESTO - The murder trial of Brittney Navarra has been delayed once again. The case which has been delayed over and over again by the Madera County District Attorney's Office faced another delay this week while the assistant district attorney travels to Mexico for a family vacation and his daughter's birthday.
Navarra, who is facing murder charges for the January 2008 murder of 18 year old Krista Pike, has been sitting in a Madera County Jail cell for the last six and a half years awaiting her day in court. A day which was delayed for numerous reasons, including the removal of Ed Gill, Madera County Deputy District Attorney, for prosecutorial misconduct and forgery charges. Gill ended up pleading his case down to misdemeanor forgery.
After Gill was removed from the case and dismissed from the district attorney's office, assistant district attorney Miguel Valdovinos was assigned to the case with a promise of "no further delays." In fact Valdovinos argued before the trial against a requested week-long delay by Navarra's attorney Steven Geringer.Now Valdovinos is sitting on the beach in Mexico with less than a week left to go in the trial. At first the attorney, who's family lives in Mexico, was only going to be away from court for the weekend. But after his flight was canceled, he booked a cheaper flight for Monday evening and now according to the Madera County DA's office is gone until September 22nd.
Big Valley News made two phone calls to Madera County DA Michael Keitz to learn why Valdovinos would leave for an un-scheduled vacation while he was prosecuting one of the biggest cases Madera County has seen in the last ten years. Keitz has not returned our calls.While Keitz would not comment, his opponent in the November election did. Attorney David Linn who is facing Keitz in the general election in two months said, "Such an action by the district attorney's office shows a great disrespect for the court, the police officers, defense attorney and to the jurors. But most importantly it shows a complete disrespect to the victims family who continue to wait for closure while the district attorney's office goes on vacation."
(UPDATE) Madera County Assistant District Attorney Miguel Valdovinos called BVN Thursday afternoon to refute our story. When we asked him if we could meet him at the DA's downtown office, Valdovinos told us he was still in Mexico on vacation and wouldn't be returning until September 22nd. When we asked him what part of our story he had a problem with he said, "This is all political. It's nothing but a political."
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