Ecstasy defendant pleads innocent
to all 12 counts, trial set for January
Sac Bee Excloo
YUBA CITY 9/18/02 (YSN) - Tomio Izumi, 18, pled innocent in Sutter County Superior Court Wednesday to all charges he faces in connection with a teen party that culminated in the drug-related death of 17-year-old Nicole Crowder..
Superior Court Judge H. Ted Hansen scheduled the trial to for 9 a.m. Jan. 22, 2003. The trial could last eight to 12 weeks, Izumi's attorney Dennis Hoptowit estimated.
Izumi faces 12 felony counts, including providing drugs to minors. If convicted of all charges he could be sentenced to more than 22 years in state prison.
Now an engineering student at California State University Chico, the Izumi posted a $350,000 bond Sept. 9 and has returned to school, Hoptowit said.
Quiet and grim-looking, Izumi appeared in a tiny courtroom dressed in a black suit, gray shirt and subdued tie. He sat surrounded by his parents -- and only a few feet away from Crowder's mother, Kathy Ford.
Ford has filed a wrongful death suit against Izumi and his parents. In her suit, Ford claims Izumi provided drugs that led to Crowder's death. Moreover, Izumi tried to prevent the people who found Crowder from calling 911, Ford alleges. when she was found.
Hoptowit vigorously denied these allegations, saying his client did not give Crowder drugs and his actions regarding the 911 call were being mischaracterized.
Izumi did not try to stop an emergency call. He only decided it would be quicker for the teenagers to transport her to the hospital themselves, Hoptowit said.
"He is legally and factually innocent of being responsible for he girl's death, Hoptowit said.
"I was a good decision, but moot. She was either deceased at the time, or her demise was a foregone conclusion," Hoptowit said.
The allegations that Izumi interfered with atempts to call for assist apparently come from statements some party=goers reportedlymade to the grand jury investigating the death.
However, Hoptowit has said before and repeated Wednesday that so far as he knew the grand jury transcript has been sealed by court order.
"The grand jury transcript has been sealed, and anyone releasing it or reading from it is violating the law," Hoptowit told reporters.
A popular student at Yuba City High School Crowder's death shocked the community and there has been considerable publicity regarding Izumi's arrest.
"I was surprised by the volume and nature of the coverage," Hoptowit said. However it was a little premature to say whether the defense would seek a change of venue, he said.
to all 12 counts, trial set for January
Sac Bee Excloo
YUBA CITY 9/18/02 (YSN) - Tomio Izumi, 18, pled innocent in Sutter County Superior Court Wednesday to all charges he faces in connection with a teen party that culminated in the drug-related death of 17-year-old Nicole Crowder..
Superior Court Judge H. Ted Hansen scheduled the trial to for 9 a.m. Jan. 22, 2003. The trial could last eight to 12 weeks, Izumi's attorney Dennis Hoptowit estimated.
Izumi faces 12 felony counts, including providing drugs to minors. If convicted of all charges he could be sentenced to more than 22 years in state prison.
Now an engineering student at California State University Chico, the Izumi posted a $350,000 bond Sept. 9 and has returned to school, Hoptowit said.
Quiet and grim-looking, Izumi appeared in a tiny courtroom dressed in a black suit, gray shirt and subdued tie. He sat surrounded by his parents -- and only a few feet away from Crowder's mother, Kathy Ford.
Ford has filed a wrongful death suit against Izumi and his parents. In her suit, Ford claims Izumi provided drugs that led to Crowder's death. Moreover, Izumi tried to prevent the people who found Crowder from calling 911, Ford alleges. when she was found.
Hoptowit vigorously denied these allegations, saying his client did not give Crowder drugs and his actions regarding the 911 call were being mischaracterized.
Izumi did not try to stop an emergency call. He only decided it would be quicker for the teenagers to transport her to the hospital themselves, Hoptowit said.
"He is legally and factually innocent of being responsible for he girl's death, Hoptowit said.
"I was a good decision, but moot. She was either deceased at the time, or her demise was a foregone conclusion," Hoptowit said.
The allegations that Izumi interfered with atempts to call for assist apparently come from statements some party=goers reportedlymade to the grand jury investigating the death.
However, Hoptowit has said before and repeated Wednesday that so far as he knew the grand jury transcript has been sealed by court order.
"The grand jury transcript has been sealed, and anyone releasing it or reading from it is violating the law," Hoptowit told reporters.
A popular student at Yuba City High School Crowder's death shocked the community and there has been considerable publicity regarding Izumi's arrest.
"I was surprised by the volume and nature of the coverage," Hoptowit said. However it was a little premature to say whether the defense would seek a change of venue, he said.
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