Amador County – The visiting judge in the Amador County Chamber of Commerce appeal of a previous ruling against it made a similar ruling last week in favor of former Executive Director Jacqueline Lucido.

The ruling by visiting Alpine County Judge Thomas D. Kolpacoff said simply, that the “judgment was ruled in favor of the plaintiff, Jacqueline Lucido, and against the defendant, Amador County Chamber of Commerce, for the amount of $4,079 plus costs.”

The Chamber had appealed an April 5 ruling by visiting Judge Angus Saint-Evens, which awarded $5,579 plus $75 in costs to Lucido, for expenses she said she paid while heading the Chamber.

The ruling was issued July 14, coming 14 days after the June 30 small claims court appeal hearing in Amador Superior Court, during which witnesses were called by both sides, and evidence was submitted. Judge Kolpacoff, who took the case after Judge Susan Harlan disqualified herself, retained those files while taking the appeal case under submission, and they were expected to be delivered to Amador Court today. A clerk said Thursday that no other filings had been made in the case.

Lucido’s attorney Robert Schell, and the Chamber’s attorney, Stephen Zalkind, who argued the cases, were served the judgment July 15.

According to the docket, Schell as part of the proceedings had made and renewed a “request that all witnesses be excluded from the courtroom,” and “the Court orders all witnesses remain outside the courtroom, and orders the case not be discussed.” Similar orders were reinforced during a break.

Lucido was cross-examined by Zalkind, who submitted evidence for the Chamber, including a “packet containing copies of invoices, receipts, bank statements and cancelled checks,” an account statement from April 30, 2008; an Amador Flower Farm document from Aug. 16, 2000; and a Chamber bank deposit report and Bank of Amador deposit slip of $140 from Aug. 14, 2008. Chamber exhibits included a “packet of receipts and Chamber Mixer sign dated March 14, 2007,” with the host, Rancheria.

The docket noted: “In response to the Court’s inquiry, Mr. Zalkind states there is an ongoing criminal investigation of Jacqueline Lucido.” Lucido, testified for nearly an hour. Chamber officer and Treasure Sharon Lundgren then was sworn and testified for more than an hour. The Chamber submitted two “custom transaction detail reports.”

Schell called separate witnesses: Christina Zegler, Elke Duffy, and Ledger Dispatch Publisher Jack Mitchell. Zegler testified for one minute, Duffy for nine minutes, and Mitchell for 15 minutes, according to the docket. Lucido also was called back to the stand for 20 minutes, and Zalkind submitted a packet of receipts and sign-in sheet for a Chamber Mixer on Aug. 13, 2008.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.