One of the five murder suspects in the death of La Jolla surfer Emery Kauanui Jr. recently retained a new attorney, and that resulted in another long delay in their preliminary hearing, which is now set for May 5. That is three weeks short of the one-year anniversary of Kauanui’s death.
The preliminary hearing had been set for March 11 before San Diego Superior Court Judge John Einhorn, but attorney Mary Ellen Attridge, who now represents Seth Cravens, sought the delay so she could have more time to prepare. Cravens, 22, is the only one of the five charged who remains behind bars, as everyone else is free on high bail and property bonds.
Attridge asked Einhorn last month to lower Cravens’ $1.5 million bail figure, but the judge denied the request, saying the bail had been reviewed several times already.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Cravens’ family spent $175,000 on a retained law firm that no longer represents Cravens. Attridge is a public defender who has represented many murder defendants in the past.
District Attorney spokesman Paul Levikow said the preliminary hearing is likely to last several weeks, considering there are five defense attorneys and a number of witnesses who might be questioned by each.
Witnesses who may be called include anyone who saw the argument between Kauanui, 24, and Eric House, 20, at the La Jolla Brewhouse on May 25, 2007, when Kauanui reportedly poured a beer over House.
Someone took Kauanui home, but Cravens reportedly called Kauanui on his cell phone and the victim walked out of the house and met the five outside.
Neighbors are expected to be called to testify about the brawl that resulted in Kauanui being knocked to the ground and his head hitting the pavement. He suffered a skull fracture and was taken to a hospital, but died of his injuries four days later.
Also charged with Cravens and House are Matthew Yanke, 21, Orlando Osuna, 22, and Henri Quinn-William Hendricks, 22.
Cravens and a few others are also charged with committing assaults on other people at parties in 2005 and 2006.
The group was known unofficially as the Bird Rock Bandits, though they are not charged with committing any thefts.
As a condition of bond, the four who are free are barred from frequenting any beach.
Hendricks and Osuna are free on $500,000 bond, while House and Yanke are free on $1.5 million and $1 million bond, respectively. Cravens remains in the George F. Bailey Detention Facility.