MOORPARK : Man Faces Trial on Assault Charges

Gerald Goldstein, a 65-year-old Moorpark man known for his humorous but sometimes cutting criticism of the City Council, will face trial in January for allegedly twice trying to run down a city code enforcement officer with a truck.

Superior Court Judge Charles McGrath set the date for the trial, which Goldstein’s defense attorney expects will take five or six days. Goldstein’s pretrial hearing is Jan. 12, with his jury trial scheduled to begin Jan. 22.

Meanwhile, Goldstein’s attorney Louis Samonsky is hoping to get the $20,000 bail lowered. McGrath will hear the motion at a hearing Monday.

Goldstein has been held in the Ventura County Jail since Sept. 16, when he allegedly tried to run over city code enforcement officer Mario Riley. Riley and two Ventura County sheriff’s deputies were on Goldstein’s property to enforce an order to clean it up. Also present was a psychologist in charge of a trust fund set up for Goldstein’s care.

Goldstein was taken into custody on charges of assault with a deadly weapon. If convicted, he faces up to four years in jail.

Goldstein, who has a history of problems with Moorpark city housing officials for violating health codes, reportedly had collected such a massive amount of clutter in his Moorpark mobile home that he was forced to live out of his truck.

Samonsky said he hopes to get Goldstein out on bail before the holidays.