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Saying the move helps prove his innocence, embattled Napa County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk and Registrar of Voters John Tuteur announced Thursday that the Napa County Superior Court ruled in his favor in the latest development in an ongoing saga.
On May 17, the Napa County Superior Court ordered the Napa County Grand Jury to produce additional material for Tuteur’s use in preparing his objections to an accusation of “willful and corrupt misconduct” filed against him on March 20.
“I am pleased that the court granted my motion to require the Grand Jury to produce all relevant material,” Tuteur said. “This additional material will make even clearer that the accusation is unfounded.”
This is the latest salvo in a battle that began in March when the Grand Jury ordered the District Attorney to initiate a legal action against Tuteur to recover what it says are about $20,000 in back taxes. The situation involves property on Green Valley Road that John and Mary Tuteur leased to Transmission Agency of Northern California for a cell tower site from about 1992 through 2016, according to court papers.
The complaint says the cell tower rental income was not capitalized for property tax assessments, as required, and that between 2008 and 2015, the property was under-assessed. The mistake was discovered in 2016, and the assessor tried correcting the assessment for that year.
Tuteur served as Napa County supervisor between 1973 and 1980, becoming assessor in 1987. He’s running unopposed for reelection as assessor-recorder-county clerk on the June 5 ballot.
On May 3, the judge ordered the grand jury to produce material in addition to the unsealed transcript, following motions from Tuteur and the Napa Valley Register.
Before that, Judge Mark Boessenecker unsealed without redaction, also at Tuteur’s request, the Grand Jury transcript that resulted in the “willful and corrupt misconduct” accusation.
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May 18, 2018
Times-Herald
Times-Herald Staff Report
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