Ramirez Allowed to Switch Lawyers

Night Stalker suspect Richard Ramirez was granted permission by a judge Wednesday to dismiss Deputy Public Defender Allen R. Adashek as his lawyer and retain private counsel, Joseph Gallegos of Oxnard.

Los Angeles Municipal Judge Elva R. Soper approved the request at a brief court hearing that followed a closed session with the judge, Ramirez, Gallegos, Adashek and Deputy Public Defender Henry J. Hall.

Ramirez, a 25-year-old drifter originally from El Paso, has reportedly been dissatisfied with his public defenders since they were assigned to the serial murder case shortly after his arrest in late August.

Soper also agreed to postpone Ramirez’s date for entering pleas to Oct. 22. Ramirez is charged with 68 felony counts in Los Angeles County stemming from 20 early-morning attacks on 28 victims between June 27, 1984, and Aug. 8, 1985. Fourteen of the murders he is charged with occurred in Los Angeles County, and one occurred in San Francisco.

Gallegos, who has practiced law for 22 years in Northern California and Oxnard, had a brush with the law himself in 1976. He was placed on five years’ probation for shooting a suspected prostitute in the hand after a dispute.

The attorney said he had informed Ramirez of the incident and that it should have no bearing on the current case. State Bar officials said Wednesday that the Bar has never taken action against Gallegos.

Defended Gang Member

Among his previous major cases, Gallegos said, was the 1979 defense of a member of Nuestra Familia, a Mexican prison gang, on murder charges. His client, he said, was convicted and sentenced to 27 years in prison.

Wednesday’s hearing was punctuated by the appearance of Ramirez’s sister, Rosa Flores of El Paso, who came in the company of three other lawyers--Arturo and Daniel Hernandez of San Jose and Manuel Barraza of El Paso.

Arturo Hernandez told reporters outside the courtroom that he and Daniel Hernandez, who are not related, had been retained by Ramirez’s relatives to head the defense effort. Barraza has previously said he was retained by the Ramirez family and was helping to find Ramirez a new lawyer.

However, Soper refused to recognize Arturo Hernandez when he stood up during the hearing in an attempt to address the court.

Outside the courtroom afterward, Gallego said he had informed Ramirez of the presence of the other attorneys and that Ramirez “indicated to me, ‘Look, we reached an agreement Monday’ . . . (and he said to) tell the others.”

Meanwhile, Arturo Hernandez expressed confidence that Ramirez will change his mind after he meets with Flores, Barraza and him at the County Jail.

“The defense never rests, and that’s our attitude at this point,” Hernandez said. “It’s sad we have to fight to defend someone.”

Gallegos said he was first contacted by Adashek last Friday at Ramirez’s request. Ramirez, he said, had heard of him before, but Gallegos declined to indicate how.

At a two-hour meeting Monday, Gallegos continued, the defendant agreed to retain him. But Gallegos refused to disclose details of how he will be paid for his services in the case, which he estimated could take a year to try.

‘Someone With Experience’

Gallegos said Ramirez “was interested in having someone with experience” representing him. Ramirez also preferred an attorney with whom he could communicate in Spanish, Gallegos said. Gallegos speaks Spanish.

He agreed to take the case, he said, because “I have devoted my life to the practice of law . . . and I want to make sure that Mr. Ramirez--especially being of Latin descent . . . that he does have a fair trial.”

Arturo Hernandez has practiced law for two years in San Jose. He said he first met Ramirez’s sister while attending law school in El Paso. Her endorsement of Hernandez was backed by a brother, Robert Ramirez, in a phone interview Wednesday.

Robert Ramirez, a Tucson resident, also criticized Adashek, saying, “They don’t let Richie make his decisions on what he wants. They just brainwash him so he doesn’t know what’s going on.”

Adashek refused comment on the case. “It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to make any statements,” he said.