VENTURA : Former Candidate Testifies That He Made Threats

A former Thousand Oaks City Council candidate testified Tuesday at his own trial that he is Christ and that he threatened to hurt five public officials so he could complain in court that the Ventura County government is persecuting him for his religious beliefs.

Norman (Blackie) Jackson, 35, is being tried in Ventura County Superior Court on charges that he sent threatening letters July 6 to Supervisor Madge L. Schaefer, Assemblyman Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks), Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley), Thousand Oaks City Manager Grant Brimhall and state Sen. Ed Davis, (R-Santa Clarita).

Deputy Dist. Atty. Donna Thonis read the letters to jurors in an opening statement, but Deputy Public Defender Jorge Alvarado argued that while Jackson wrote the letters, Thonis cannot prove that Jackson had the ability to carry out the threats.

If convicted of the five counts of threatening public officials, Jackson faces up to five years in prison.

Judge Lawrence Storch, who declared Jackson mentally competent to stand trial, allowed him to serve as co-counsel Tuesday and testify on his own behalf without being questioned.

Jackson then gave a rambling, 90-minute statement about his religious beliefs, salting it with Scripture, references to Elvis Presley and numerous claims that he is Christ, but not mentally ill.

He also testified: “The prophet spoken of in the Book of Mormon is not Joseph Smith, it’s me.”

Jackson testified that God anointed him as Christ so he could become President of the United States and rule the world.