COUNTYWIDE : D.A. Won’t Charge Ely Over Scuffle

No charges will be filed against community college district Trustee James T. (Tom) Ely after a scuffle in which he reportedly stepped on a newspaper photographer’s foot and smashed her camera, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office said Monday.

The scuffle occurred June 25 after Ely, 55, and his wife, Ingrid, 47, were convicted of embezzling $15,000 from the district by pad ding their expense accounts. Charges won’t be filed because misdemeanor battery and vandalism convictions would add no additional time to a state prison term of up to six years that Ely may receive at his sentencing Aug. 9, Deputy Dist. Atty. Kevin J. McGee said.

Victoria Sayer, a photographer for the Ventura County Star-Free Press, reportedly suffered a bruised foot in the incident, which took place in a county office across the street from the Government Center, minutes after the Elys were convicted of stealing public funds from the Ventura County Community College District.

The couple were sitting in the office when reporters and photographers entered and began taking pictures and asking questions.

Tom Ely told Sayer not to take their photograph. When she continued, McGee said, he lunged at her and knocked the camera from her hands. He then reportedly began stomping on it. In the process, Sayer told authorities, Ely stepped on her foot.

He was wearing leather cowboy boots and she was wearing soft-leather moccasins, witnesses said.

Other factors in the decision not to file charges were that the incident appeared to be a struggle over the camera, rather than an intentional assault on Sayer, and did not involve serious injury, McGee said.

Officials at the Star-Free Press declined to comment on the decision Monday.