Beaumont Officer, Woman Blinded Appear in Riverside Courtroom

A Beaumont police officer accused of blinding a local woman appeared in a Riverside courtroom Tuesday, as did the woman he’s accused of assaulting.

Officer Enoch Clark appeared with his attorney Kasey A. Castillo of Lackie, Dammeier & McGill, a firm that solely represents police officers.

The trial readiness conference lasted only minutes, as a “motion to continue” was requested, and the trial date was taken off the books from June 11.  Rather, Judge Gordon R. Burkhart pushed Tuesday’s hearing back to July 12.

Officer Clark, who is free on $50,000 bail, did not speak, other than to acknowledge the judge.  He was ordered to return to court on any and all future hearing dates.

“Obviously, since the grand jury proceedings were held in secret, we're playing catch up” Castillo told Banning-Beaumont Patch in an email after court.  “We have just recently been provided discovery by the District Attorney's office. We have extensive investigation to undergo on our end.”

Monique Hernandez, on Feb. 21 in which a by Officer Clark according to district attorney reports, also appeared in court alongside her family and attorney Milton Grimes.

Though neither she nor Grimes were required to be there, Grimes said he and his client will be at everything Clark is, to “see justice” is reached.

 “Every time he comes to court, we will be here,” Grimes told Patch outside the courtroom.   “Because we want to show that we’re concerned and want to see justice, and we don’t want anything happening and we not be here to witness it.”

Though he was expecting today’s proceeding to happen just as it did, Grimes said he hopes for a quick trial date.

“Hopefully this case will go to trial within this year, 2012,” he said.

As for what lies ahead?  Grimes had this to say:

“I would like to see Monique receive justice, that’s what I would like to see happen ultimately.  I would like for this case to be decided on what happened out there and the officer not be given any unusual credit because he’s a police officer.  He blinded this young lady for life.  He didn’t smack her, he didn’t break her arm; she has a condition that exists for the rest of her life.  Permanently she’s blind in both eyes.  I think he should pay the punishment for that, and whatever the court deems fair, I hope we are able to accept.”

Grimes said that he would be filing a claim against the city, along with Officer Clark and another officer on duty the night of Feb. 21, this week.  Details weren’t immediately available as to what would be in that claim.

The Hernandez family and Grimes are scheduled to take part in a by local community activist Victor Dominguez.

On April 26, Clark was arraigned on four counts: assault under the color or authority, assault with a less lethal weapon, use of force causing serious bodily injury, and assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury. There is also an enhancement that he personally inflicted great bodily injury.

The officer remains on administrative leave from the Beaumont Police Department.