After filing 251 motions, ‘pro per’ rape suspect gets muffled

August 17th, 2009, 1:23 pm · 33 Comments · posted by Larry Welborn

The seemingly perpetual legal motion machine that is rape suspect George Eugene Cross– who has filed more than 250 pre-trial motions while acting as his own lawyer – was muffled in court today.

Superior Court Judge Richard M. Kingtold Cross that he was getting “dangerously close to behavior that threatens the core integrity” of the judicial process because of the filing of numerous frivolous and occasionally duplicative motions.

But King said he believed it would be reversible error if he stripped Cross from his right to represent himself, a right that it almost – but not quite – absolute.

So instead the judge told Cross, who sat in a mustard colored jail uniform in a chair in King’s 11th floor courtroom – that he was banned from filing any more legal motions on his own behalf, unless they were vetted first in open court.

King told Cross that he will preside over regular hearings in advance of his trial, tentatively set to begin next month, and rule over whether a proposed motion is legitimate enough to be allowed.

Cross has filed 251 motions in all: about the case, about his situation in jail or about seeking taxpayer funding for his defense.

Many of the motions have been frivolous, the judge said, but the “straw that broke the camel’s back,” was a motion get a chair to sit on in the Orange County Jail while Cross was making non-collect calls.

“We just have to get a handle on it,” King said.

Cross objected to the moratorium on filing of motions, and insisted that he was not trying to irritate the judge. He contended he feels he has no other legal recourse than to file so many motions on his own behalf.

He did win one concession, however, before he was led back to a holding cell shortly before noon today. King said he could have one accordion file and one legal pad.

Cross, 40, is already serving 55 years to life for a series of sexual assaults in Sacramento County in 2002, and he also has a prior rape conviction in Long Beach in 1995.

He is now charged in Orange County with raping a 17-year-old girl in her Anaheim apartment in 1997.

According to court documents, the assailant grabbed the girl by her wrist, squeezed her throat and said “If you make any noise, I’ll hurt you.”

Cross was allegedly linked to that crime in 2004 when Anaheim Police detectives were notified by the Orange County Crime Lab there was a “cold hit” with his DNA.

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smartayss says:

August 17, 2009 at 1:44 pm

Our judicial system is PATHETIC!!!!

No wonder we are going broke!!!

IDIOTS!!!!!!

Mario Perez says:

August 17, 2009 at 1:57 pm

It’s not the Judicial system that’s pathetic, it’s the liberals and ACLU that has created this mess and continue to do so with all it’s suits.

smartayss says:

August 17, 2009 at 3:43 pm

The liberals should have to pay for all they want to save!!!
- Philly Girl says:
  
  August 17, 2009 at 4:23 pm
  
  Uhhh….I’m a liberal person- NOT ok with this! Please don’t pigeonhole.

Frank Coleman says:

August 17, 2009 at 2:03 pm

Yo Mac, you’re not a suspended cop in Boston are you?

Deidra says:

August 17, 2009 at 2:06 pm

I believe our judicial system is seriously flawd. I work in the courts and see on a daily basis the abuses of the judicial system by pro per defendants. Judges should be given more discression when determining whether a defendant is eligable for pro per status. The standards that they are given are too broad and open to argument. Judges should be able to give pro per status to a defendant on a case by case basis and not from some standard form written long ago.

T Pain says:

August 17, 2009 at 3:04 pm

If that’s the case then we might as well get rid of our CONSTITUTION since that is broad and old. The Judge exercised his DISCRETION appropriately in this matter and the pro per right of a Defendant should be preserved. The person on trial is only doing what is permitted by law so if you are unhappy w/ his approach then you should do something about it!
DREY says:

August 17, 2009 at 3:12 pm

Our “just-us” system is definitely flawed. I’m sure it doesn’t help matters by having people who “work in the courts” who can’t spell nor understand the meaning of “in pro per”. Basically, it’s translation for “I do not have a lawyer” so really, what is it you propose to do that will solve the complete absurdity of our just-us system? Waste more money on incompetent employees of the courts to sit around defining what makes a person eligible to file without a lawyer??? Maybe we should add a tax so all these losers will no longer file as “in pro per” and we can pay for their lawyers too?? Geez….thanks but no thanks. I say we tell these habitual motion filers the same thing honest, law-abiding citizens hear all the time from our joke of a system….”sorry, due to budget cuts, the courts are too back-logged right now to help you”.
HELEN says:

August 17, 2009 at 8:46 pm

It is sad to read that our taxes are going to your salary. You do know that you are illiterate, right?
- justpurple says:
  
  August 17, 2009 at 9:08 pm
  
  I second that.
  
  Equal Employment Opportunity at work.

Bob Holt says:

August 17, 2009 at 2:13 pm

This idiot has nothing to loose in having some fun with our liberal court system, because he is already serving 55 years to life. I’m sure the ACLU will jump into this case for a few extra bucks and support his motions on our dollar.

smartayss says:

August 17, 2009 at 3:41 pm

Sad, but true………… We need to exterminate the aclu!

Paul Hanley says:

August 17, 2009 at 2:23 pm

He seem’s like a fine upstanding young man. Clearly the man has got him down.

JAKE says:

August 17, 2009 at 2:35 pm

Greenhut and Savaadra from the OC register must be really upset that this clown can’t file any more motions against the Deputies that have to deal with that trash.

JimVG says:

August 17, 2009 at 2:40 pm

This waste of humanity has nothing but time and a total contempt for the court system. It is past time for him to stand trial and face the charges AGAIN. I doubt anyone truly cares for his “rights”. I’m more concerned for the rights of the 17 year old VICTIM, and the safety of the people of California. Too bad capital punishment was removed for rape.

Al says:

August 17, 2009 at 3:08 pm

It appears that this guy has done so much damage that he could be in court for the next 55 years or more just to address the extra charges against him. That should keep him entertained. I think he needs some milk and cookies with his file and paper combo.

MD says:

August 17, 2009 at 3:19 pm

The judicial system wasn’t designed to deal with dozens or hundreds of motions which may or may not be frivolous. It’s very difficult, if not impossible, to design a judicial system that can foil every possible attempt to game the system.

That being said, why did it take so long for a judge to put the brakes on this piece of filth?

If the court system was sufficiently computerized, it should be possible to flag everything this piece of filth inputs into the system for review by a court appointed party.

James says:

August 17, 2009 at 3:35 pm

It’s about time this idiot got his pen taken away. He should lose his right to represent himself as he is obviously just trying to bog the system. Get him a PD and get his trial resolved. Then send his ugly butt back to the can where people like him belong.

Marc960 says:

August 17, 2009 at 3:44 pm

He is not just flipping off the judge and the legal system. Every time he gets out of jail for a hearing it’s another single digit in our faces.

“What we have here is a failure to communicate” comes to mind.

The man obviously needs a special kind of justice.

Sandyinviejo says:

August 17, 2009 at 3:48 pm

Let him serve his 55 years to life……then let him defend this latest charge. Oh wait……..we have a statute of limitations! Oh just drop the charge and worry about it when he’s 95 years old. LOSER!!!

Neal says:

August 17, 2009 at 3:56 pm

Why doesn’t the Judge let him out so he can rape again, like the other Judges did the last time and the time before that?

Too much says:

August 17, 2009 at 8:40 pm

Another Willie Ray Wisely.

OldSki says:

August 18, 2009 at 8:58 am

Where are all the people who usually remind us that people in county jail are “innocent til proven guilty”, and just people like us who made foolish choices? This guy is a poster child for MOST inmates awaiting trial. Let him right his worthless motions, as long as he’s locked-up.

AngelsFan927 says:

August 18, 2009 at 11:03 am

While I have no doubt that this guy is not a pleasant person, it does seem like a waste of resources to prosecute someone who is already serving 55 to life.

philip Kaough says:

August 21, 2009 at 5:53 am

In 1 respect, I agree with you. In another I don’t. Belive it or not, Mr. Cross is being “punished”. Mr. Cross would be enjoying just a few more ammenities in prison than he is in OC Jail. It’s a safe bet that he would rather be in state custody as opposed to county custody. CDCR Staff and administration are somewhat accountable regarding the treatment and conditions of inmates. The OC Sheriff’s Dept. is being investigated by the Feds regarding the treatment and conditions of it’s inmates. In actuallity, Mr. Cross is being “punished”, despite the fact that he isn’t actually confined in a state prison.

August 18, 2009 at 1:02 pm

TAXPAYERS should run the judicial system!!

Then we wouldn’t have all this BS going on that WE have to pay for!!!

hunterr83 says:

August 17, 2009 at 2:47 pm

Hey now, some may accuse you of being racist for using that term.

StephenR says:

August 17, 2009 at 4:09 pm

Hey now Mac! You are not allowed to say “Mist” anymore! Didn’t you hear the news?

evennow says:

August 17, 2009 at 2:49 pm

Yeah, you’re right ! We should just line up the white girls and let him have at ‘em. You ignorant p*ig.

August 17, 2009 at 4:08 pm

Yeah, it couldn’t have anything to do with the fact that he is also a career criminal, and guilty! Maybe they should go arrest and try someone else that had nothing to do with it just so it will seem fair.