Citing Threat, Judge Bans Inmate’s Communications

VENTURA — A 27-year-old white supremacist who allegedly worked from behind bars to try to have witnesses killed will no longer be able to communicate from jail after a judge ruled that he poses a serious threat to people tied to the case.

“The defendant clearly is a danger,” Ventura County Superior Court Judge Art Gutierrez said Thursday. “[He] wanted to kill somebody and was planning to do so.”

The ruling came after prosecutors presented evidence to show defendant David Ziesmer, an Oxnard resident and skinhead gang member, was soliciting outside help from gang members to harm witnesses in his pending murder case.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Ron Bamieh obtained a temporary order last month to monitor Ziesmer’s jail visits, phone calls and mail. Since then, Bamieh said, Ziesmer has continued to try to contact gang members and was recently caught on tape speaking on the telephone with a grand jury witness.

Bamieh told Gutierrez during Thursday’s hearing that more drastic steps are needed to halt Ziesmer’s communication with the outside world before someone gets hurt.

Defense attorney Richard Loftus objected to the proposed order, however, telling Gutierrez that the prosecutor’s demands were excessive, unnecessary and a violation of his client’s rights.