Quick Take
A civil case alleging sexual abuse by Watsonville City Councilmember Jimmy Dutra, who is running for reelection this fall, is finally moving forward nearly two years after the complaint was first filed. Jury selection will continue through Wednesday and trial proceedings are expected to begin next week.
Nearly two years after Watsonville District 6 City Councilmember Jimmy Dutra was accused of sexual abuse of a minor in a civil filing in Santa Cruz Superior Court, the case is finally approaching trial — at the same time that local elections begin to heat up and Dutra is seeking reelection.
Jury selection began on Tuesday and will continue Wednesday. Trial proceedings are expected to begin next week, as presiding Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Timothy Schmal will be out of town for the rest of this week starting Thursday. The trial is anticipated to last about one week.
The complaint against Dutra was filed on Oct. 5, 2022, just one month before a 2022 election in which Dutra was running for District 4 county supervisor. He would go on to lose the race to Felipe Hernandez.
The complaint, which seeks “damages in an amount to be determined at trial,” alleges that the plaintiff, Stephen Siefke, was abused in the summer of 2005 when he was 12 years old. Siefke’s suit claims Dutra’s parents took Siefke on a vacation to Los Angeles, as the Dutra and Siefke families knew each other well. The complaint alleges that Dutra, then 30 and living in Los Angeles, molested Siefke on one of the evenings of the trip. Dutra has consistently denied the allegations, calling them “false and untrue.”
Dutra is the Watsonville City Council District 6 incumbent and served as Watsonville mayor in 2021. He previously served a city council term from 2014 to 2018.
He is challenged this year by Trina Coffman-Gomez, a mortgage broker and Watsonville native who has served in numerous civic roles in South County over the years, including two previous terms on the Watsonville City Council from 2012 to 2020. The District 6 election is the only contested city council race in Watsonville.
Dutra did not respond to Lookout’s request for comment by publication time. Coffman-Gomez told Lookout on Tuesday evening that she will remain focused on what she can control, and has already begun going door-to-door to connect with voters.
“He’s going to have a jury of his peers and I will stay focused on my campaign,” she said. “I am a very experienced candidate, I have chaired and facilitated several nonprofits in the area in the four years since I’ve been on council, and I want to continue serving this community as best as I can.”
Prospective jurors will reconvene on Wednesday at 10 a.m. to continue the selection process. After that, the case will not pick back up until Monday.
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