Quick Take
Clarice Owens, the entrepreneur behind Pescavore tuna jerky, appeared in Santa Cruz County Superior Court on Wednesday ahead of a late-March jury trial on one felony stalking charge and 34 misdemeanor counts related to alleged online harassment and restraining order violations. Her public defender is arguing to dismiss 14 counts, including the felony charge, citing a lack of evidence.
Healthy Oceans Seafood co-founder Clarice Owens appeared in Santa Cruz County Superior Court on Wednesday morning for a pre-trial hearing ahead of her jury trial later this month on charges of harassing dozens of people online.
The Santa Cruz-based entrepreneur has been held in jail since mid-December on one charge of felony stalking and 34 misdemeanors for violating four different restraining orders granted to Owens’ upstairs neighbor, her homeowner’s association, a former investor in the Pescavore line of tuna jerky and a seafood industry colleague.
Public defender Kristyn Skelly, Owens’ attorney, asked Judge Stephen Siegel to delay the trial a week. Siegel agreed, moved it from March 16 to March 23, and set a trial readiness hearing for next Wednesday, March 11.
Skelly also filed a motion to drop 14 counts, including the charge of felony stalking, due to lack of evidence. She argued certain circumstances, like Owens following someone with a restraining order to their car, deserve further consideration before a charge can be brought.
In the motion, Owens’ attorney argued the felony stalking charge should be reconsidered because prosecutors failed to show when two violent images posted to Pescavore’s Instagram account were actually posted.
Siegel set a separate hearing for March 17 to consider the motion to dismiss.
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