Student accused of perjury will stand trial

[buckthesystem]

http://www.mercurynews.com/centralcoast/ci...?nclick_check=1

Student accused of perjury will stand trial

Jennifer Squires - Sentinel Staff Writer

Cabrillo College student accused of perjury for checking the wrong box on a California Department of Motor Vehicles form in January 2007 will go to trial, a judge ruled Monday.

But Nathan Knoerl, also known as Nathan Pope, will be free on his own recognizance, Judge Samuel Stevens decided. Knoerl had been held on $100,000 bail -- 20 times the normal amount for perjury -- since his arrest by FBI agents in Southern California last month.

"Under the totality of the circumstances, obviously the judge feels he made a decision in the best interest of the community and in accordance with the law," Capt. Steve Clark of the Santa Cruz police said.

Police have not said why they requested the high bail when they obtained the arrest warrant in August.

However, Knoerl has lived in a Riverside Avenue house that was twice raided during the ongoing investigation into violent animal rights protests in Santa Cruz. No arrests have been made in the February home invasion attack and July fire bombings that targeted three UC Santa Cruz researchers.

"There is absolutely no connection between this case and the animal rights case," Knoerl's attorney, Doug Fox, said outside of court.

The perjury charge against Knoerl surfaced during the probe of the attacks and was pursued by a DMV inspector, who testified during Monday's preliminary hearing.

Inspector James Laughlin said Knoerl obtained a driver's license in September 2003, then applied for and received a state identification card under the name "Nathan Pope" in January 2007. On that application, Knoerl checked the "no" box in response to a question about possessing other government IDs in other names.

Prosecutor Barbara Rizzieri said that action was perjury.

Fox argued that his client didn't perjure himself because it's unclear if Knoerl would have been denied an ID card had he checked the "yes" box.

"The application itself is not false. It is who he is," Fox said.

He pointed out that identifying information was the same on both the driver's license and ID card. Fox also said his client has state-issued documents in both names, including a passport issued to "Nathan Pope" and signed by "Nathan Knoerl" with a note stating he also goes by the name Knoerl.

Knoerl's father's last name is Pope but his mother, Britni Knoerl, remarried when her son was 5 years old and he has used both surnames throughout his life, his mother testified.

Knoerl has also had a UCSC student ID card in the name "Matt Matthews," Rizzieri said. She didn't know when he had obtained the ID or if he was ever a UCSC student.

Rizzieri said it's difficult to track Knoerl in the legal system due to his two surnames. The perjury case is filed under the name "Knoerl" while an April conviction for stealing textbooks is in the name "Pope." He is on probation for petty theft.

Perjury is a felony punishable by two to four years in state prison.

Knoerl was released from County Jail on Monday afternoon and apparently went home to Oceanside with his family. He returns to court Sept. 30.

[Axxman]

This guy has 3 aliases and he can't figure out why he should check that box on an official State document for ID purposes? He lives with suspected terrorists (and may be one himself) who are being investigated for domestic terrorism and he's already on probation for breaking the law. And he has a passport in a different name than the identification he is applying for. Doesn't take a genius to figure out why his bond was so high initially. Judges lower/drop bonds all the time based on the circumstances.

[buckthesystem]

This guy has 3 aliases and he can't figure out why he should check that box on an official State document for ID purposes? He lives with suspected terrorists (and may be one himself) who are being investigated for domestic terrorism and he's already on probation for breaking the law. And he has a passport in a different name than the identification he is applying for. Doesn't take a genius to figure out why his bond was so high initially. Judges lower/drop bonds all the time based on the circumstances.

I think I'm seeing a little bit of spinning of facts here. You have to admit that with the use of a little altered language a story can sound very different to what it actually is.

Firstly, it seems that this guy only has two aliases, not three, he is - indeed - "on probation" but for petty theft. I just don't see what the big deal is ahout having a passport in a different name to your drivers licence. The two documents are mutually exclusive, and it would be a really horrible situation to find yourself in if you ever faced the demand to produce both your DL and your passport.

And "he lives with suspected terrorists", we are talking about animal rights activists, which can hardly be described as "suspected terrorists", and what makes you say "he may be one himself"?? Is this "guilt by association"??

"Domestic terrorism", although I am certainly not saying that it is good to be an animal rights activist, it is utterly ridiculous to describe it as "domestic terrorism".

Also although you really love to assume things, I think this is important: ""There is absolutely no connection between this case and the animal rights case," Knoerl's attorney, Doug Fox, said outside of court".

Plus it is a new thing to me to hear of someone who (inadvertently or otherwise) ticked the wrong box on a form, described as "committing perjury". That that is a ridiculous term.

[Axxman]

Firstly, it seems that this guy only has two aliases, not three, he is - indeed - "on probation" but for petty theft. I just don't see what the big deal is ahout having a passport in a different name to your drivers licence.

Actually, the guy has three aliases. His drivers license says Nathan Pope. His passport says Nathan Knoerl. And he has a student ID that says he's Matt Matthews. I GUARANTEE YOU that he is listed as having three aliases. And I correctly pointed out that he is "on probabtion for breaking the law." Last time I checked...petty theft is against the law. Why do you need ID in one name...and a passport in another? Maybe because the FBI is closing in? If Nathan Pope has a criminal record (and he does), then its shady when you start applying for official legal documents using a different name and LYING about your criminally associated name in order receive that documentation.

And "he lives with suspected terrorists", we are talking about animal rights activists, which can hardly be described as "suspected terrorists", and what makes you say "he may be one himself"?? Is this "guilt by association"??

"Domestic terrorism", although I am certainly not saying that it is good to be an animal rights activist, it is utterly ridiculous to describe it as "domestic terrorism".

Also although you really love to assume things, I think this is important: ""There is absolutely no connection between this case and the animal rights case," Knoerl's attorney, Doug Fox, said outside of court".

Who do you think caught his attempt to circumvent the law and obtain ID under false pretenses? Do you really think some dedicated DMV clerk was just on the ball that day and spotted something fishy? This guy was caught by the Joint Terrorism Task Force. Now why would that be? Because they were investigating him and his friends for domestic terrorism!!! Being an animal activist is NOT terrorism...firebombing is terrorism! Attacking people at home while they are celebrating a childs birthday party is terrorism. This guy is being investigated for that and when he tried to illegally obtain ID he set off alarms.

I find it hilarious that you just take the attorney at his word. What is the attorney supposed to say? "Oh yeah, my client is in deep trouble." No way, he is going to say ANYTHING to deflect that type of attention from his client. The fact remains, he is under investigation, he tried to lie and obtain ID illegally, and he was caught by the Terrorism Task Force. BUT...his attorney wants us to believe their is no connection....LOL @ lawyers!

Guilt by association is a legal standard. It has various levels and definitions. It can include definitions such as conspiracy, accomplice, or acting in concert with, etc...

Plus it is a new thing to me to hear of someone who (inadvertently or otherwise) ticked the wrong box on a form, described as "committing perjury". That that is a ridiculous term.

Yeah...its pretty rare I'd have to guess. Then again, this person who ticked the wrong box happened to be under investigation from a Joint Terrorism Task Force for domestic terrorism. The accusation is that he committed "perjury." That is willfully lying in order to obtain ID under false pretenses. Its a legal term, and it might sound like overkill...but thats exactly the correct term. I'd say, if you are under FBI investigation you might wanna be pretty careful about which boxes you check when filling out gov't forms.