Mistrial Declared In Civil Jury Compentency Trial Of Ojai Valley Murder Defendant

Wednesday December 13, 2023

     Update--A jury was selected, opening statements were set to go Wednesday morning in the civil competency trial of an Ojai Valley murder defendant and then, it all fell apart and the judge declared a mistrial and disbanded the jury.

     It all came about after his defense attorneys declared a conflict and could not represent him anymore.

     56-year-old Richard Arellanes of Meiners Oaks was charged with murder in the September 28, 2018 shooting death of his neighbor, 30-year-old Padraic Murphy.

     The authorities say the shooting took place during an argument between the two men in the 100 block of North Pueblo Avenue in Meiners Oaks, an unincorporated community in the Ojai Valley.

     Earlier this year, Arellanes defense attorneys raised the issue of his client's mental competency.

     The judge then suspended the criminal proceedings setting the stage for a trial-like civil proceeding involving a jury to determine competency.

     But now that civil proceeding will not be until next February.

     Meanwhile, Arellanes remains in the Ventura County Jail with bail set at $1 million.