The 51-year-old San Juan Bautista school teacher who was charged
with starting the Lick Fire fought off tears before she pleaded not
guilty in court Tuesday morning.
SAN MARTIN
The 51-year-old San Juan Bautista school teacher who was charged with starting the Lick Fire fought off tears before she pleaded not guilty in court Tuesday morning.
Margaret Lynn Pavese appeared at the South County Courthouse for the first time since the Santa Clara County Office of the District Attorney charged her with failure to exercise reasonable care in the disposal of flammable materials – a misdemeanor that carries up to six months in prison and $1,000 in fines.
In addition, Pavese will likely face fines to reimburse CalFire for the $12.5-million price tag of fighting the fire, CalFire officials said.
About 10:30 a.m. Sept. 3, Pavese started the blaze when she left an illegal and poorly maintained burn barrel full of paper plates unattended for about three hours, district attorneys said.
The flames spread from the bottom of the burn barrel because grass had grown into it and the fire raged for the next eight days, charring 47,760 acres of Henry W. Coe State Park – or about one-third of the state’s second-largest park, according to CalFire.
The fire also destroyed four cabins and 11 outbuildings.
On Tuesday, Pavese entered the courtroom accompanied by four family members and friends, all of whom declined to speak after the proceedings. Pavese – a petite woman with curly salt-and-pepper hair – wore a long-sleeve green shirt, a dark vest with embroidered floral patterns, brown pants and leather clogs. The room was so packed that she sat on the lap of a supporter in the audience.
When more people tried to get into the room, sheriff’s deputies asked supporters to leave so people facing charges could sit on the benches. As one of her supporters left, Pavese clutched his hand and began to cry.
Minutes later, Pavese’s private defense attorney, with a silent Pavese at his side, entered the not guilty plea.
Superior Court Judge Hector Ramon will meet with Pavese’s attorney and Supervising Deputy District Attorney Frank Carrubba in a pretrial conference at 9 a.m. Jan. 24. This pretrial conference will allow both sides to express what they feel would be a reasonable settlement given the charges.
“This is the type of case that would benefit from a pretrial conference,” Carrubba said.
Immediately after starting the fire, Pavese contacted authorities and admitted to starting it, Carrubba said. She has cooperated with law enforcement and appears to show remorse.
“The defense attorney will present any mitigating evidence he may have,” Carrubba said. “Hopefully, we’ll come to a common opinion.”
