Two Corral Fire Suspects Proceed to Pre-Trial as Two Others Await Prelim

• Court Proceedings Move Slowly

BY BILL KOENEKER

Two of the three Los Angeles men charged with a role in starting the November, 2007 Corral Canyon wildfire were arraigned week in Van Nuys Superior Court on Monday.
Brian Alan Anderson, 23, and William Thomas Coppock, 24, both pleaded not guilty to three counts of starting the wildfire that claimed 53 homes, dozens of other structures and resulted in several firefighter injuries.
The pair were ordered to appear in Van Nuys Court, Department V, for a pre-trial hearing on April 3, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office.
Anderson and Coppock are charged with recklessly causing a fire with great bodily injury, endangering inhabited structures and arson during a declared state of emergency.
The District Attorney’s office has prepared a case that portrays the two Los Angeles men as the most culpable of the five individuals facing charges in connection with the devastating blaze.
Last Thursday, Eric Matthew Ullman, 19, and Dean Lavorante, 20, both of Culver City, who are charged with starting an illegal campfire near a known party cave at the top of Corral were in court for a pre-trial hearing on the same three charges.
That matter was continued to April 30 for what the DA’s office called a preliminary set/reset hearing, which means the matter could be continued at that date and reset for another day. The DA’s spokesperson said they could make no comment about what issues, if any, might have arisen to prompt this action.
Brian David Franks, 28, also charged with contributing to the fire, was sentenced two weeks ago to five years probation and 300 hours of community service in a plea bargain that requires him to testify against Anderson and Coppock.
Franks’ sentence was met with howls of protests from local fire victims, who said the penalty was an insult and not in accord with the resulting devastation of the fire.