Unfinished sagas

There are several events and issues that will top the news in 2008, including a murder trial, a civil trial and a referendum on where to build the Newport Beach City Hall. Following is a list of what to watch out for this year.

1Hawks murder trials

Skylar Deleon and John F. Kennedy, two of the men indicted in the 2004 slayings of boat owner Tom and Jackie Hawks, are scheduled to go on trial Jan 28.

Deleon’s former wife, Jennifer Henderson Deleon, was convicted in November 2006 and later sentenced to two consecutive life terms. The trials of two others who allegedly conspired with Deleon, Alonso Machain and Myron Gardner, are pending.

Deleon and Kennedy are accused of forcing the Newport Beach yacht owners to sign transfer documents for their vessel, “Well Deserved,” before tying the couple to the anchor and dropping them in the ocean off the coast of California. The bodies have yet to be recovered. Both men face the death penalty if convicted.

2Benito Acosta case

It was Jan. 3, 2006, when Benito Acosta was arrested during a turbulent meeting on Mayor Allan Mansoor’s plan to train Costa Mesa police to enforce immigration laws. And yet, even though the city’s criminal case against him was tossed, it lingers. The city is appealing the dismissal of the case against Acosta for allegedly disrupting the council meeting.

Meanwhile, Acosta, who goes by the name Coyotl Tezcatlipoca, is also waiting for his civil rights lawsuit to go to trial, possibly this spring.

In November, city officials said they have spent nearly $130,000 in legal fees associated with the Acosta case. The ACLU represented Acosta in the criminal case and will continue to do so in the civil suit.

3Rehab homes