Stanislaus County seeks locksmith’s electronic devices

Attorneys defending Stanislaus County in a wrongful death lawsuit want access to computers, cameras and the cellphone of a locksmith killed in 2012 alongside a deputy sheriff, as well as electronic devices used by the locksmith’s widow.

A federal judge two weeks ago allowed county lawyers a look at three years of mental health and marriage counseling records of the slain locksmith, saying the documents could help determine the value of loss suffered by his widow. County lawyers also have sought to probe the couple’s bank records and birth control and fertility history and asked about their “sexual relations, financial assistance and religious practices.”

Glendon Engert, 35, and Deputy Bob Paris, 53, were ambushed while serving an eviction on Modesto’s Chrysler Drive. Engert’s widow and parents sued the county, noting two investigations that found fault with the Sheriff’s Department because of warnings about gunman Jim Ferrario’s instability and military-grade weapons.

The judge noted the county’s “invasive” strategy and would not permit a peek at records of psychiatric visits made by Engert’s widow, Irina, after he was killed. But other therapy records could shed light on the state of the Engerts’ marriage, and help set a value on the loss of the locksmith’s income, the judge ruled.

A Sacramento law firm hired by the county is interested in photos Glendon Engert took of properties where he disabled locks in the three years before his death. Last week, the attorneys asked to explore Engert’s camera as well as his and his wife’s cellphones, computers, notebooks, e-readers, PDAs, tablet computers, and electronic data storage devices including flash drives, discs and iPods.

“There has been (pretrial) testimony that Glendon Engert spent a significant amount of time using his personal computer and electronic devices playing online computer games and online poker for which he generated income,” reads the motion, which is scheduled for argument Nov. 14 in federal court in Fresno.

A trial is scheduled for August.

This story was originally published October 31, 2014 at 2:20 PM with the headline "Stanislaus County seeks locksmith’s electronic devices."