Dally-Haun Murder Trial Postponed Until May

VENTURA — Michael Dally and Diana Haun won’t go to trial until May, at the earliest, in the kidnapping-murder of Dally’s wife, Sherri, a Superior Court judge ruled Monday.

Judge Frederick A. Jones announced his ruling after a closed hearing Monday at the Ventura County Courthouse. During the same hearing, Jones ruled against a prosecution motion to reinstate a gag order in the case.

Dally, 36, and his girlfriend, Haun, 35, both of Ventura, face the death penalty if convicted in the death of the 35-year-old mother of two. She was found bludgeoned and stabbed to death June 1 in a ravine along Canada Larga Road north of Ventura.

She was abducted May 6 from the parking lot of the Target store on Main Street in Ventura.

Dally and Haun, dressed in blue County Jail clothing, shared glances and smiles with one another and with spectators before being led out of the courtroom after the hearing.

The district attorney’s office, which decided in late December to seek the death penalty, requested the gag order after comments made by the defense about that decision. Prosecutors said Dally’s attorney, James Farley, should not have stated that the death penalty is unwarranted for a number of reasons, including the fact that neither defendant has any criminal record.

Farley and Haun’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Neil B. Quinn, both opposed the gag order.

In a brief filed Jan. 7, Farley said: “The district attorney’s office simply cannot expect to inject their own personal opinion into this matter and then completely muzzle the defense counsel by screaming foul play.”

In announcing his decision, Jones joked, “The press conference will be down the hall.”

But there was no comment from either side.

“Let’s let this cool down,” Farley said as he walked away.

Farley made the request for a continuance, asking that the trial, which was to begin Feb. 3, be put off until May 30 to allow him more time to prepare. He was named Dally’s attorney in November, and his team is in the process of interviewing witnesses and poring over the more than 6,000 pages of police reports.

Jones gave Farley almost all the time he requested. The trial is set to begin May 12.