May 15, 2008

Defendant out on bail

Attorney: Buckley will plead not guilty in ballpark death

By Will Oremus / Daily News Staff Writer

Taylor Buckley, the San Carlos teenager accused of fatally punching 18-year-old Anthony Giraudo outside a San Francisco Giants game last Friday, was released on $200,000 bail Wednesday afternoon.

He'll plead not guilty to involuntary manslaughter charges at a hearing June 25, defense attorney Douglas Horngrad said. Meanwhile, Buckley hopes to finish his senior year at Carlmont High School and return to his part-time job at Milkshake Werks in Redwood City.

Buckley, 18, hit Giraudo, a first-year student at Canada College, once on the side of the face in an altercation outside AT&T Park around 9:45 p.m. Friday, according to San Francisco police. Giraudo dropped to the pavement, sustaining a traumatic head injury that left him brain-dead. He was taken off life support Saturday at San Francisco General Hospital.

Initially charged only with assault, Buckley was ordered back to jail on $1 million bail and investigated on suspicion of homicide after Giraudo's death. On Tuesday, San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris announced she would charge him with involuntary manslaughter, implying he killed Giraudo without meaning to.

In his first appearance in San Francisco Superior Court on Wednesday, Buckley stood still and silent, facing Judge Ernest Goldsmith as the lawyers haggled over bail. Behind him in the courtroom sat rows of family members and friends from Carlmont.

The brief arguments on both sides offered clues as to how the case might unfold.

Citing Buckley's illustrious family - his grandfather was a CEO, his aunt the director of a homelessness organization in San Francisco - Horngrad argued the teen could be trusted not to flee on a bail of $100,000 or less. He pointed out that Buckley turned himself in on Saturday and was cooperative and remorseful.

Assistant District Attorney George Butterworth objected, noting that the statutory bail in manslaughter cases is $300,000.

"The victim in this case was basically sucker punched, and died as a result of that crime," he said.

After Goldsmith settled on $200,000, Butterworth asked for an added stipulation that Buckley not consume or possess alcohol while out on bail.

"The defendant did indicate he had been drinking earlier in the evening" Friday, Butterworth said. He added that there is evidence one of the people who came to the game with Buckley had been thrown out of the ballpark.

Goldsmith granted the request.

Buckley is schedule to return to court for plea entry on June 25.



E-mail Will Oremus at woremus@dailynewsgroup.com.