Ex-Livermore cop pleads no contest - but case could get dismissed

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By Henry Lee

A former Livermore police officer pleaded no contest today to engaging in lewd conduct in public with the woman at the center of the Bay Area police scandal. But if he obeys all laws for 15 months, the case will be dismissed.

The plea deal came as jury selection was underway for Dan Black. Twelve jurors had already been selected, but Judge Alison Tucher of Alameda County Superior Court put a hold on picking the final alternate jurors when a key witness in the case had a medical emergency.

The witness was not officially named, but sources told KTVU that it was indeed Jasmin Abuslin, the daughter of an Oakland police dispatcher. Her attorney John Burris was among those who met with the judge in her Oakland chambers.

As part of a plea deal, Black pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of engaging in lewd conduct in public. Prosecutors dismissed other counts of  engaging in lewd conduct and prostitution as well as furnishing alcohol to a minor.

Authorities had accused Black of engaging in sex acts with Abuslin in his RV and then paying her in the form of dinners at East Bay restaurants. His defense attorney Michael Cardoza said the RV was locked and covered and that no member of the public could have seen inside. Cardoza said his client simply had "dinner dates" with Abuslin.

Under the terms of the plea deal, Black's case will be dismissed in May 2018 if he obeys all laws, submits to AIDS testing, watches a film on AIDS, stays away from Abuslin and stays away from areas of prostitution.

Teresa Drenick, spokeswoman for District Attorney Nancy O'Malley, said her office had "felt very confident" about the case but agreed to the plea deal because of the witness' medical emergency.