Paper’s Jailed Co-Owner to Appeal Huge Civil Award : Antelope Valley: A court says William W. Odett owes his victims $18 million. He was convicted of drug and weapons charges.

Even while in prison, the co-owner of the Antelope Valley Press will fight an $18-million civil judgment granted to the victims in his criminal case, his lawyer said Thursday.

“It’s unconscionable that this man has an $18-million judgment against him and has never had a day in court to deny the allegations,” William W. Odett’s Lancaster attorney, James Kostas, said Thursday. Kostas has filed an appeal of the judgment.

Probation violations stemming from convictions on drug and weapons charges sent Odett last year to state prison near Modesto, where he was being held when a judge entered a default judgment against him in a parallel civil lawsuit. The verdict was based on Odett’s failure to defend the lawsuit.

Odett has been relieved of all active duties with the Antelope Valley Press, with a circulation of 60,659, according to Valley Press attorney Michael Mink.

Odett, 47, was convicted in 1991 of brandishing a gun at three women and possession of cocaine. He was fined, sentenced to 90 days in jail and ordered into a drug treatment program. Odett failed drug tests in February and April of last year. He was declared in violation of probation and was sent to state prison for two years.

Odett pointed a shotgun at telephone delivery woman Rosemary Minyard while her mother, Wanda Flacco, and daughter Rebecca Sigg were nearby in May, 1991. Court records show that Odett said to Minyard outside of his Palmdale home, “You have two seconds to get out of here or I’ll blow your brains out.”

Odett is serving his sentence at the Sierra Conservation Center, a minimum-security state prison near Modesto. He is expected to be released in May.

The three women filed a civil lawsuit against Odett in June, 1991, claiming damages for assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress and false imprisonment. The suit asked for punitive damages.

“My clients had some serious consequences from this,” said Bakersfield attorney Steve Austin, who represents the women. “It may not sound like much to have someone point a gun at you and tell you that they are going to kill you, but it is.”

“As far as we know, he’s shown no remorse to them and given no apology,” Austin said. “I think psychologically it would be a step in the right direction if he did.”

A year after the lawsuit was filed, when Odett had failed to respond to the lawsuit, Lancaster Superior Court Judge Haig Kehiayan granted $3 million in compensatory damages and $3 million in punitive damages to each of the women last October.

Kostas said he did not know why Odett failed to respond in the early stages of the civil case. A month after the default judgment, a judge rejected Kostas’ motion to set it aside.

Another lawyer who represented Odett in the criminal case sought permission to withdraw from the civil lawsuit last April, stating that Odett “repeatedly failed to cooperate” and “refuses to answer our mailed requests for information,” according to court records.

Appellate court officials said they were uncertain when the case could be scheduled but said it could be sometime in October.

“The appeal is worthless,” Austin said. “It’s something they have to do--it doesn’t have merit.”

Despite the appeal, filed last December, levies and garnishments of Odett’s property can begin at any time, Austin said. He said he has not seen any “evidence or interest” in a settlement of the case.

Austin said he did not know if Odett’s newspaper assets could be claimed, or the details of his other assets, which Austin believes to be extensive. Austin said he has sought help to collect the judgment.

Kostas said his client will vigorously pursue the appeal.

“Our hope is that we can get the default judgment set aside so that Mr. Odett can defend the case on the merits,” Kostas said. “He denies the allegations of that complaint.”

Valley Press attorney Mink said he did not know the status of Odett’s stock ownership in the newspaper’s corporation.