Declaration

Cal. Super. - 6th Dist.January 5, 2021

JOLIE I IOUS I'ON. CA STATE. BAR NO. 171069 I FRiK RAMAKRISiiNAN, CA STATE BAR NO. 272653 BERLINLR COIIEN. LLP 2 TEN ALMADEN BOULEVARD ELEVENTI( FLOOR 3 sAN JOSL', CALIFORNIA 95I 13-2233 TELEPIIONE: (408) 286-5800 4 FACSIMILE: (408) 998-5388 jolic.houston berliner.corn 5 erik.ramakrishnanlber liner.corn 6 ATTORNEYS FOR CITY OF LOS ALTOS SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA 10 12 13 14 CITY OF LOS ALTOS, Petitioner V. ART MASTER, Respondent CASE NO. 21-CH-009797 DECLARATION OF JESSICA VERNON 15 16 I, Jessica Vernon, declare as follows: 17 l. I am over the age of 18 years. I have personal knowledge of each fact stated herein 18 except where my testimony is stated on the basis of information and belief. 19 2. I am a law enforcement agent with the Los Altos Police Department. I have been 20 employed by the City of Los Altos as a peace officer since 2010. My business address is I N. 21 San Antonio Road, Los Altos, CA 94022. 22 3, The hearing on the Order to Show Cause in this matter originally was scheduled in 23 Department 4 on or about February 23, 2021, but was continued to March 22, 2021, in 24 Department 22. On or about March 18, 2021, I learned that the hearing was being moved to 25 March 24, 2021, in Department 9. 26 4. I am unable to attend the hearing on March 24, 2021, and I would like to apologize to the 27 Court for my absence. I am a single mother and live about two hours from San Jose. I very 28 4833-60324370vI ERAMAKRISNNANI279160 1 DECLARATION OF JESSICA VERNON Electronically Filed by Superior Court of CA, County of Santa Clara, on 3/24/2021 4:36 PM Reviewed By: K. Nguyen Case #21CH009797 Envelope: 6104959 I much wanted to appear to testify in this case but was unable to rearrange childcare to allow me to 2 attend. I would 100% be in court in person if I could be. 3 5, I first had contact with Mr. Art Master on or about July 30, 2020, when he contacted the 4 Police Department to complain about an encounter with City police officers the previous day. 5 Later, on or about October 14, 2020, I encountered him at the Residence Inn hotel in Los Altos, 6 after having been called out by the manager on duty who complained of disturbances caused by 7 Mr. Master. The manager wanted Mr. Master removed from the hotel lobby, but Mr. Master 8 refused to leave. Afler arriving at the hotel, I was able to get Mr. Master to step outside the hotel 9 lobby to talk to me, but instead of leaving the premises as requested, Mr. Master yelled and 10 swore in my face for several moments without a mask. To protect myself, and to try to get him to leave without having to make an arrest, at some point I yelled for him to stop talking and 12 attempted to push him away from me. Because he refused to leave, I had him arrested. 13 6. Since my contact with Mr. Master, I have been very disturbed by his behavior towards 14 me. He has sent me emails and voice mails that have disturbed me, including by asking me to 15 tell him where I will be when I am on duty. He has posted sexually suggestive images of me, 16 with my photo and naine, on social media. I am informed and believed that he has posted flyers 17 around the area of my department containing similar images, and that he has emailed similar 18 flyers to City employees and officials. 19 7. This behavior has made my family and me v orried about what he is capable of doing. It 20 has bothered me to the point of constantly being worried if he will show up at the police station 21 or on one of my calls for service. 22 8. I am worried about the safety not only of myself but also the safety of my three small 23 children. His threatening voicemails and increasingly angry behavior towards me honestly 24 frighten me. I do not know what he is capable of doing, and he obviously has looked me up 25 online. Based on messages he has sent, I believe he wants to know where I live and what I do in 26 my personal life. 27 28 4833-6032-6370vt ERAMAKRISHNANI279160 1 DECLAIWTION OF IESSICA VERNON 9. I grew up in the Los Altos area, and it worries me that my family or friends, or even citizens of the community, will see images he has made of me. This is something that worries me and my family. I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct 8 9 10 11 DATED: 3/22/2021 &, 4~ Iz~ DECLARANT: JESSICA VERNON 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 4633-603263/Out . ERA/AIKRISHNANI270I60 / DECLARATION OF JESSICA VERNON