AUBURN – The president of the Placer Hills Fire Protection District board was in court Thursday facing charges of child molestation.
In the Placer County jail since his arrest Dec. 27, Anthony Lawrence Wright, 68, appeared before a judge to discuss whether he should be represented by a public defender.
Placer Superior Court Judge Colleen Nichols ordered an evaluation of Wright's finances and scheduled another hearing for Jan. 22.
Wright, a 12-year veteran on the fire district board, faces 13 counts of sexual misconduct. Five charge molestation of a child under the age of 10. The other eight charge molestation of children under the age of 14.
His bail, originally set at $500,000, was reduced last week to $400,000. The Placer County Sheriff's Department has given few details about the case because it involves minors.
Wright was re-elected to the fire board in 2006. His term expires in late 2010.
The Placer Hills Fire Protection District serves the communities of Applegate, Clipper Gap, Eden Valley, Meadow Vista and Weimar.
Three members of the board attended a regularly scheduled meeting Wednesday – Greg Guyan, Kelly Fulfer and Richard Rogers. Vice President Belle Jones resigned at the end of December and has not been replaced.
Guyan said the board was "caught off guard." "We didn't know for a week that he'd been arrested," Guyan said.
He said Wright had been "an outstanding board member," but that he knew little about him outside the board meetings.
– Art Campos
