Attorney pleads no contest to 3 charges

A Placer County attorney facing multiple drug, forgery, and child molestation charges pleaded no contest Wednesday in an Auburn courtroom to some of the 20 counts against him.Jonathan R. Tyrell, 39, a criminal attorney from Roseville, appeared in a jail-issued orange jumpsuit and handcuffs, a far cry from usual attorney courtroom attire of a suit and tie surrounded by those who were once his peers. He is being represented by Auburn attorney Barry Zimmerman. Tyrell is charged with five counts of forgery, preparing false documents, possession of drug paraphernalia, use of a controlled substance, possession of pornographic material, eight counts of child molestation, a count of vandalism and battery with serious bodily injury and allegations that crimes occurred while he was on bail."We do have a resolution to a portion of the charges," Zimmerman told the court.Tyrell pleaded no contest to one count of forgery, possession of a controlled substance and battery with serious bodily injury. "He also pled to an enhancement of committing a felony (drug possession) while out on his own recognizance," said Jeff Wilson, the deputy district attorney prosecuting the case against Tyrell. The enhancement can potentially increase any sentence imposed by the court by two years.The forgery charge stems from falsifying a court document. Tyrell has said he created a notice to appear, which is a document that Placer County courts send to offenders explaining the charges against them and the date and time they are to appear in court."I had one of those documents on another matter. I simply took out (a) portion of the document and I substituted (another) name and added some charges," Tyrell said in an earlier interview with the Journal. He contends he was doing so to assist one of his adolescent clients.At a later date, Tyrell was allegedly found to be in possession of methamphetamines, a charge to which he pleaded to on Wednesday. The battery with serious bodily injury plea is in connection with a June 3 incident at his Roseville apartment. Tyrell reportedly bit Brian Lewandowski, 19, who police officers identified as an employee of Tyrell's. Roseville police officials said the young victim was treated at the scene by medical personnel and released.On Wednesday, a Harvey waiver was entered before Judge Larry Gaddis to one count of forgery and one count of vandalism. The vandalism charge stems from a June incident in which Tyrell reportedly kicked in the door of a neighbor's home.A Harvey waiver is essentially a dismissal of the charges, Zimmerman said. It is not a plea of guilt or innocence but can be used at the time of sentencing to increase penalties imposed by the court if found guilty of other charges.Tyrell waived his preliminary hearing on two charges of possession of a controlled substance and smoking device. He will face a jury trial in September on the remaining misdemeanor charges of child pornography.Tyrell reportedly videotaped teens in a bathroom setting in swimwear under water. What Wilson, describes as a "sexual fetish," known as aquaphilia, Tyrell contends was research. "It was a scientific study I was working on," Tyrell has told the Journal. "It was men and women, a lot of teens over the age of 18."In April, law enforcement officers seized Tyrell's computer and several videotapes of minors and adults, partially clothed and submerged in a bathtub holding their breath.Tyrell remains in Placer County jail on $150,000 bail and is scheduled to return to court at 8:30 Sept. 13 for a trial.The Journal's Penne Usher can be reached at penneu@goldcountrymedia.com.