SAN DIEGO -- A San Diego police vice detective who played the role of a corrupt officer in the "council corruption" case will continue testifying Wednesday in the trial of two councilmen and two others.

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Detective Russ Bristol testified Tuesday that Councilman Ralph Inzunza called him on Sept. 10, 2002, asking what could be done to strengthen the adult-use ordinance in San Diego.

In the secretly recorded call, Inzunza asked Bristol to look into the police department doing a "comprehensive report" on what vice does in an effort to make "better use of your guys' time."

Bristol testified it was the first time in 14 years as a vice detective that he had ever gotten a call from a city councilman.

The detective testified that he was careful not to be overheard because "I'm not supposed to be talking to a city councilman."

Inzunza and fellow Councilmen Michael Zucchet are accused of taking monetary bribes from strip club owner Michael Galardi in return for help in repealing San Diego's "no-touch" ordinance.

The law, passed in October 2000, doesn't allow any touching between dancers and patrons in adult clubs.

Galardi's lobbyist, Lance Malone, and David Cowan, a former aide to the late Councilman Charles Lewis, are also on trial.

Lewis was indicted in August 2003 but died last year of complications from liver disease.

Earlier, Councilman Brian Maienschein testified he had no idea a speaker sent by Malone and Galardi was going to talk about the adult use ordinance in front of his Public Safety and Neighborhood Service Committee on April 30, 2003.

Maienschein, the committee's chairman, testified that Inzunza talked to him twice about getting the adult entertainment issue and "no-touch" on the committee docket.

"I said no," Maienschein testified.

When Inzunza said he had enough signatures to docket the item himself, Maienschein testified that he told him, "Go ahead."

Inzunza said "no-touch" was something police officers didn't want to deal with anymore, Maienschein testified.

Committee consultant John Rivera testified that Cowan approached him twice and asked how to get an item on the PS&NS docket.

Cowan asked if Maienschein would docket an item dealing with the distance between adult clubs and also asked about the "public comment" section of the committee meeting, Rivera testified.

When the speaker sent by Malone and Galardi asked the committee on April 30, 2003, to extend the distance between adult clubs and churches, neighborhoods and schools, Zucchet asked that the matter be referred to the city attorney for further study, according to court testimony.

A vote was never taken to repeal the ordinance.

The councilmen, Galardi, Malone and Cheetah's San Diego manager John D'Intino were charged in August 2003 with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Galardi and D'Intino pleaded guilty in September 2003 to wire fraud charges.

Cowan was charged with lying to the FBI.

Council Corruption Trial Archive