Judge: Hubbard case has enough evidence for trial

A judge in Los Angeles ruled Monday that there is enough evidence for Newport-Mesa Unified School District Supt. Jeffrey Hubbard to stand trial for alleged misappropriation of funds during his previous job as superintendent in the Beverly Hills schools district.

Superior Court Judge Kathryn Solorzano set Feb. 7 as an arraignment date for Hubbard, L.A. Deputy Dist. Atty. Max Huntsman said Monday afternoon in a phone interview from the Airport Courthouse near Los Angeles International Airport.

On Jan. 3, Hubbard pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of misappropriation of funds.

Prosecutors allege that Hubbard was responsible for providing $20,000 in illegal stipends to co-defendant Karen Anne Christiansen, the former director of facilities for Beverly Hills Unified School District.

During Monday’s conclusion of the preliminary hearing into the case, the judge allowed the defense to call a witness to the stand.

Nora Roque, the defense’s only witness, is a former Beverly Unified employee who worked in that district at the same time as Hubbard, Huntsman said.

Roque now is employed as Newport-Mesa’s director of classified personnel, said N-MUSD spokeswoman Laura Boss.

Roque had served the Beverly Hills district as a human resources coordinator, Boss said.

Salvatore Ciulla, Hubbard’s city of Orange-based attorney, could not immediately be reached by phone for comment.