Merced police chief’s son-in-law pleads not guilty to manslaughter

A 36-year-old Merced man pleaded not guilty Friday to manslaughter charges in connection with the death earlier this year of an Atwater man after a confrontation at a comedy show turned physical.

Jesse J. Saucedo III appeared briefly in Merced Superior Court before Judge Mark V. Bacciarini. Saucedo denied responsibility for the April 9 death of Jack Kline, the Merced County District Attorney’s Office confirmed.

Mathew Martinez, the deputy district attorney prosecuting the case, said Saucedo has been charged with a single felony count of involuntary manslaughter, which carries a maximum penalty of four years in state prison if convicted.

Saucedo’s attorney, Kirk McAllister, said Saucedo was defending himself. “This case will be vigorously defended until the case results in his exoneration,” McAllister told the Merced Sun-Star.

Kline, 55, died about three weeks after he was allegedly assaulted by Saucedo on March 21 during a Ralphie May comedy show in downtown Merced, the Merced Police Department reported.

Saucedo is the son-in-law of Merced police Chief Norman Andrade.

The Police Department investigated the case against Saucedo, despite his relationship to the department’s chief, saying Andrade recused himself from the case and there was no conflict of interest.

Merced police arrested Saucedo on June 27 after an autopsy attributed Kline’s death to the injuries suffered during the incident. Police said Saucedo allegedly struck Kline between two and six times.

Saucedo is also at the center of another unrelated high-profile incident that also moved forward at the same court hearing Friday, involving his performance as a registered nurse at Mercy Medical Center.

The California Attorney General’s Office this week filed a motion on behalf of the California Board of Registered Nursing, asking that Saucedo be forced to surrender his nursing license as a condition of his bail, pending the outcome of the criminal case, McAllister confirmed.

“This was an act of complete bureaucratic arrogance,” McAllister said. “This incident occurred back in March and if (the board) thought there was some urgent necessity, they’re fully capable of doing something about this, but they just want to ride on the coattails of the criminal case and deprive Mr. Saucedo of any due process without any evidence.”

In June, the nursing board, in a separate, unrelated action, filed a formal accusation against Saucedo, saying he was responsible for burning the hand of a 3-month-old girl in 2012.

The state Department of Consumer Affairs is seeking to suspend Saucedo’s nursing license in connection with the incident. A hearing on Saucedo’s license is scheduled for May, according to the state Office of Administrative Hearings.

Saucedo was working in the emergency room at Mercy Medical Center on March 27, 2012, when the infant suffered a third-degree burn on her left hand. The board accused Saucedo of negligence and incompetence in connection with the infant’s injury.

The hospital was fined $50,000 by the state in October 2013 for the incident. The girl’s family sued the hospital, settling out of court earlier this year for undisclosed damages.

Saucedo was not identified publicly as the nurse allegedly responsible for injuring the child until after he was arrested in connection with Kline’s death in June.

Bob McLaughlin, spokesman for the Merced hospital, on Friday said Saucedo continues to work for the hospital as an on-call nurse.

Saucedo is due back in court Nov. 3. He remains free on bail.

This story was originally published October 17, 2014 at 7:02 PM with the headline "Merced police chief’s son-in-law pleads not guilty to manslaughter."