Lawyer Says Defendant Threatened Prosecutor

A Canoga Park man charged with attempted murder issued a threat against a deputy Los Angeles district attorney last week, a county prosecutor testified Wednesday.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Andrew W. Diamond testified in Van Nuys Superior Court that Larry S. Pollack, 22, made the threat against prosecutor Robert Dver during a July 13 telephone call.

The alleged threat took place three days after Pollack’s preliminary hearing concluded with an order that he stand trial on charges of attempted murder, kidnaping, assault and burglary in connection with a May 2 incident.

Diamond said a man who identified himself as Pollack called the Van Nuys district attorney’s office looking for Dver, who prosecuted Pollack at the preliminary hearing.

Diamond said Pollack was upset because Dver was quoted by a newspaper last week as saying that Pollack was “an extremely dangerous man. . . . If he is out, he is going to kill somebody.” The prosecutor said he recognized Pollack’s voice because he has talked to him in person several times.

During the call, Pollack said, “You tell Mr. Dver I’m going to get him,” Diamond testified. He said that when he asked if the comments were a threat, Pollack “responded with the word ‘yes’ and hung up.”

Diamond’s testimony came during a hearing for Pollack dealing with unrelated charges of kidnaping and assault with a deadly weapon stemming from an incident in July, 1988. Diamond testified in support of prosecution arguments that it should not have to reveal the whereabouts of some of its witnesses because Pollack is dangerous.

In a brief response Wednesday, Pollack told Judge Darlene Schempp that “I’ve never talked to Andy Diamond in my life.”

Defense attorney Richard J. Beada argued that there was no way to prove that Pollack was the caller. Pollack is being held at County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.