Val Verde Estate

The perfectly clipped hedges at Montecito's Val Verde estate still bristle with authority, impossibly long lines of them, not a breach in sight. The 110-year-old camellias haven't stirred from their posts beside a reflecting pool, and the citrus trees are still cut into the pleasing cubes that garden designer Lockwood De Forest Jr. envisioned playing off the geometry of the breakthrough 1910 Modernist house. It's a miracle, really.

Re "A Glorious Sight Unseen," [June 2]: How is it that the state can pass granny flat laws that effectively allow rental units in every single family neighborhood in California, yet the historic Val Verde estate sitting on 17 1/2 acres can't be opened to the public because that would disrupt the neighborhood? Jim Devore San Clemente

Re "A Glorious Sight Unseen," [June 2]: How is it that the state can pass granny flat laws that effectively allow rental units in every single family neighborhood in California, yet the historic Val Verde estate sitting on 17 1/2 acres can't be opened to the public because that would disrupt the neighborhood? Jim Devore San Clemente

The perfectly clipped hedges at Montecito's Val Verde estate still bristle with authority, impossibly long lines of them, not a breach in sight. The 110-year-old camellias haven't stirred from their posts beside a reflecting pool, and the citrus trees are still cut into the pleasing cubes that garden designer Lockwood De Forest Jr. envisioned playing off the geometry of the breakthrough 1910 Modernist house. It's a miracle, really.

Georgia O'Keeffe visited. So did Cole Porter when he had business in Hollywood. But the public has yet to get past the front gates of the famed Val Verde estate in Montecito. Still, a judge's ruling is giving new hope that average joes may soon get a look at one of the most gorgeous gardens in America. Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge J.

A Michigan man scheduled to stand trial next week in the kidnaping of a Val Verde real estate agent lost a key courtroom battle Monday when a judge ruled that a confession by him to police was admissible evidence. Federal Magistrate Edward Rafeedie also ruled that prosecutors could tell the jury that the alleged victim had identified the defendant from a photo lineup.

A man suspected of kidnaping and sexually assaulting a Val Verde real estate agent is likely to be transferred from Utah, where he was apprehended, to Los Angeles to face federal charges, authorities said Thursday. Timothy Daniel Shue, 38, will appear in federal court in Salt Lake City today where he will have the opportunity to challenge efforts to extradite him to California, said his court-appointed attorney, Reid Lambert.

A federal grand jury indicted a Michigan man Thursday for allegedly kidnaping a Val Verde real estate agent at gunpoint while posing as a prospective home buyer and, two days later, leaving her tied up in an Arizona motel room. The two-count indictment charges Timothy Daniel Shue, 38, with kidnaping and the use of a handgun in connection with a crime of violence, said Assistant U.S. Atty. Debra Yang.

The trial of a Michigan man suspected of kidnaping a Val Verde real estate agent was postponed Monday at his lawyer's request, but the tactic may backfire as a prosecutor announced she will use the time to conduct DNA tests. A one-month delay in the trial of Timothy Daniel Shue, 38, was sought in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles by his attorney, Deputy Federal Public Defender Ellen Barry, who said she needs more time to investigate the case.

A Michigan man pleaded not guilty in federal court Monday to the kidnaping at gunpoint of a Val Verde real estate agent who was left tied up in an Arizona motel room two days later. Timothy Daniel Shue, 38, is accused of kidnaping Paula Harrington, 26, by posing as a prospective customer at the real estate office where she worked. Shue is being held without bail and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without possibility of parole if convicted.

Georgia O'Keeffe visited. So did Cole Porter when he had business in Hollywood. But the public has yet to get past the front gates of the famed Val Verde estate in Montecito. Still, a judge's ruling is giving new hope that average joes may soon get a look at one of the most gorgeous gardens in America. Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge J.

A Michigan man scheduled to stand trial next week in the kidnaping of a Val Verde real estate agent lost a key courtroom battle Monday when a judge ruled that a confession by him to police was admissible evidence. Federal Magistrate Edward Rafeedie also ruled that prosecutors could tell the jury that the alleged victim had identified the defendant from a photo lineup.

A federal grand jury indicted a Michigan man Thursday for allegedly kidnaping a Val Verde real estate agent at gunpoint while posing as a prospective home buyer and, two days later, leaving her tied up in an Arizona motel room. The two-count indictment charges Timothy Daniel Shue, 38, with kidnaping and the use of a handgun in connection with a crime of violence, said Assistant U.S. Atty. Debra Yang.

A man suspected of kidnaping and sexually assaulting a Val Verde real estate agent is likely to be transferred from Utah, where he was apprehended, to Los Angeles to face federal charges, authorities said Thursday. Timothy Daniel Shue, 38, will appear in federal court in Salt Lake City today where he will have the opportunity to challenge efforts to extradite him to California, said his court-appointed attorney, Reid Lambert.

A Val Verde real estate agent, who said she was kidnaped June 29 while showing a house to a Michigan man, testified Thursday that she had no chance to flee while she and the defendant shopped for camping gear. Paula Harrington, 27, said that most of the time she was with accused abductor Timothy Shue, her legs were tied with an elastic bandage.

A man accused of kidnaping a Val Verde real estate agent will not face charges--for now--from the Los Angeles County district attorney's office because a federal case against him already covers most of the allegations, authorities said Friday. Timothy Daniel Shue, 38, is accused of abducting Paula Harrington, 26, at gunpoint June 29 by posing as a prospective home buyer. She was found tied up in an Arizona motel room two days later.