Dodgers reliever’s pretrial settlement conference is continued to Nov. 19

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A pretrial settlement conference for Ronald Belisario, the Dodgers reliever facing a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence, was continued to Nov. 19 at the Pasadena courthouse.
Belisario’s attorney, J. Michael Flanagan, said his client should be absolved of the charge because he was improperly stopped in June by the California Highway Patrol. Flanagan said Belisario had picked up his cellphone to read a text message while his car was stopped at a red light.
“Using a cellphone is only illegal while driving,” Flanagan said. “In California, driving is defined as movement.”
Asked whether his client was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the stop, Flanagan said, “You don’t get to the alcohol aspect until you get past the propriety of the stop.”
--Ben Bolch