Santa Barbara Woman in Racist Viral Video Pushes Court Date to January

Jeanne Umana, the Santa Barbara woman who became infamous for viral videos showing her in two separate racially charged confrontations — one with a Latino construction worker and another with a street vendor — did not appear in Santa Barbara Superior Court Thursday morning for her scheduled arraignment on charges of trespassing and battery stemming from one of those videos, in which she can be seen entering a property without permission and striking the worker while also claiming to “work for the police.”

Instead, Umana’s attorney Michael Barmasse appeared in her place in Judge Thomas Adams’s courtroom to ask for a continuation and push the arraignment date into the New Year. Judge Adams set a new date for January 3, 2024, and granted an order of protection against Umana as requested by the District Attorney’s Office. Barmasse must provide proof that Umana received and acknowledges the protective order within two weeks.

Barmasse, an Agoura Hills–based attorney, did not speak with the media and gave no indication of how his client intended to proceed.

The incident caught the attention of the authorities after Los Angeles–based activist Edin Enamorado — who has earned a reputation for his work in defending street vendors throughout California — posted a video of the Umana confronting the construction worker in September. The video sparked outrage across social media, and Enamorado organized a demonstration outside Umana’s house, with hundreds shutting down the corner of Garden and Micheltorena streets and calling for her arrest.

A month later, Enamorado posted another video of an earlier incident which showed Umana harassing a street vendor at Alameda Park, in which she can be heard once again claiming to work “for the police” and telling the vendor, “You’re illegal.”

At the time, Santa Barbara Police had recommended charges of trespassing, battery, and hate crime stemming from the incident with the construction worker, but the District Attorney’s Office had not yet filed any criminal charges against Umana. A day after the second video was released, District Attorney John Savrnoch announced that she would in fact be charged with two misdemeanors for trespassing and battery. The District Attorney’s Office made no mention of the recommended charges for a hate crime, and police did not find enough evidence to charge Umana with impersonating an officer.

On Thursday, though Umana was not present in the courtroom, Enamorado showed up to voice his concerns about Umana being let off with what he considers as a “slap on the wrist.”

After the brief court appearance, Enamorado attempted to speak with Barmasse as he made his way across the street to the District Attorney’s Office. Enamorado carried a sign that read “Jeanne Umana Committed a Hate Crime” as he shouted from behind Barmasse: “Just know that you’re defending a bigot and a racist! That’s what you’re doing out here, asking for a slap on the wrist for a racist!”

In an interview with the Independent, Enamorado said that he wants to keep pushing for the District Attorney’s Office to consider adding a hate-crime charge and some sort of punishment for Umana repeatedly claiming to work for the police department. He also said that he will continue showing up to make sure Umana’s attorney feels the pressure from the community.

“I just want to let him know who he’s defending,” Enamorado said. “It’s sad that we have attorneys like him who know that she’s already getting hit with a slap on the wrist and he’s trying to basically make everything go away.”

He credited the power of the community, and said that it was likely that Umana would have gotten away without any backlash if the videos were never released online. “It’s sad because had we not identified her she would have never received any sort of repercussions for her actions,” he said. “It took the whole community to come out, multiple times.”

Enamorado said that Umana attempted to apologize in person after the incident with the construction worker, and that he had hoped that “maybe it was a one-time mistake,” until he saw the second video of Umana and the street vendor.

“That’s when I knew for sure that’s what lies in her heart,” he said.

Umana’s next court date is scheduled for January 3, when she is expected to enter a plea for the two charges of trespassing and battery. Enamorado is holding out hope for additional charges but said that he is glad that she will face the consequences for her actions.

“I know that at least she’s aware that she’s received some consequences, and I hope she doesn’t do it again,” he said.