An L.A. County Superior Court judge approved $13,000 for technical experts to assist in the defense of a Lancaster man accused of an Acton bank robbery, according to partially sealed orders obtained by The Signal.  Judge Scott Yang approved the Dec. 3 motions for the appointment of a confidential cell-phone expert and an audio-video analyst on Jan. 3.  Bennett’s attorney, Jared Olen of the Olen Firm, argued in motions filed last month his client’s Sixth Amendment right to effective counsel meant the county should pay for experts necessary to refute the prosecution’s claims on his whereabouts at the time of the allegations against him.  Olen said there are a lot of things about the case that he’d like to say that he couldn’t talk about yet.  “A bank was robbed,” Olen said in a phone interview Tuesday, “whether or not it was Mr. Bennett is the million-dollar question.”  Palmdale Sheriff’s Station deputies arrested Bennett on the afternoon of Nov. 27, about five months after an investigation by the Major Crimes Bureau of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.  Bennett pleaded not guilty Dec. 3 to three charges from the L.A. County District Attorney’s office.  The first count accuses Bennett of committing armed robbery at the California Bank & Trust branch at 31924 Crown Valley Road shortly after 10:30 a.m. June 21.  LASD detectives issued a statement saying they believe the 61-year-old walked into the bank wearing an N-95 mask, convinced the teller he had a firearm and demanded the employee fill a bag with money.   Detectives reported that the suspect left the bank with several hundred dollars in cash.  There are two victims listed in the criminal complaint for the June 21 allegation, one a second-degree robbery and a separate instance of attempted second-degree robbery, which are the first two counts against Bennett.  The third count involves an allegation of a Nov. 12 incident in which Bennett demanded a woman hand over her purse, and when she refused, Bennett, who was listed in the LASD arrest records as 6 feet, 3 inches and 250 pounds, punched her, according to an LASD news release.  The victim was able to get in her car and flee, according to officials.   The D.A.’s office did not have a comment immediately available regarding the defense’s motions. The office does not comment on pending cases as a matter of policy, according to an email from Zara Lockshin, spokeswoman for the DA’s office.   Detectives said they used witness statements that included a partial-plate description that helped them find the white pickup truck Bennett allegedly used to leave the scene, according to the LASD. They later reported the truck was linked to both incidents, according to evidence they obtained through work with the FBI Los Angeles field office.  However, that’s why Olen needed the experts, according to his motion.  Bennett works in construction around the Palmdale-Lancaster area and thus is “always driving through the area,” he argued in a court filing.  Olen also argued the prosecution is using footage that lacks the ability to clearly ID his client.  “The police obtained surveillance video from each of the alleged offenses in this case, but the video quality is grainy and fails to reveal usable evidence for exact identification,” according to Olen’s court filing. “Nonetheless, the police and district attorney rely upon the videos to allegedly pin the robberies on Mr. Bennett. The defense believes that a proper video analysis and enhancement will reveal identifying information about the person and vehicle involved that do not match Mr. Bennett — therefore establishing his innocence.”  He was released Dec. 4 in lieu of a bond, according to Sheriff’s Department records available online. He was previously being held in lieu of $250,000 bail. He’s due back in March at the Michael D. Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse in Lancaster.   “There’s much more than meets the eye,” regarding the case against his client, Olen said. “I  think once all the facts are fully investigated, it will be clear that Mr. Bennett was not responsible.”  Anyone who has witnessed either incident or may have information regarding this case can contact the Major Crimes Bureau, Metro Detail at 562-946-7037, or report anonymously, by calling Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477, or online at www.p3tips.com.   The post Judge OKs experts for bank-robbery defense   appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.