CLINIC DIRECTOR TO FACE NEW CHARGE.

Byline: Lisa Van Proyen Daily News Staff Writer

An additional charge will be filed next week against Edwin Seth Brown, the Val Verde clinic director accused of helping friends falsify court papers, a prosecutor said Thursday.

Two charges against Brown were dropped Thursday, but only so Brown's case could be combined with another defendant's and to add a third charge - conspiracy to offer false evidence, Deputy District Attorney Terry White said.

Some half-dozen supporters by Brown's side Thursday in court called the entire case a personal attack on Brown. But prosecutors maintain that they have evidence that Brown and a friend falsified papers dealing with court-ordered community service work.

Brown, 44, the director of Samuel Dixon Family Health Care Center, was charged with two felony counts of preparing false evidence that shows two of his friends completed community service work at his clinic.

The friends are John Campbell, who was working off a trespassing charge, and Jay Kapac, convicted of a felony marijuana charge.

Kapac told authorities the court form he completed was not truthful, and that he prearranged with Brown to sign him off for days Brown was not in town. He also said he rarely worked at the clinic, instead doing yard work at Brown's home.

Brown has pleaded not guilty to all counts, and has denied ever having the two men do work at his home.

Jim Leahy, executive director of the office that oversees the community service work program, said supervisors are required to monitor from start to finish those enrolled at job sites.

``The supervisor is supposed to be on site and overseeing the work,'' Leahy said. ``It doesn't mean that he's physically watching every second.''

Campbell is also charged with two counts of preparing false documents.

White, recently assigned to Santa Clarita, combined the cases because the two men face the same charges and the same witnesses will testify.

``It makes no sense to bring these people back twice,'' White said.

Outside court Thursday, Brown defended himself.

``It is completely untrue and unfounded. I had no conspiracy with anybody to do anything.

``This is incredible. This is totally incredible. There's a frame-up somewhere. He absolutely has not committed a felony,'' said longtime friend Ruth Newhall, a well-known Santa Clarita figure who married into the pioneer Newhall family. ``This whole thing is a mystery.''

Brown was arrested Dec. 2 at the Santa Clarita sheriff's station and released after posting bail.

Brown and Campbell each face up to three years in state prison. The additional conspiracy charge does not carry more jail time.