SLO County BLM protester appeal headed back to the appellate court April 8, 2021 By KAREN VELIE In the latest legal round regarding a group of Black Lives Matter protesters who blocked Highway 101 in San Luis Obispo last summer, the appellate court reversed their earlier decision not to hear an appeal of Judge Matthew Guerrero’s recusal of county prosecutors. In early January, the attorney general filed two appeals regarding Guerrero’s finding the SLO County District Attorney’s Office had a conflict of interest, one in the felony case against Robert Lastra — the protester who allegedly smashed a car window onto a 4-year-old boy — and one in the misdemeanor filings against the remaining six defendants. Generally, the 2nd District Court of Appeal hears felony appeals, while a panel of three SLO County Superior Court judges rule on misdemeanor appeals.