Forget the fact that Greg Haidl, already on bail, faces brand new charges Aug. 12 for just having had sex with an underage girl– let’s payoff the jurors who got him off the hook in his other rape case.

SANTA ANA – Former jurors in an Orange County gang rape case have agreed to assist lawyers preparing to defend an assistant sheriff’s son awaiting retrial.

Attorneys for Gregory Haidl, 19, said one juror will be paid an undisclosed hourly rate while four others will contract as unpaid consultants because they support the defense. As many as four additional jurors could be hired.

“Consulting with the actual jurors who have already heard the case is the best focus group in the world,” said Joseph G. Cavallo, Haidl’s lead attorney in the first trial.

Jurors would rate the witnesses, help lawyers with jury selection and review the strengths and weaknesses of the case. Some might attend the new trial to give daily advice.

The jurors wouldn’t be allowed to talk to prosecutors without permission, Cavallo said.

Haidl, the son of Orange County Assistant Sheriff Don Haidl, is one of three teenagers accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl in a 2002 videotaped encounter. A mistrial was declared June 28 after jurors said they were deadlocked on charges that could have brought up to 55 years in prison for all three teens.

The case has garnered attention partly because of the position of Haidl’s father, a wealthy and politically connected businessman, and because of the teen’s repeated brushes with the law.

Last week, he was arrested on charges he allegedly had sex with an underage girl, authorities said.

In May, he and two friends were approached by deputies after allegedly vandalizing a private stairway while skateboarding. They were not arrested but were ordered to leave.

Haidl was also cited in March for trespassing, and in October 2003, he was briefly detained after a small amount of marijuana was found in a car in which he was a passenger.

Back story July 16, 2004: LOS ANGLEES — Bail should be revoked for an assistant sheriff’s son facing retrial on gang-rape charges and now accused of having misdemeanor sex with a minor, Orange County’s district attorney said Friday.

“It seems clear that (Gregory Haidl) doesn’t have any regard for the law,” Anthony Rackauckas told reporters.

He said the 19-year-old from San Clemente, Calif., met the 16-year-old with whom he allegedly had sex at a “big celebration party” at the home of the defendant’s father, Assistant Sheriff Don Haidl, the night a mistrial was declared in the young man’s gang-rape trial.

Haidl and two others face retrial on allegations that they gang-raped — and videotaped the attack of — a drugged girl dubbed “Jane Doe” on July 6, 2002, at the multimillionaire assistant sheriff’s Costa Mesa home while he was away.

Haidl posted $100,000 bail to remain free pending the retrial. He posted the same amount Thursday night to avoid being jailed on the misdemeanor statutory rape allegations.

Rackauckas said Haidl would have had to be at least three years older than the girl to face a possible felony statutory rape charge. He said the age difference is two years and 10 months.

“I think that his father certainly is extremely apprehensive about him having to do any kind of jail time,” Rackauckas said.

“And, in our view, if this is thought to be something that might require him to do jail time, with the kind of finances that they have, he could be a flight risk,” Rackauckas said.

Rackauckas said he was “shocked” to hear about the latest allegations against Haidl, who faces an Aug. 6 court date on the retrial.

“It’s astonishing he’s not acting on his best behavior, to be honest with you,” Rackauckas said.

“He’s out there introducing himself to 16-year-old girls, and for some reason she went to this party,” Rackauckas said. “It seems to be very clear to me that … Greg Haidl has no regard for this law about statutory rape.”

“I think he’s a threat to do the same thing to other young ladies,” Rackauckas said. “If you think about it for a minute, this is very destructive to the girl and the family. I mean, everything’s going to change for her because of this. We just don’t want to see this happen again.”

Haidl’s attorney, Pete Scalisi, could not be reached for comment.

But in published reports, he criticized the District Attorney’s Office for failing to do what the attorney called a full investigation before bringing the new charge. He denied that his client is a public threat.

Rackauckas said the police report involving the new charge was only eight or 10 pages that “didn’t take a long time to review.”

The new allegations arose after sheriff’s deputies responding to a noise and barking dog complaint went to the San Clemente home just after midnight Wednesday. The deputies took a report that Haidl and one of three underage girls in the home had sex, said Jim Amormino, of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

Haidl and an underage boy were found hiding in the back yard near some bushes.

Rackauckas said alcohol and drugs had been consumed, and that “Mr. Haidl and the new Jane Doe engaged in sexual intercourse.”

The girl apparently did not want to prosecute.

The younger Haidl and his mother were spotted in a car Thursday in Dana Point, Calif., at Pacific Coast Highway and Street of the Golden Lantern, and he was arrested.

Haidl is due in court on Aug. 12 for arraignment on the new charge, Rackauckas said.