By Kelly Moran
SACRAMENTO –– It was a short morning in Dept. 4 of Sacramento County Superior Court for Judge Steve White as he oversaw just two cases, both of which involved a lover’s quarrel turned bad. And motor vehicles.
First on the docket was the pre-hearing and bail review for defendant Johnny Marcel Harris, charged with two felony counts—one for willfully inflicting corporal injury that results in a traumatic condition for the victim who is the cohabitant or spouse of the defendant, and the other for committing assault that is likely to produce great bodily injury.
Harris has 15 other cases to his name, with the first one dating back to 2008. His most recent past charges included two felony accounts for driving under the influence, and resisting a peace officer for which he was sentenced to two years in state prison.
Deputy District Attorney Stephanie Maroun, who acted as the prosecution for both cases, brought in Officer Austin Brown as a testifying witness.
Brown responded to the scene after a 911 call had been placed by the victim, the defendant’s apparent girlfriend.
“[The victim] said her lover, if you will, punched her in the face and then fled the scene,” said Brown, “Harris was driving erratically, she asked Harris to stop the car, and when Harris stopped the car, she started running… Harris caught up to her and punched her one time in the face.”
Brown described the victim’s face to the court, saying “she had a swollen eye with blood streaming down her face.”
Harris’s attorney, Larry Pilgrim, raised the discrepancy that the victim was not actually his client’s girlfriend, and that the defendant and the victim “had sex on occasion,” and didn’t live together, though they had been together for three years.
Judge White found the testimony to be sufficient reason to keep the charges as they are, and Harris will return to court to stand trial on March 29 at 8:45 a.m.
As for the second defendant, Kou Xiong, his alleged actions had him charged with the felony of committing assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm, and a misdemeanor of willfully inflicting corporal injury resulting in the traumatic condition of the victim who is the cohabitant of the defendant.
Kou Xiong is alleged to have kicked his girlfriend of three years in the shin and ankle after the two had an argument about their relationship.
According to the victim, Xiong proceeded to follow her in his car as she walked away from him, and he allegedly drove his car toward her in a possible attempt to hit her, although the car never touched her.
This time, Maroun brought in Officer Mike Hunyh from the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office to testify.
Officer Hunyh said that “the vehicle was driving towards her at a high rate of speed, she said she was scared, she kind of froze because she didn’t know what to do,” Hunyh continued, “she tried to go left, the vehicle started going left, she tried to duck right and the vehicle went right.”
Judge White ruled that there was enough evidence that the alleged crimes had been committed and that there was ample cause to believe Xiong is guilty.
Xiong entered a not guilty plea and will face trial, although his defense attorney Carlos Ramos asked to push date-setting for that trial until Feb. 10. Judge White granted Ramos’ request.
Kelly Moran is currently a senior at Santa Clara University, though originally from Connecticut. She is majoring in English, with a focus on British Literature and Professional Writing, and is also minoring in Journalism.
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