By Julia Urquizo
RIVERSIDE, CA – Canaan Sloat’s defense attorney John Dolan appeared in Riverside County Superior Court Thursday to discuss new dates for a number of outstanding charges brought against Sloat, linked to destroying jail property and possession of a weapon while in custody.
While residing in a Palm Springs drug rehabilitation center, Sloat allegedly forced himself on another patient in June 2015. Once Sloat was in custody, a scuffle between him and deputies inside the jail medical office ensued while the defendant was handcuffed, according to the prosecution.
Sloat spit his blood into the eye of one of the deputies and was charged with battery against a custodial officer. Additionally, the sexual assault charges brought against Sloat were not filed until Feb. 2018.
The charge pertaining to possession of a weapon while in custody involves a razor blade found in Sloat’s belly button. In 2018, defense attorney Dolan noted that the report described the blade as only being .06 of an inch but the blade was still believed to be sharp enough to cause enough harm to someone.
Sloat was placed in a solitary holding cell for a previous court proceeding, where he smashed the window. He picked up a piece of glass from the shattered window and threatened to kill himself with it until he was transferred back to jail by an emergency response team.
Although Sloat is also facing charges for vandalism within the jail, defense attorney Dolan requested on Thursday for Sloat to be housed elsewhere.
Judge Otis Sterling III claimed the jail has their own processes and procedures for where they put inmates and unless an attorney makes a motion, there is no way he can house Sloat some place other than where he is currently at in the jail.
However, Judge Sterling, III, did grant a court order to provide Sloat with a mattress inside his jail cell, given that he is without one. He stated Sloat should not have to sleep on a metal platform throughout the duration of his time in jail.
The court is set to reconvene on March 11 for a felony settlement conference.
