By Isabelle Brady
MODESTO, CA–Stanislaus County Superior Court Judge Carrie Stephens set a preliminary hearing this week in the case of Cristal Logan-Walton, who is charged with a felony, although Logan-Walton—who has been trying to hire a private attorney—doesn’t have her own attorney.
Instead, she was represented at the hearing by Assistant Public Defender Komnith Moth.
Judge Stephens began by saying, “The case has been put over a number of times to allow the defendant to try to hire a private attorney…Ms. Logan-Walton, did you hire a private attorney?”
Logan-Walton answered no, that she had found one but not yet retained one.
Judge Stephens continued, “Well I’m gonna set the preliminary hearing today. I’m not gonna give you another extension. I’ve already told you, Ms. Logan-Walton, that I would give you one more chance and that was for today.
“If you have hired a private attorney, my direction to you is to tell that private attorney to put the matter on calendar so there can be a substitution of attorney. That can still happen between now and the setting of the preliminary hearing, but I want that preliminary hearing set,” the judge added.
Judge Stephens asked if Logan-Walton would waive her time, meaning that her preliminary hearing didn’t need to be set within a certain number of days. Logan-Walton agreed so that she would have more time to get her attorney.
Judge Stephens set the preliminary hearing for April 6.
