By Gracy Joslin
WOODLAND, CA – Deputy Public Defender Jonathan Opet Wednesday morning in Yolo County Superior Court expressed disapproval of the prosecution’s request to obtain his client’s medical records from when he was a minor.
The accused is being charged with one felony count for animal abuse with an enhancement for a prior felony conviction.
Judge Roy Hashimoto, a visiting judge, asked the parties about the “typical protocol” for this hearing and case.
PD Opet responded, “I am asking the court not to follow the normal protocol… for one, is there proof of service that my office was served with notice of today’s date and for the motions of the SDT documents?”
An “SDT” stands for a subpoena duces tecum, an order for a person to bring documents in their possession to court. The prosecution issued an SDT for medical records, including those from when he was a minor.
PD Opet claimed his office was not notified about the hearing and objected to the prosecution’s request to receive such medical documents.
He argued, “I have objections because the prosecution is trying to collect juvenile medical records of my client for an issue that a judge has already heard in Department 7 with a ruling. I don’t know how the prosecution can articulate any facts in these documents that are relevant to any pending issue before the court.”
Judge Hashimoto responded, “I’d be inclined to put it in front of the judge that made the previous ruling,” and set the next hearing on April 5 for this case to address the defense concerns.
