By Rena Abdusalam
WOODLAND, CA – Yolo County Superior Court Judge Sam McAdam scheduled Justin Gonzalez’s retrial for Oct. 7 at a trial setting conference Monday, and granted Deputy Public Defender Ron Johnson’s request for a new bail hearing for Gonzalez.
Five years ago, Gonzalez was found guilty of second degree murder. He received a 70-year sentence with no parole. Gonzalez has maintained his innocence throughout the course of his case.
After the last year’s passage of Senate Bills 1437 and 775, which changed the state’s murder law and authorized sentence reductions for qualified convicted individuals, Gonzalez’s 2017 second degree murder conviction was overturned.
However, the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office chose to retry Gonzalez’s case, arguing that Gonzalez was not entitled to reversal.
In March of this year, visiting Judge Stephen Mock denied DPD Johnson’s prior request for reduced bail, stating Gonzalez is “a danger to be let out.”
When DPD Johnson requested another bail hearing during this recent trial setting conference, Judge McAdam authorized it, saying he was “open to Gonzalez’s status and hearing all arguments.”
The bail hearing is set for the 17th of July.
Gonzalez’s retrial date was affected due to his denial of the right to a speedy trial. The date of Oct. 7 passes the 60-day guarantee trial for a felony conviction.
Judge McAdam also scheduled an early disposition conference for Gonzalez’s retrial on Aug. 30 as a quick check-in. Gonzalez’s trial readiness conference is set for Sept. 27 and his retrial is predicted to last about three weeks.
