COURT WATCH: Judge Upholds $25,000 Bail in Domestic Violence Case

WOODLAND, CA – Yolo County Superior Court Judge Daniel M. Wolk Tuesday upheld a $25,000 bail for the accused, citing public safety concerns, and denying Deputy Public Defender Mary Leclair’s request to reduce the bond.

Judge Wolk weighed public safety concerns, past court violations, mental health circumstances, and a plea from the accused’s mother before ultimately denying the release of the accused on supervised own recognizance (SOR) and upholding $25,000 bail.

According to court records, the accused had multiple charges from 2022 and last summer. In July of 2022, he was charged with two felonies for inflicting corporal injury on a cohabitant, and a third charge for contempt of court/disobedience of lawful order.

In June of 2024, he was charged with a misdemeanor for disorderly conduct for public intoxication and vandalism. In July of 2024, he was charged with violating his protective order and resisting a police officer. In August of this year, the accused was charged with three misdemeanors for battery on a person, resisting a public officer, and possessing a controlled substance.

The mother of the accused, who was also the victim of the accused’s vandalism, domestic violence, and violation of court order charges, sought to modify the criminal protective order, according to DPD Leclair.

Judge Wolk suggested the mother address the court, and she said since her son was “removed from my house and taken into custody,” her son, awaiting mental health resources, consistently called her to express his determination in beginning a mental health program.

The accused suffered two blood clots in his leg, leading to multiple ER trips while in custody, said the mother, who told the judge she would allow him to return to her house, “as long as he signs a contract with a mental health program and is released on SOR.”

The mother of the accused added she was only comfortable welcoming her son home again under SOR because she “wants probation behind her to test him and check on him.”

Deputy District Attorney David Robbins called this the accused’s “last shot,” noting, the accused is “going to be very limited in the number of options available to him because of the domestic violence charge.”

Robbins added the mother “is her son’s biggest cheerleader,” so with hesitation, DDA Robbins agreed to find an appropriate program, but wanted to avoid the “routine mispositions” he and DPD Leclair keep facing where the accused violates his court orders.

DPD Leclair said her client is “seeking immediate release,” and that due to his mother’s occupation, a “big chunk of services (the court) has are not available to him,” emphasizing how CommuniCare, which the accused had been using, helped him get a job, stay on his meds, and do “pretty well.”

DPD Leclair emphasized she and DDA Robbins could discuss solutions, but that she believed the accused was already on the right track to be released.

Judge Wolk turned to a probation representative, who emphasized the accused was taken back to custody in December because he did not abide by the SOR, and “would need to assess (the accused) again for appropriateness to be released.”

DDA Robbins added the accused had a pending case where he punched a stranger in the face while the victim was sitting and eating. DDA Robbins concluded that releasing him would be “setting him up not to be successful.”

DPD Leclair asked the judge to reduce the bail from $25,000 to $20,000 in the felony matter because the accused would not be able to afford the $25,000 bail.

Judge Wolk replied that “there is a Humphrey analysis the court would have to do,” in consideration of DPD Leclair’s request.

Judge Wolk then denied the accused’s mother’s desire to release her son on SOR, “considering criminal history…the nature of this case and these cases being in domestic violence,” and “also the fact that he was on SOR and it was revoked.”

Judge Wolk added he “finds clear and convincing evidence that nonfinancial conditions of release won’t protect the public,” maintaining the $25,000 bail.

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  • Albena Goulisheva

    Albena Goulisheva is currently a senior at the University of California, Davis majoring in Political Science and minoring in Human Rights Studies. At UC Davis, she is involved in student government, which grew her passion for understanding law and legal proceedings. By working as a Vanguard Court Watch Intern, Albena hopes to increase transparancy in the court system through journalism and learn more about the legal system as she prepares to apply to law school.

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