WOODLAND, CA – During a review hearing this week for Carlos Dominguez—accused of killing and wounding people in a Davis stabbing spree—Yolo County Superior Court Judge Samuel McAdam facilitated conversation on documents the District Attorney’s Office subpoenaed and on whether or not discussions on a possible resolution occurred.
During this, demonstrative evidence from the prosecution on the case came into question, such as its practicality and relevance to the trial.
Dominguez, whose full criminal trial is upcoming in April, has been charged with counts of murder for David Breaux and Karim Abou Najm and attempted murder for Kimberlee Guillory in the 2023 Davis attacks.
In July 2024, Dominguez was diagnosed with severe schizophrenia during a failed competency trial, as reported earlier by the Vanguard; both mental health experts called into the case to determine Dominguez’ mental state concluded the diagnosis during this time.
According to the most recent Vanguard coverage, Dominguez was declared “legally insane” during the stabbing spree according to several court issued experts and doctors.
Dominguez’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Daniel Hutchinson, also declared in a prior hearing he will be pursuing an insanity defense, which means Dominguez “admits the action but asserts a lack of culpability based on mental illness,” according to the Legal Information Institute.
In other words, DPD Hutchinson will argue Dominguez was not accountable for his actions during Spring 2023 because of a severe mental illness that blocked his rational judgment and decision making.
During Thursday’s hearing, Judge McAdam addressed several subpoenaed records from Wellpath and a court certified doctor which were requested by the District Attorney’s Office.
Judge McAdam handed these documents over to the prosecution and proceeded to broach a Motion in Limine brought before the court regarding the prosecution’s potential use of “demonstrative” evidence in Dominguez’s April’s trial.
As described by Deputy District Attorney Frits Van Der Hoek, the demonstrative evidence in question is a “replica bench” of the one that David Breaux was stabbed on in Central Park in Davis in late April, 2023.
DPD Hutchinson asserted that as long as DDA Van Der Hoek “established relevance” of the replica bench before the jury trial began, he was not going to object to its usage.
However, DPD Hutchinson did note that he did not want the bench just sitting in court “day in and day out for the jury to look at.”
Judge McAdam addressed the practical constraints bringing the bench into the courtroom may present because of its weight and dimensions and told DDA Van Der Hoek, “We will try to make it happen.”
Following this discussion, Judge McAdam noted to the courtroom that “a bench in isolation isn’t really adding a whole lot” to the case.
After briefly addressing a request for order to show cause to Amazon for Dominguez’s case, Judge McAdam asked DPD Hutchinson and DDA Van Der Hoek if there was any potential for a resolution in Dominguez’s case, to which they both responded they had not discussed that.
Wrapping up the brief review hearing, Judge McAdam scheduled an early disposition conference for March 20, where he would further address the Motion in Limine for use of the park bench. Dominguez will continue to remain in jail without bail.
