WOODLAND, CA – Judge Clara M. Levers last Thursday at an arraignment hearing in Yolo County Superior Court denied a defense request to lower bail for an unhoused accused.
The accused, charged with two felonies for battery on a person and resisting or obstructing a public officer, entered a not guilty plea on all counts and is awaiting trial later in April.
On behalf of the accused, District Public Defender Monica Brushia requested supervised own recognizance release (SOR) and a prehearing conference for April 17. Instead, Judge Levers set bail at $1,000.
DPD Brushia called for the accused to be “released on SOR today,” and explained the accused is unhoused and “has no funds for bail.”
DPD Brushia asked the case be moved to a different department, so that the accused’s ability to be released on SOR or a bail reduction would be heard by a different judge, who previously handled the case.
District Defense Attorney Deanna Hays disagreed with DPD Brushia’s request, and insisted the “case remains here.”
Judge Levers denied DPD Brushia’s request for the case to be heard elsewhere, and claimed that “the court does not have the proper information to release him on SOR.”
Judge Levers concluded the accused “poses a risk to himself and others,” after ruling not to release the accused on SOR or lower the accused’s bail.
The accused was not offered housing or a mental examination.
The accused was remanded to the sheriff, and the bail amount is set at $1,000, with a pretrial conference April 17.
