DEL AIRE, CA – During a bench warrant hearing Wednesday at the Airport Courthouse in L.A. County, Deputy Public Defender Maryam Mazhin requested a 16-month low-term sentence for her client, retroactively applied from his re-arrest on September 2, 2024. Mazhin emphasized her client’s extensive rehabilitation efforts while in custody at Orange County Jail, but Judge Kathryn Solórzano denied the request, citing the individual’s prior failure to appear in court and his classification as a flight risk.
The accused was originally arrested in September 2023 and released on probation in March 2024 following a conviction for second-degree burglary. However, he left his court-ordered outpatient treatment program and failed to appear for a scheduled court hearing in May 2024. He was re-arrested in September 2024 for violating the terms of his probation.
DPD Mazhin asked the court to waive the upcoming hearing and accept the proposed sentence, noting that Orange County Jail offers a wide range of rehabilitative programming. She submitted a transcript documenting every class her client had completed during his incarceration. “He has used the past eight months and five days really productively,” Mazhin told the court.
Deputy District Attorney Juliet Schmidt did not provide any comments in response.
Judge Solórzano explained that, given the no-bail warrant and the accused’s previous failure to comply with probation conditions, she saw no compelling reason to expedite sentencing. “I don’t feel the need to expedite his custody time,” the judge said, denying the request to waive the hearing.
The accused remains in custody without bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 21.
