SAN JOSE, Calif. – On Wednesday in Santa Clara County Superior Court, Judge Johnny Cepeda Gogo ordered a man into custody despite the accused’s claim that he was grieving the death of his younger brother and needed to support his mother, who struggles with diabetes.
The man faces felony narcotics charges, Judge Gogo said. He had been released on the Supervised Own Recognizance Program (SORP) but failed to check in with pretrial services as required under the terms of his release.
The accused said he recently lost his younger brother and lacked the motivation to complete his check-ins. He acknowledged that this was not an excuse and said he wanted to do better to respect the court.
“It’s tough, but it’s not the first time we’ve had to do this,” Judge Gogo said. The court had issued and revoked bench warrants several times due to repeated SORP violations, he added. “I’ve given you many chances.”
Judge Gogo revoked SORP and ordered the man into custody. As bailiffs approached to handcuff him, he began crying.
“My mom needs me. She has diabetes. She’s all I have,” the man pleaded. He continued to emphasize the need to be out of custody to support his mother.
Judge Gogo said he was sympathetic to the accused’s situation but noted that SORP conditions had been violated too many times. He set bail at $50,000 without prejudice.
Deputy Public Defender Jaime Alvarez did not object to the court’s order. After the man was taken into custody, Alvarez declared a conflict, and the case was reassigned to the Alternate Defender’s Office.
The man is scheduled to reappear in court on July 11.
