WOODLAND, Calif. – During an arraignment Thursday in Yolo County Superior Court, an unhoused and deaf woman charged with multiple felonies was unable to access closed captioning, prompting concerns about her ability to understand the proceedings.
The woman is facing two felony counts for unlawful use of tear gas and has a pending felony vandalism charge in another case. She was seated with Deputy Public Defender Aram Davtyan during the hearing.
She told the court she cannot read lips or use American Sign Language and requested closed captioning to follow the trial. She also specifically asked for a provider other than HART Reporting. a closed captioning service for the deaf or hard of hearing, claiming the service “did not do a very good job” when used previously.
Davtyan and a paralegal typed throughout the hearing to convey the proceedings, but the accused said she wanted to understand the full context rather than receive limited notes. “I want to make sure I know what is going on,” she said.
Deputy District Attorney Alvina Tzang argued she is a public safety risk and should not be released on supervised own recognizance. Davtyan disagreed, saying he “did not hear a violent background” and noting that “we are not here to determine if [the accused] is guilty of vandalism or pepper spraying someone.”
Tzang cited the pending vandalism case as part of the safety risk argument. Davtyan countered that his client, who is unhoused, cannot afford bail and should be released on supervised own recognizance.
Judge Levers agreed to supervised release and ordered her to report the day after leaving Yolo County custody. The judge set conditions, including staying away from all Yolo County vehicles.
Probation Officer Gauthier told the court, “Your honor, just be advised, she is unhoused.” Levers responded, “I considered that” and reaffirmed the decision.
Davtyan reiterated concerns about transportation, saying his client needed the bus to attend court. Levers modified the order to allow her to use Yolo buses with a no-harassment condition.
The judge also ordered that closed captioning from HART be provided at her next hearing. Davtyan noted his client’s “strong objection to that service,” and the court said it would seek an alternative provider.
She was granted supervised release and is scheduled for a pre-hearing conference on Sept. 4.
