WOODLAND, Calif. — A Yolo County judge on Jan. 28 granted a prosecutor’s motion to impose a no-bail condition on a man accused of felony gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, despite the accused not being present in the courtroom at the time the decision was made.
The accused is facing a felony count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. Prosecutors allege he killed a woman in a vehicle collision on Sunday, Jan. 25, on West Capitol Avenue in West Sacramento.
The accused appeared in custody for arraignment before Judge Dannette C. Brown. He was assigned Deputy Public Defender Danielle Craig to represent him. Shortly after her appointment, Craig requested that the matter be passed so her client could receive a Hindi-language interpreter.
Earlier in the day, a Hindi-language interpreter had appeared remotely for a different case. Because the accused did not alert the court in advance that he would need a Hindi interpreter, the interpreter disconnected, believing his duties were complete. While the case was on pass, court clerks were able to re-summon the interpreter.
After some time, the matter was recalled once the Hindi-language interpreter was available. At that point, however, the bailiff and Craig informed Judge Brown that the accused had been removed from the courtroom and returned to the jail. Despite that notification, the proceedings continued.
Deputy District Attorney Aloysius Patchen addressed the accused’s custody status and moved to have bail set at no bail, eliminating any financial means of release, citing the seriousness of the alleged conduct.
Patchen argued that during Sunday’s incident the accused registered a blood alcohol content of 0.30, more than three times the legal limit, and that the woman he allegedly struck was killed in the collision. Based on those circumstances, he requested that the court order no release under any conditions.
Craig objected, arguing that the issue of custody could not be properly addressed without the accused present. “[The accused] has a right to hear this,” Craig said. “It’s not [the accused’s] fault that he was sent back to jail.”
Judge Brown set no bail in accordance with the prosecution’s request, stating that any form of pretrial release would pose a public safety risk.
After her objections were overruled, Craig requested that the court schedule a bail review hearing for the following day, Thursday, Jan. 29.
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