WOODLAND, Calif. — A preliminary hearing in Yolo County Superior Court was postponed Friday after a required report had not been filed and a key witness was unavailable, leaving the accused in custody while the case remains pending.
During the hearing, Judge Stephen L. Mock was unable to proceed in the case after the key evidence and witnesses were unavailable, which resulted in the accused remaining in custody because the matter could not move forward.
The accused appeared before Judge Mock on misdemeanor charges of resisting or obstructing a public officer and trespassing on closed lands. The matter was set for a preliminary hearing and also involved a mental competency issue, but the court could not proceed after determining that necessary documentation had not been filed and the prosecution was not prepared to move forward.
“I did not see a doctor’s report,” Deputy District Attorney Aloysius Patchen told the court. Defense counsel Erin M. Dacayanan responded, “Neither did I,” confirming that the required report had not been submitted to the court by either party.
In addition to the missing report, Patchen explained that the prosecution could not go forward with the preliminary hearing because “one of the main investigating officers is unavailable on FMLA,” noting that the officer would not return until May.
With both the medical report and witness testimony unavailable, the court determined that proceeding with the hearing was not possible.
As a result, the case was continued to a later date for further review and scheduling. Despite the delay being caused by missing documentation and unavailable witnesses, the accused was ordered to remain in custody.
“In the meantime, [the accused] is remanded to custody,” Judge Mock stated.
The hearing illustrated how multiple procedural issues, including missing reports, unavailable witnesses and scheduling conflicts, can prevent a case from moving forward while the accused remains detained. The matter was set to return to court to address the outstanding report and reschedule the preliminary hearing.
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