WOODLAND, Calif. — An unhoused woman facing multiple pending criminal cases in Yolo County was ordered to remain in custody this week after a judge declined to release her on supervised own recognizance and instead imposed bail totaling more than $10,000 across her cases.
The accused appeared in custody after being booked into the Yolo County Jail the previous day. Court proceedings were initially delayed after transportation issues prevented her from appearing for her scheduled 9 a.m. hearings, though she was eventually transported to court later that afternoon to have her cases addressed during the 1:30 p.m. court session.
The accused has reportedly been in and out of custody for an extended period and currently faces nine open criminal cases, including seven misdemeanors and two felonies. The charges discussed during the hearing included possession of hard drugs with two prior convictions, possession of paraphernalia, petty theft, battery on an officer, exhibiting a deadly weapon and trespassing.
Much of the hearing centered on whether the accused should again be released on supervised own recognizance, commonly referred to as SOR, or whether she should remain detained until future proceedings, where the court could reevaluate her status.
Deputy Public Defender Jailene Gutierrez filed a motion advocating for the accused to be released on SOR, arguing it was difficult for the accused to remain in custody because of her mental status.
Judge Stephen Mock ultimately determined that the accused was not compliant with previous SOR conditions following her most recent arrest and concluded that release was no longer appropriate. Judge Mock stated that he no longer believed there were viable nonfinancial release options that would ensure compliance, meaning the accused remaining in custody was the only option at this time.
Following this decision, Judge Mock imposed bail across the accused’s pending matters, with the combined total for all cases exceeding $10,000.
DPD Gutierrez strongly objected to the bail amounts, arguing that the accused had virtually no realistic ability to pay. According to Gutierrez, the accused is transient, unhoused and survives primarily on food stamps.
DPD Gutierrez argued that, because of those circumstances, the bail amounts effectively guaranteed the accused would remain incarcerated regardless of the presumption of innocence.
Despite the defense’s arguments, Judge Mock declined to reconsider the bail amounts at the hearing. Instead, the court stated that questions surrounding bail and potential financial support could be addressed further during arraignment proceedings scheduled for June 5.
The accused therefore remained in custody at the conclusion of the hearing.
In addition to concerns surrounding bail, questions regarding the accused’s mental competency were also raised during proceedings.
DPD Gutierrez asked the court whether a doctor could be ordered to evaluate the accused’s competency to stand trial. Competency hearings generally examine whether an accused person is capable of understanding court proceedings and assisting in their own defense.
The court subsequently scheduled a competency-related hearing for June 18.
Although the hearing involved numerous criminal allegations, the proceedings repeatedly returned to broader concerns involving poverty, homelessness, mental health and repeated incarceration cycles.
This case underscored how difficult it can be for unhoused accused persons to comply with release conditions while lacking stable housing, transportation, health care access or mental health treatment. The court appeared to place significant emphasis on the accused’s repeated arrests and prior noncompliance with supervised release conditions when determining that custody should continue.
The accused remains in custody and is currently awaiting an arraignment hearing on June 5 and further competency proceedings later in June.
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