WOODLAND, Calif. — An accused individual remained in custody for seven weeks because a court-appointed mental competency doctor was unable to gain access to conduct an evaluation while he was incarcerated, despite facing charges that did not qualify him for continued detention.
An accused individual with multiple misdemeanor possession cases remained in the custody of the Yolo County Sheriff since April 2026 after failing to appear at a mental competency hearing.
Since 2015, the accused has received multiple warrants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 for violating probation by failing to appear at numerous hearings stemming from an original traffic violation misdemeanor.
His initial possession charges occurred Dec. 5, 2025, and he was released on supervised own recognizance (SOR) with a GPS tracker, despite objections from Deputy District Attorney Carolyn Palumbo.
On Dec. 23, 2025, the accused’s SOR release was terminated because of a new arrest for misdemeanor possession, as well as a felony charge for grand theft. On Dec. 24, the accused was granted $11,000 bail and was ordered to remain in custody until a bed in a treatment program became available, after which he would be released SOR to the program. On Jan. 15, he was released from the treatment program and received orders to report to probation on Jan. 29.
On Feb. 26, 2026, Deputy Public Defender Jailene Gutierrez declared doubt as to the accused’s mental competency, and Dr. Sanchez-Barker was appointed to evaluate him and submit a report on his competency. The accused was released SOR with orders to report to probation within 48 hours.
At his first mental competency hearing on March 26, 2026, the accused failed to appear.
The accused failed to appear again at a mental competency hearing on April 17, 2026. He was remanded to the custody of the Yolo County Sheriff with bail set at $11,000. He was appointed a new competency doctor, Dr. Torrez, despite Dr. Sanchez-Barker having already met with him.
On May 22, 2026, the accused was present in court. However, Dr. Torrez had filed a request for more time and had not yet been able to complete the evaluation needed to write a competency report. Judge Stephen L. Mock reduced bail to $100 per case.
At the most recent mental competency hearing on June 5, 2026, the accused remained in custody despite the significantly reduced bail amount. Deputy Public Defender Aram Davtyan stated that Dr. Torrez was still unable to submit a competency report despite having been appointed to the case more than six weeks earlier. Davtyan stated that the jail refused to allow Dr. Torrez to see the accused to conduct the evaluation.
Judge Daniel P. McGuire acknowledged the jail’s policy of requiring a court order for the release of records.
Davtyan explained that the issue was not the release of records, but that Dr. Torrez had been unable to see the accused at all. Davtyan requested a court order reappointing Dr. Sanchez-Barker, the initial doctor assigned to the case, because that doctor had already met with the accused and could file the mental competency report.
Judge McGuire expressed hesitation about ordering the Criminal Division of Yolo County Superior Court to change the appointed doctor, stating that similar actions in the past had led to scheduling conflicts and operational problems for the division. Instead, McGuire issued court orders directing Dr. Torrez to complete the report, requiring the jail to allow Dr. Torrez access to the accused, and directing Dr. Sanchez-Barker to share notes regarding the accused with Dr. Torrez.
Davtyan objected, questioning Dr. Torrez’s appointment and again requesting that Dr. Sanchez-Barker be reappointed, arguing that the court orders were unnecessary. Davtyan requested that the accused be released from custody because his charges did not qualify him for detention, he could not afford the reduced bail amount, and he was being held only because of issues beyond his control.
Deputy District Attorney Stephen Joseph Ribet stated that the accused had originally been held in custody because of multiple previous failures to appear and had appeared in court only after being taken into custody.
Judge McGuire cited the California Supreme Court’s decision in In re Kowalczyk, stating that failures to appear may be considered when setting conditions such as bail, but not as a basis for keeping an accused individual in custody. McGuire reiterated that the accused was not eligible for detention based on the charges and, because he had been shown to be unable to afford bail, the court would not impose bail.
Ribet requested that the accused be ordered to wear a GPS tracker, a request McGuire granted because of the accused’s history of failing to appear.
Davtyan again requested that Dr. Sanchez-Barker be appointed. Judge McGuire denied the request, reiterating concerns about court intervention in the division responsible for appointing competency evaluators.
Ultimately, Judge McGuire released the accused on SOR with a GPS tracker and orders to report to probation by June 8. The previous orders requiring jail access for Dr. Torrez remained in effect in the event the accused returned to custody before his next mental competency hearing on June 18.
Follow the Vanguard on Social Media – X, Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe the Vanguard News letters. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit davisvanguard.org/donate or give directly through ActBlue. Your support will ensure that the vital work of the Vanguard continues.
