WOODLAND, Calif. — A Yolo County Superior Court judge Thursday denied an accused person’s request for release from pretrial detention after prosecutors argued the accused posed an ongoing risk to public safety. During the hearing, the accused’s wife also attempted to address the court but was told she could not speak during the arraignment.
The accused appeared in custody before Judge Danette C. Brown for a felony arraignment. The accused faces multiple charges, including inflicting injury on a cohabitant or spouse, burglary and committing a crime while released on bail.
After Deputy Public Defender Jose Gonzales was appointed to represent the accused, the court turned to the issue of custody. Gonzales said the accused was willing to comply with a no-contact criminal protective order, or CPO, and would live at a different residence than the alleged victim.
“These are the least restrictive means,” Gonzales said.
Deputy District Attorney Carolyn Palumbo opposed the accused’s release. She cited the fact that all of the alleged crimes involved the same complaining witness, describing the situation as “abusive.”
“A piece of paper is not going to stop [the accused] from committing violence,” Palumbo said, referring to the no-contact CPO.
After the comment, a woman stood up from the gallery and told Judge Brown she wanted to speak about the accused’s case. The woman identified herself as the accused’s wife of 12 years.
She briefly discussed her relationship with the accused but was quickly interrupted by Palumbo. Palumbo said that because the woman was not the complaining witness, she had no right to make a statement during the arraignment. The alleged victim in the case is a different woman.
Judge Brown advised the woman that the proceeding was an arraignment and that she was not in a position to address the court.
Many jurisdictions have created specialized domestic violence courts to navigate these complicated situations, according to a study by the National Institute of Justice. Specialized courts, compared with the broader goals of arraignment courts, focus more on rehabilitation and deterring repeat offenses.
The woman, unaware of the court’s procedural rules, felt her right to intervene in her spouse’s case had been violated.
Afterward, Gonzales sought to return the discussion to the issue of the accused’s release.
“We’re not litigating the charges,” Gonzales said. “It’s only if she is subject to pretrial detention.”
Judge Brown then began to issue her ruling. She said that based on the accused’s “quite lengthy” criminal history, repeated violations of criminal protective orders and the accused’s accumulation of new charges while on release, the accused would not be granted pretrial release.
The accused’s bail was set according to the county schedule at a total of $30,000. The accused remains in custody while awaiting a bail review hearing scheduled for July 20.
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