PASADENA, Calif. – A routine preliminary hearing setting at the Pasadena Courthouse on Monday took an unexpected turn when Judge Kerry L. White invoked the accused’s pending assault charge while pressuring him to speak louder during the proceedings.
The accused was charged with one felony count of assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury, allegedly committed on June 4, 2026. An arraignment was held on June 8, 2026, during which the accused pleaded not guilty to the assault charge.
Monday’s preliminary hearing setting began with Deputy Public Defender Rosann Scoloveno apologizing for the accused’s tardiness.
While attempting to set a date for the preliminary hearing, DPD Scoloveno explained that the accused needed to arrange care for his child with autism.
Judge White responded, “You have plenty of time to find that.”
After setting Aug. 10, 2026, as the return date for the next proceeding, Judge White engaged in a colloquy to ensure the accused understood his constitutional rights, requiring the accused to respond verbally several times.
“Come on now, speak up,” Judge White firmly told the soft-spoken accused.
When asked again to provide a verbal response, the accused continued to speak softly.
Judge White exclaimed, “You were charged with assault,” and asserted that because of that charge, the accused should be speaking at a higher volume.
The courtroom went silent.
Judge White used the accused’s pending assault charge in an attempt to compel what he considered an “acceptable” speaking volume from the accused.
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