WOODLAND, Calif. — Judge Danette C. Brown on Friday overruled an objection from Deputy District Attorney Carolyn Palumbo and ordered the accused released on his own recognizance after considering a victim impact statement during an arraignment hearing in Yolo County Superior Court.
The arraignment involved two cases alleging three felonies, two misdemeanors and enhancements for committing offenses while on post-bail release. The three felony charges in the first case were false imprisonment by force or violence, making criminal threats with the intent to terrorize and inflicting corporal injury on a cohabitant, all alleged to have occurred July 15.
The first case also included a misdemeanor charge of resisting a public officer and two enhancements alleging the crimes were committed while the accused was on post-bail release on July 15. The second case involved two misdemeanor charges of possessing narcotic controlled substances stemming from Nov. 1, 2025.
The accused was arraigned on the complaints before the court and pleaded not guilty after Judge Brown appointed Deputy Public Defender Erin Dacayanan to represent him. The victim in the domestic violence case was also a co-defendant with the accused on the same charges in a separate case.
Before making her statement to the court, Dacayanan expressed confusion about whether the victim’s statement would affect the case in which she was a co-defendant. Palumbo confirmed that the victim’s testimony was separate from her involvement as a co-defendant and emphasized that, regardless of what the victim had to say, the prosecution had affirmed its decision to seek the accused’s continued incarceration.
Dacayanan informed the court, on behalf of the victim, that she wanted the accused released and the criminal protective order removed. The victim told the court she understood the legal process and requested, at a minimum, that the least restrictive order available be imposed, such as a no-harassment order.
Palumbo expressed concerns about releasing the accused, alleging he was already on pretrial release in Sacramento County on a robbery charge after being arraigned June 3, although the facts of that case were not before the Yolo County court.
She emphasized the seriousness of the allegation that the accused committed a new offense while on pretrial release in Sacramento, stating he would not be eligible for supervised own-recognizance release because of the terms and conditions of his pending Sacramento case.
Palumbo told the court she opposed any release, arguing the accused’s existing release conditions had not prevented him from allegedly committing another crime. Dacayanan responded that additional conditions could be added to the accused’s existing own-recognizance release because such modifications were permitted and he remained under Sacramento County’s jurisdiction.
Judge Brown overruled the prosecution’s objection, stating she did not perceive fear from the victim toward the accused. She agreed that a criminal protective order for harassment was the least restrictive means of ensuring the victim’s safety.
The accused was released on his own recognizance on the condition that he comply with the terms of Sacramento County’s pretrial release and sign a criminal protective order for harassment.
The court scheduled a pretrial conference and PX pre-hearing conference for Aug. 14 at 9 a.m. in Department 8 before Judge Daniel Maguire.
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