NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — A preliminary hearing involving two accused individuals in a felony case was delayed until December after one of the accused agreed to waive her timing rights to accommodate her co-accused’s upcoming childbirth and maternity leave.
At an arraignment hearing Aug. 11, 2026, at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach, the court scheduled a preliminary hearing involving two accused individuals in a felony case, with charges of second-degree robbery, assault and child endangerment.
The prosecuting attorney proposed a further preliminary hearing date of Dec. 2 to continue the proceedings, as the case is proceeding toward trial following not-guilty pleas from both parties.
However, this became complicated when the attorney raised the reason for the later preliminary hearing — one of the accused’s upcoming due date for her new baby.
To “allow her to have time for childbirth and maternity leave,” the attorney requested that the judge have the other accused waive her right to a speedy preliminary hearing to make it easier to conduct hearings with both accused present.
Judge Johnson explained to both accused individuals that all people accused in felony cases have rights concerning how quickly their preliminary hearings must occur. By setting the hearing for December, a waiver of those timing rights must be signed.
The preliminary hearing must ordinarily be set within a “reasonable period of time,” which can prevent a disruption of justice and ensure that the case is heard in a timely manner to help keep all facts and procedures as relevant as possible.
In an uncertain tone, the other accused agreed, allowing the court to set the Dec. 2 date. This request placed her in a position to decide whether to waive her own right to an earlier preliminary hearing to accommodate the other accused.
The felony case remains at the preliminary hearing stage, with a further hearing scheduled for Dec. 2 and additional hearings to be held within a reasonable time if the case is not settled that day.
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