WOODLAND, CA – A man charged here in Yolo County Superior Court Monday with two misdemeanors complained about a lack of communication with his attorney, and the absence of probation order paperwork that he said could cause problems for him—missing a flight home to New York in just 90 minutes.
According to court records, on Sept. 23, 2023, the accused was charged with driving under the influence and drunk driving. He appeared in court Monday to sign a probation order.
The accused’s private defense attorney, Jeffrey Newman, instructed him to go to the clerk’s office to obtain the probation order form, but the accused told Judge Daniel M. Wolk “it was not in the system.”
The accused urged expediency, given he lives in New York, and had to be at the airport in 90 minutes.
Deputy District Attorney Stefanie DeCillis corroborated that she had not spoken with private counsel Newman, who was representing the accused. Nonetheless, she suggested that the accused sign the probation order while in court.
Given the absence of the form, Judge Wolk told the accused to come back in two weeks, to which the accused replied, “I can’t afford to come here again…this is costing me a lot,” and “I have lawyers who don’t communicate with me.”
Judge Wolk replied that if the accused could communicate with private counsel Newman, he would not have to come back in two weeks.
Deputy Public Defender Joseph Gocke stepped in as a friend of the court, and asked the judge whether there was a way to “generate a form for him to sign.” Judge Wolk expressed his hesitancy in “taking his word that he talked with his attorney.”
DPD Gocke reviewed text messages between the accused and private counsel Newman, and confirmed the accused would be able to sign the form Monday, if the court could generate the probation order.
The accused added all previous paperwork had been signed through virtual means with his attorney, and did not require the accused’s presence.
Judge Wolk requested the generation of a new probation order, and the accused signed it—and was presumably then able to make his flight to New York.
