By Alexandra Quilici
Friday afternoon brought forth one witness in a preliminary hearing against James Lee Trimble. He is facing one count of infliction of corporal injury against his on-again, off-again girlfriend.
Officer Chantelle Nahmens, a West Sacramento police officer, was the responder to the alleged victim’s call. Nahmens was the only witness brought to the stand. When she arrived at the scene she found the female victim outside the house, distraught.
The victim said her ex-boyfriend (Trimble) had been there and they had engaged in consensual intercourse. However, afterwards, she was lying on her stomach and Trimble came back into the room and started to get rough with her.
The alleged victim yelled, “Stop,” and she estimated that she was punched in the head four to seven times. Her roommate stood by and did not help, and she yelled, “I can’t believe you’re watching!” An altercation ensued, where she stood up and placed a chair to distance herself from Trimble, and then he left through a window.
Officer Nahmens noted the alleged victim had a swollen right eye and that she also had a lump on the back of her head.
In the cross-examination, the officer admitted that she did not know that the alleged victim also had previously been charged with child abuse. The officer also admitted that the woman appeared 
to be “on something,” but she did not know the substance.
When the defense lawyer asked if the alleged victim showed signs of being under the influence of methamphetamine, the officer agreed that she was showing signs of being under that particular drug.
The defense lawyer also asked if the window in the room was big enough for a man to fit through, and if the chair the victim allegedly used was in the room. The officer did not recall, and she also admitted it was very hard to get the story out of the victim in a chronological order.
In final statements before the judge made his decision, the defense asked that the felony charge be dropped to a misdemeanor charge because of the nature of the injury and the questionable character of the victim.
The judge did agree to drop the charge to a misdemeanor, because the photographic evidence of the alleged victim did not prove strong enough for a felony conviction.
While the People were looking to settle, the defendant wants to go to trial and his trial readiness conference with be held September 27 at 8:30 am. His trial is set for October 2.
