By Samantha WilliamsAugust 11, 2026
Calif. — A San Joaquin County Superior Court judge Monday ordered an accused man to appear in person for his preliminary hearing despite his public defender’s request that he appear “on bridge” because of health conditions that make transportation difficult and painful
The accused appeared before the court in custody alongside his two co-defendants, facing a felony murder charge. The accused appeared in court for the prosecution and defense to set dates for upcoming court proceedings, including a bail review date, which will be in September
The accused was admitted to San Quentin Rehabilitation Center on May 29, 2002. He is currently in custody at San Joaquin County Jail on a detainer
Deputy Public Defender James Mootz, who appeared on behalf of the accused, requested that the accused not be ordered to appear in person at the upcoming hearings. He stated that the accused suffers from diabetes and other health conditions that make travel from San Quentin to court painful
Due to his health, Mootz asked that the accused appear “on bridge,” meaning he would appear virtually rather than be physically present in the courtroom
Deputy District Attorney Cameron Sheron disagreed with Mootz, asking that the accused be required to appear in person
Judge Allan Jose agreed with Sheron, stating that the accused has an interest in being present during his hearings. He further argued that if the accused did not appear in court, there would be no way for him to securely and privately speak with his attorney if questions arose
Mootz further asked whether they could figure out a way for the accused to appear on Zoom
Ultimately, Jose ruled that the accused could appear “on bridge” for the pre-preliminary hearing but must be present in court for the preliminary hearing
While remote court appearances improve accessibility for some, Brookings, a public policy think tank, found that remote hearings can have negative impacts, including attorneys being unable to speak with their clients and online testimony being viewed as less believable
The accused’s next court date is scheduled for Sept. 28 for a pre-preliminary hearing conference
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Court WatchPreliminary HearingRemote Court AppearancesSan Joaquin County JailSan Joaquin County Superior Courtsan quentin rehabilitation center
