Former UFC champion Cain Velasquez is still awaiting trial dates for charges including attempted murder. However, there may be progress in the near future. After numerous delays, Velasquez appeared in court in Santa Clara County, California, for two hearings on Wednesday. He is scheduled to return to court on March 6 and April 17 for proceedings related to subpoena motions. A final trial setting hearing will take place on April 24, during which trial dates will be officially scheduled.
During the first hearing, Velasquez and his defense attorney, Renee Hessling, presented two subpoena motions. The first subpoena, previously approved by Judge Shella Deen, was submitted to the UFC. Although the UFC has agreed to provide the requested documents voluntarily, they have not yet done so. Hessling stated that the UFC has been cooperative and it is simply a matter of following through. Judge Deen ordered the UFC to submit the documents by March 1, with a follow-up hearing on March 6.
The second subpoena was directed at Community Care Licensing (CCL), the agency responsible for licensing child care centers in California. This subpoena was presumably intended to obtain documents from Patty’s Daycare LLC, where Velasquez’s four-year-old son was allegedly molested. Attorney Stephen Defillipis, representing Harry Goularte, the man accused of the molestation, objected to this subpoena. Goularte’s mother, Patricia, and stepfather, Paul Bender, who were in the vehicle with him during the incident, were also present. Velasquez allegedly pursued and shot at Goularte in a high-speed chase, resulting in injury to Bender. Due to a lack of time for Judge Deen to review the motion to quash the subpoena and uncertainty regarding whether Patricia Goularte or Bender had been properly served, the CCL subpoena matters were continued to April 17.
In a trial setting hearing before Judge Benjamin Williams, Velasquez, Hessling, and district attorney representative Aaron French appeared. Despite French expressing concerns about the safety of Patricia Goularte and Paul Bender and urging for the proceedings to move forward, Judge Williams granted another continuance, suggesting that both parties explore advanced case management as a potential means of reaching a resolution. The final trial setting hearing for Velasquez is now scheduled for April 24.
Velasquez, who is 40 years old, has already pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including attempted murder. The charges stem from an incident in February 2022, where Velasquez allegedly chased and shot at a vehicle containing Harry Goularte, Patricia Goularte, and Paul Bender. Velasquez spent more than eight months in jail before being granted bail with certain conditions in November 2022. Goularte is awaiting his own trial setting on February 28, and his defense has filed a motion to drop the charge, which will be heard on March 11.
According to the Source mmajunkie.usatoday.com