Cain Velasquez still faces attempted murder charges following his 2022 arrest, but there’s still no clear timeline for when — or if — he’ll go to trial.
On Wednesday, the former UFC heavyweight champion appeared in two different Santa Clara County, Calif., courtrooms regarding his case. Velasquez was arrested after allegedly going on a high-speed chase pursuing a car containing Harry Goularte, a man accused of sexually abusing his son at a daycare owned by Goularte’s mother. Velasquez allegedly fired several rounds from a handgun into the vehicle, with Goularte’s stepfather, Paul Bender, being hit by a bullet but sustaining non-life threatening injuries as a result.
Velasquez’s first appearance on Wednesday saw him stand before Judge Shella Deen as she overheard arguments regarding two different subpoenas for information the defense is seeking before going to trial.
The first involved records from the UFC, which Velasquez’s attorney Renee Hessling stated had been requested and representatives from the promotion responded, however no paperwork was ever received. Deen ordered the UFC to provide those records, with a new date set on March 6 to verify that the information has been received.
The second subpoena involved records related to the daycare previously owned by Patty Goularte, which is where Velasquez’s son was allegedly abused by her son. Hessling, along with an attorney representing the Goularte family, argued over the records, which led to the judge quieting them both down before ultimately ordering them both to reappear for another hearing on April 17.
Deen specifically stated that she wanted time to review all of the records, along with a motion to quash the subpoena that was filed on Wednesday by the Goularte family attorney.
As a result of those two subpoenas and the records attached to them still being delayed, Judge Benjamin Williams was forced to once again delay setting a trial date for Velasquez, which went against a strenuous objection from Santa Clara county assistant district attorney Aaron French.
French also revealed that conversations are ongoing with prosecutors, the defense, and Judge Arthur Bocanegra over a potential resolution that would avoid trial.
“I object to further trial setting, I would like to have a trial date today, but the people are open to continue to negotiate the case with the defense, and if we can reach a resolution prior to trial, then I’m open to those discussions,” French said in court.
Williams denied the objection and gave a final trial setting date on April 24 at 1:35 p.m. PT unless a resolution, such as a plea deal for Velasquez, is reached by then.
If convicted of all charges, Velasquez faces the possibility of life in prison.
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