Former UFC champion Cain Velasquez gets trial date in attempted murder case
Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has a trial date as he faces a handful of charges, including attempted murder.
The trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 9 in Santa Clara County (Calif.) court, Judge Elizabeth C. Petersen ruled during a trial setting Wednesday. Velasquez was present at the hearing and was represented by attorney Renee Hessling.
Hessling asked for the trial setting to be rescheduled on the basis her recently acquired subpoena evidence was incomplete. District attorney representative Aaron French pushed back, pointing to the several trial-setting continuances over the past year and the alleged victim’s eagerness to progress the legal proceedings.
Judge Petersen ultimately decided a trial date should be put on the books.
A trial readiness hearing is scheduled for June 26. Motions must be filed by Aug. 12 and completed by Aug. 26. Witness lists must be submitted by Sept. 4.
Velasquez’s arrest came after he allegedly pursued and shot at a man, Harry Goularte, accused of molesting Velasquez’s four-year-old son at a daycare. Velasquez allegedly chased a car carrying Goularte and family members during a high-speed chase with a bullet striking Goularte’s stepfather causing injury.
Goularte faces one count of lewd acts with a child and currently awaits a trial setting hearing of his own in July.
Velasquez spent nearly nine months incarcerated before he was granted $1 million bail with stipulations, including GPS surveillance and TBI treatment. He has been permitted to travel for professional wrestling events, to corner AKA teammates in Bellator and UFC fights, and make appearances.
Velasquez, 41, faces charges of attempted murder (one count), shooting at a motor vehicle or aircraft (one count), assault with a firearm (three counts), assault with a deadly weapon (three counts), willfully discharging a firearm from a vehicle (one count) and carrying a loaded firearm with intent to commit a felony (one count). Velasquez has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
If found guilty of attempted murder, Velasquez faces a minimum of 20 years and up to life in prison, according to the California penal code. He faces additional time if found guilty of other counts.