The legal proceedings of former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez have largely stalled over the past year. However, light has been shed as to when his trial for attempted murder and other charges will begin.
Wednesday at Santa Clara County (Calif.) Hall of Justice during a pre-trial hearing, Judge Daniel T. Nishagaya briefly heard from both the prosecution and defense before he determined the next move would be a final trial setting date of Dec. 6 with the intent of a trial to begin in January 2024.
“I am willing to give this another setting date with the understanding I will be intending to set a trial date in the middle-to-later part of January, on Dec. 6,” Nishagaya said.”
The hearing was Velasquez’s fifth trial setting dating back to January. Each was continued at the request of the defense.
Velasquez was not present in person at Wednesday’s hearing. Various Goularte supporters appeared in the attendance log of the hearing on Zoom with hashtags like #Cain2Trial and #NoMentalDiversion4Cain as usernames.
Velasquez, 40, already pleaded not guilty to multiple charges including attempted murder after he allegedly chased and shot at a vehicle containing three people in February 2022. Velasquez spent over eight months in jail before he was granted bail with stipulations in November.
According to prosecutors, Velasquez targeted Harry Goularte, a man accused of molesting Velasquez’s then-four-year-old son at a daycare, but shot Goularte’s stepfather Paul Bender instead, which caused injury.
Goularte was arrested prior to the alleged shooting and faces one felony charge of lewd acts with a minor under the age of 14. Goularte has pleaded not guilty and will be due back in court for his own trial setting date Nov. 15.
The Velasquez family has also filed a civil lawsuit against the Goulartes, Bender, and businesses with addresses listed out of the daycare location, which was run by Goularte’s mother, Patricia.
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.
For continuing coverage of the case, visit MMA Junkie’s hub for the Cain Velasquez trial.
