Cain Velasquez appeared in Santa Clara County court Wednesday, as his attempted murder case continues on.
In a hearing before Judge Daniel T. Nishigaya, Velasquez officially identified counsel before a trial-setting date was locked for March 8.
Velasquez will be represented by Renee Hessling, a California attorney who was a part of the legal team in the pre-trial proceedings led by celebrity attorney Mark Geragos.
Hessling, who appeared with Velasquez, also responded to a complaint from the court about an alleged violation of her client’s terms of release. Velasquez, who is out on $1 million bail with additional conditions, requires GPS surveillance and cannot leave his home without the court’s permission.
According to a report from the office of pre-trial services, there was an issue with Velasquez’s terms of release during a trip to Fort Bragg in North Carolina. However, Hessling tacked up the issue as a user error with a tracking application.
“Once he was contacted, he complied and there have been no other issues,” Hessling said. “I frankly don’t see this as an issue. I don’t see it as willful. I see it as an honest mistake. I don’t see any other complaints or issues by (pre-trial services) to change the status of Mr. Velasquez’s custody.”
Judge Nishigaya reiterated the importance of Velasquez following all terms and conditions properly, but did not penalize the error.
Velasquez, 40, faces a handful of charges including attempted murder after he allegedly pursued and shot a gun at Harry Goularte, a man accused of molestation of Velasquez’s four-year-old son. After a high-speed chase, Velasquez allegedly struck Goularte’s stepfather, Paul Bender, with a bullet and caused injury.
Goularte faces one felony count of lewd acts with a child and is due back in court Jan. 17 for a pre-trial hearing.
Both Velasquez and Goularte have pleaded not guilty.
A separate civil lawsuit has been filed by the Velasquez family against Goularte and his mother Patricia, Bender, and the family’s businesses.
