1 year ago
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FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A justice who erstwhile presided implicit intersexual battle cases present facing 1 himself.
Retired Fresno County Superior Court Judge Adolfo Corona was successful tribunal Thursday for a presumption proceeding aft a expansive assemblage indicted him connected intersexual battle charges. The indictment was unsealed successful September, revealing details of what happened to the nationalist for the precise archetypal time.
Corona has entered a not-guilty plea.
The 65-year-old is facing 1 number of intersexual penetration by unit fearfulness oregon duress, which is simply a felony, and 1 number of intersexual battery, which is simply a misdemeanor.
He retired successful April, conscionable weeks aft the Fresno County District Attorney's Office said the alleged assaults took place. A property merchandise from their bureau said the alleged crimes were committed connected March 14.
One of his lawyers, Michael Aed, spoke with reporters aft the hearing, but not commenting connected the facts of the case.
"He served 20 years arsenic a judicial serviceman successful bully standing. He's a compassionate, charitable and humble man. And helium looks guardant to the accidental to person this substance tried successful the nationalist court. He believes successful the transgression justness system, and helium expects to beryllium vindicated astatine the extremity of this case," Aed said.
When asked if the alleged battle was against a courthouse employee, Aed responded that helium could not reply that question.
"There was a expansive assemblage that was impaneled successful this peculiar case. That transcript has been sealed," helium replied.
But a Fresno County Sheriff's Office spokesperson confirmed the allegations took spot astatine the Fresno County Superior Court, meaning the aforesaid courthouse wherever helium faced a justice connected Thursday was wherever the crimes allegedly happened.
Over his career, Corona has worked connected galore high-profile felony trials, including galore dealing with enactment crimes. A hunt of the Fresno County Superior Court website shows immoderate of the cases he's worked connected adjacent progressive minors.
Retired Tulare County justice Joseph Kalashian is presiding implicit Corona's case. Corona's attorneys said helium doesn't person immoderate restrictions connected his movement. They besides said they won't remark connected the timing of his status and immoderate transportation that mightiness person had to the alleged crime.
"The tribunal of nationalist sentiment is not wherever we privation to be. And that's the problem. We can't obviously- anybody would person interest astir specified salacious allegations being made, but we basal by the not blameworthy plea that's been entered successful this lawsuit and we volition effort this lawsuit successful court," Aed said.
The presumption proceeding is continued to December and a tentative proceedings volition statesman connected Jan. 9, 2025. If convicted, helium could look up to 8 years successful authorities situation and would person to registry arsenic a enactment offender.
