Cain Velasquez, right, appears for his arraignment with attorney Edward Sousa, who appeared with him, at the Santa Clara County Hall of Justice on Monday, Nov. 21, 2022, in San Jose, Calif. Velasquez, the former UFC champion based out of San Jose, was charged with shooting at a man accused of molesting his child. (Image: Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group via AP, Pool)
MMA fighter Cain Velasquez, 41, is tentatively set to start trial next year for allegedly trying to murder the man charged with molesting his young son.
Judge Daniel Nishigaya of the Santa Clara Superior Court in California gave the defense more time to settle on a precise date, but only as long as he would decide at a hearing set for Dec. 6, according to MMA Fighting.
“I am willing to give this another setting date with the understanding that I will be intending to set a trial date in the middle to later part of January on Dec. 6,” he reportedly told them.
The victim in this case is also the defendant in a related one. Harry Goularte worked at his mother’s daycare, Patty’s Childcare. As widely reported, He allegedly molested Velasquez’s young son. A judge released him two days after his arrest for lewd and lascivious acts, according to The Los Angeles Times.
The MMA fighter’s defense has said that Velasquez was shocked to see that Goularte was out. Authorities reportedly said that he rammed the target’s vehicle in a high-speed chase and opened fire with a handgun but instead shot Goularte’s stepfather, Paul Bender.
Discussing the possibility of a heat-of-passion defense, several Law&Crime legal analysts agreed that Velasquez had a fair bit of leverage if the case appeared before jurors. They acknowledged the seriousness of Velasquez’s alleged actions while pointing out how jurors might see the situation.
“What Velasquez did was reckless, dangerous, and probably illegal,” Law&Crime Daily co-host Brian Buckmire said at the time. “But probably something a lot of people would agree with.”
Although co-host Terri Austin voiced disapproval at the “vigilante” action, she said the abuse claim against Goularte would be a mitigating factor if Velasquez is convicted. The abuse allegation is “definitely a provocation,” she said.
“The judge is going to go easy on him,” she said, referring to a hypothetical sentencing hearing.
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