The sentence hearing of former San Benito County Sheriff’s
Office Sgt. Michael Rodrigues, convicted last month for raping
three women, has been moved from Oct. 30 to Nov. 20. Jurors on
Sept. 25 convicted Rodrigues, 48, on four counts of rape involving
three women between 1999 and 2006.
The sentence hearing of former San Benito County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Michael Rodrigues, convicted last month for raping three women, has been moved from Oct. 30 to Nov. 20.
Jurors on Sept. 25 convicted Rodrigues, 48, on four counts of rape involving three women between 1999 and 2006. With the four rape convictions, Rodrigues faces 60 years to life in prison. Jurors also came down with guilty verdicts on three special allegations that could enhance the penalty.
Defense attorney Art Cantu noted how he brought a scheduling conflict to Judge Alan Hedegard’s attention Sept. 25 after the verdicts’ reading. He said the change had not been made formal at that time, so the parties involved had to do so at a hearing Tuesday at the San Benito County Courthouse.
Cantu, meanwhile, continues to pursue a motion he filed during the trial alleging the judge was bias in favor of the prosecution. A judicial council has appointed Sacramento Judge Russell Hom to oversee the matter, but nothing has been scheduled to this point.
Since the verdicts came down, Rodrigues has been incarcerated at the Tuolumne County Jail out of concerns for his safety as a former peace officer.
