Former sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Rodrigues, convicted of raping
three women, has been assigned an attorney for his appeal. The
Sixth Appellate District on Dec. 22 assigned Oakland-based attorney
Richard Rubin to the case as Rodrigues’ public defender, according
to appellate district records.
Former sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Rodrigues, convicted of raping three women, has been assigned an attorney for his appeal.
The Sixth Appellate District on Dec. 22 assigned Oakland-based attorney Richard Rubin to the case as Rodrigues’ public defender, according to appellate district records.
Rodrigues is appealing the four guilty convictions that led to his sentence, handed down in November, of 60 years to life in state prison. Rodrigues was found guilty of raping the three women, four times total, between 1999 and 2006. He spent 25 years in the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office before getting fired during the 2007 investigation into the allegations.
Rubin could not be reached immediately for comment about the case and how he plans to proceed.
Rodrigues, meanwhile, remains at North Kern State Prison in Delano, said his public defender in the local proceedings, Art Cantu. North Kern is a reception point, from which Rodrigues will be sent to another, permanent prison. Cantu noted how Rodrigues’ next stop has been narrowed to one or two locations, but that it hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Cantu expects at some point, the new public defender and he will meet to discuss details of the case.
“Because of the enormous size of the investigation and information that was available, it’s going to be a long process,” Cantu said.
This story will appear in the Pinnacle on Friday.
