Attorneys with the San Benito County Counsel’s office and a
local defense attorney struck a gentleman’s agreement not to talk
about the proposed gag order looming over the Albert Solorio
assault case.
Following a 35-minute long discussion in Superior Court Judge
Steven Sanders’ chambers Thursday afternoon, Deputy County Counsel
Darren Bogie and defense attorney Arthur Cantu struck a bargain
that would bar either man from talking about the motion to prevent
Cantu from talking about the motion.
Attorneys with the San Benito County Counsel’s office and a local defense attorney struck a gentleman’s agreement not to talk about the proposed gag order looming over the Albert Solorio assault case.
Following a 35-minute long discussion in Superior Court Judge Steven Sanders’ chambers Thursday afternoon, Deputy County Counsel Darren Bogie and defense attorney Arthur Cantu struck a bargain that would bar either man from talking about the motion to prevent Cantu from talking about the motion.
“We’ve agreed not to make any statements to the press about this until everything is finalized,” Bogie and Cantu said in a joint statement following the closed-door hearing.
The County Counsel’s office reportedly called for the unexpected hearing because of concerns that Cantu had disobeyed Judge Sanders’ direction not to make any comments in reference to the Solorio case that could not be supported by fact, or do not reflect the evidence presented in court.
It was during the prolonged in-chambers hearing that Sanders reportedly said Cantu did not violate the court’s directive and suggested both sides find a way to work out their differences without having to call a hearing for every development in the case.
The emergency hearing came just one day after a Superior Court judge ordered Solorio to stand trial for allegedly injuring a Hollister Police sergeant in a struggle that sent both men through a plate glass window. Sanders ordered Solorio, 32, to stand trial for battery with great bodily injury, felony resisting arrest, giving false identification to a peace officer and a special allegation at the end of a preliminary hearing late Wednesday.
Solorio is being held in the San Benito County Jail in lieu of $300,000 bail.
The preliminary hearing, which determined there was enough evidence to hold a suspect for trial, indicates Solorio may have committed a serious crime against Sgt. Greg Thul on July 1, 2002.
Thul reportedly could not attend the preliminary hearing because he was undergoing surgery related to those injuries.
Thul did not work a normal shift for nearly a year because of the injuries he sustained in the incident, according to the testimony.
The center of attention during Wednesday’s hearing was Solorio, as he took the stand in his own defense, delivering emotionally packed testimony.
Solorio was still wearing bandages from wounds he sustained while jumping though his living room window. Solorio testified that he never struck or tried to harm Thul, and that he was only trying to escape from the police as he jumped out the window.
During a powerful scene on the witness stand, a visibly emotional Solorio choked back tears as he remembered what happened after he went through the window, apparently dragging Thul with him.
“(Thul) looked at me and could see I was hurt,” Solorio said. “He said ‘Let me help you, son. I promise, I won’t let anything happen to you,'” he testified.
Solorio is scheduled to be arraigned for trial on Oct. 8 at 9 a.m. in Department Two of the Superior Court.
