A fifth-grade teacher from Hollister accused of sexually assaulting two Morgan Hill students filed a motion to allow his release from custody upon posting bail.
John A. Loyd, 52, of Hollister, appeared for an Oct. 17 bail hearing at South County Courthouse, but the hearing was continued because the judge had not yet had a chance to review the motion filed by Loyd’s attorney, Lawrence Biegel.
The hearing was rescheduled for Oct. 20.
Loyd remains in custody with no bail on charges that he molested two students at Paradise Valley Elementary School in southwest Morgan Hill. Loyd was a teacher at the school at the time of the alleged offenses.
The Morgan Hill Unified School District placed Loyd on administrative leave Oct. 3, less than a day after his arrest. Loyd was arrested by Morgan Hill police after a female student reported he made inappropriate contact with her more than once in his classroom.
The continuing investigation revealed Loyd allegedly made similar contact with a second victim, also a female student, according to authorities. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted on any of four counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a child filed against him by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
Biegel said during the Oct. 17 hearing that he might call attorney Tom Brazier as a character witness during the Oct. 20 bail hearing. Brazier has lived down the street from Loyd for several years.
“We just want to get bail reasonable so he can post bail,” Biegel said after the Oct. 17 hearing. He added he does not yet know exactly what bail amount he will request.
Loyd appeared at the Friday hearing in a brown Santa Clara County Jail jumpsuit with his hands secured in front of him with handcuffs.
Superior Court Judge Alfonso Fernandez denied Loyd bail at his first court appearance Oct. 7.
Deputy D.A. Tim McInerney said at that hearing that no bail is “standard” for defendants facing life counts involving allegations of child molestation.
Loyd has been a teacher at MHUSD since 2000. He has taught at Paradise Valley Elementary School since 2008.
