Silverio Sanchez preliminary waived; attempted murder charge dropped

Arraignment on information for Jury trial on November 3 at 2 p.m. DDA Zach Curtis stipulated with Silverio Sanchez's attorney, Mr. Ben McLaughlin, to drop Count 1 which is the attempted murder charge and the special allegation associated with it and Sanchez agreed to waive the preliminary hearing.

When Sanchez is arraigned on information for the jury trial, the other counts have been modified to add a special allegation of great bodily injury to Counts 2 and 3 and this was part of the stipulation to waive the preliminary hearing. Sanchez will be charged with Count 2 which is battery on law enforcement; Count 3 which is evading law enforcement with injury and two counts of intimidation of witness.

Judge Joyce Hinrichs explained his rights to Sanchez before reading the waiver on record and then she read the modified counts.

"Our aim this morning was to get the attempted murder charge dropped and to litigate the rest of the trial," Mr. McLaughlin told me after the hearing. "By waiving the preliminary hearing, we are not acknowledging that Mr. Sanchez was driving the vehicle."

Only Channel 3 and myself present in courtroom for the hearing this morning.