Jason Warren to be sentenced January 14, weapons and items of evidence with blood to be returned to the People

After a ten minute court hearing this morning in which Judge Timothy Cissna made a Court finding that Jason Warren's prior juvenile allegations were true and considered a strike under the three strike law, a sentencing date for Warren for set for January 14 at 8:30 a.m.

Humboldt County District Attorney Maggie Fleming appeared in court for the People. Mr. Glenn Brown present with Warren.

Certain adjudications of juvenile crimes are considered a strike under the three strike law.

Warren dressed in an orange jumpsuit sat quietly next to Mr. Brown, showing no emotion and for the first time in court, you heard him respond "yes" to waiving rights and "no" to his right to testify at this hearing. Judge Cissna said that Warren had previously waived his right to a jury trial for this hearing.

Dorothy Ulrich's mother, Mrs. Shirley Ortega was in court. When she first walked in, Warren turned around and briefly glanced at her and who else might be in the courtroom.

The two special allegations referred to the 2001 crimes that Warren admitted to in juvenile Court; one being the attempted murder with great bodily injury and the other one carjacking with great bodily injury. Both of these are the incidents involving Cid Miller and Fred Her referrred to during the jury trial.

Neither Ms. Fleming or Mr. Warren made an opening statement or presented any witnesses. Court Exhibits 24 and 25 were presented by the People and admitted into evidence. These were certified copies of juvenile petitions identifying Jason Warren with his full name and date of birth and his admissions in juvenile court regarding the 2011 crimes.

Mr. Brown and Ms. Fleming stipulated that these exhibits would only be considered with respect to Counts 3 and 4, which is the attempted murders of Jessica Hunt and Terri Vroman Little that Warren was recently convicted of after a jury trial.

Another case that was trailing the homicide case and involved assault on a victim was dismissed by the People this morning. "We made an attempt to notify the victim in that case, we were unable to locate the victim," said Ms. Fleming. "Given the conviction and range of sentence in the other conviction, the People move to dismiss that case."

Judge Cissna said Based on Code 1417.3, the Humboldt County Superior Court had adopted a policy on return of weapons. In the Warren case, all oversized poster board exhibits belonging to the Prosecution and defense will be returned to them. The People will retain custody of weapons and any exhibits that have blood on them.

Only Times Standard and myself were present in court.