No other media was in court on 4/29 or 4/30 for two hearings on sexually violent predator Richard Stobaugh. There is another court hearing on May 6 which I will cover and hopefully, the May 7 public hearing hearing on Stobaugh proposed placement in Manila will not be rescheduled.
There are a lot of details and exclusive information about a possible continuance, public not be able to speak on May 7 and Judge Cockrum open to changing his decision about Stobaugh in my post from my in person coverage two hearings this week.
https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2025/04/i-am-not-buying-pds-delay-tactics-on.html?m=1
That public hearing on May 7 could be continued. DA Stacey Eads and Ms. Whitney Timm vigorously advocated for the public and community members to speak.
So, if you want to have a say, let the DA know, let your Supervisors know because Judge Cockrum's snippy attitude on 4/30 does not bode well for public comment. It had not been determined as of 4/30 if he was going to be the assigned judge for the May 7 hearing.
CA Department of State Hospitals tried to get a motion to continue on 4/30 and the Public Defender is pushing and hinting for it as well.
No motion to continue was filed by the CA Department of State Hospital as of 5/2. Nor had any assignment been made as of 5/2. On 5/5, when I checked the case, an order was filed on May 2 in e court assigning Judge Cockrum for all purposes to this case. It had to be late Friday because this was even a surprise to the DA's office. The same thing will happen with any motion to continue. Documents filed are not always entered in a timely manner and everything is very last minute with Humboldt Superior Court.
You cannot just let the DA and Sheriff Honsal do all the work. I have been the only media spending hours in court covering these cases and these sexually violent predator hearings.
Stobaugh isn't going to be living next to me or Sheriff Honsal, the DA or the BOS and it is time, the public put some effort towards their own safety and the community instead of expecting others to save them. Judges do not care about Facebook and online comments. Showing up in person with Cooley made a difference. Thanks to Deputy District Attorney Whitney Timm and the DA's office, Judge Cockrum is open to hearing information the DA has requested and could change his decision to release Stobaugh from the State Hospital.
The May 6 Board of Supervisors hearing maybe your only opportunity for public comment. You cannot speak in court at the May 6 hearing. The Board meeting is happening the same day and the agenda item maybe being discussed at the same time as the court hearing.
Whether you can at the May 7 public hearing or is up in the air. Judge Cockrum brought up whether it is statutorily required to allow public to comment at that hearing. Maybe he needs to talk to Retired Judge John Feeney or refresh his memory that public were allowed to speak against the placement of sexually violent predator Joshua Cooley's hearing.
The Stobaugh court hearings should be calendared separately with a special set so they are not in the middle of the cookie cutterjammed Humboldt court calendars. After 11 years, I don't expect efficiency and common sense from Dumboldt Superior Court. Maybe that would make everyone having to deal with the draining daily evil of Dumboldt Superior Court day after day, year after year, less cranky.
At the May 6 meeting for the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, Chair and Second District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell as well as Vice Chair and Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson who constituents will be directly affected by this placement have sponsored the agenda item on Stobaugh.
The staff report and letter of opposition from the Board of Supervisors is online.
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