Former Ultimate Fighting Championship champion
Cain
Velasquez has entered a plea of not guilty for attempted murder
and additional weapons-related charges.
On Friday, Velasquez attended his plea hearing at the Santa Clara
County Hall of Justice in San Jose, Calif., entering his plea of
not guilty on all charges. Judge Jessica Delgado presided over the
hearing, and as a result, his next pre-trial hearing will take
place on Sept. 26. Velasquez has been held without bail, after
being
denied release
multiple times over the last few months. The ex-champ is facing
charges of attempted murder and 10 additional charges related to
firearms and assault with a deadly weapon. If convicted of the
former, he could receive a sentence of 20 years to life, and the
other charges carry additional time depending on their
severities.
On Feb. 28, Velasquez allegedly fired a handgun at a truck that
contained Harry Goularte, Goularte’s stepfather Paul Bender and his
mother Patricia Goularte. Mr. Goularte has been accused of
molesting Velasquez’ son on multiple occasions, and Bender was shot
in the shoulder during the chase and encounter. Goularte was
charged in February with a count of a lewd and lascivious act with
a minor under the age of 14 – a felony – but he was released with
conditions on his bail including staying away from children and
wearing an electronic ankle monitor. When the alleged attack
occurred, Goularte was traveling to the authorities to pick up his
ankle monitor.
During the multiple bail hearings, a slew of letters came in
support of Velasquez, including UFC President Dana White. Despite
this, the judge that denied bail on all three occasions believed
that Velasquez’ release could risk harm to the witnesses and the
public as a whole, given that the alleged shooting took place on a
public street after Goularte’s vehicle was rammed. One time, she
stated that the “reckless disregard for human life” from the
alleged actions from Velasquez endangered nearby citizens, while
the subsequent hearing said that Velasquez needed to remain
incarcerated due to “allegations of extreme recklessness to human
life.”
According to
MMA Junkie on Friday, an additional private hearing will take
place on Aug. 29 to review motions filed by Velasquez’ attorneys.
This hearing will handle documents admitted regarding Goularte’s
own arrest as it pertains to Velasquez’ actions, as well as
interviews with the minor under 14 that Goularte allegedly abused.