Cain Velasquez is already serving his jail time period after he was sentenced to 5 years behind bars following a no-contest plea on quite a few costs, together with tried homicide, however he’s nonetheless coping with the fallout from that calamitous automobile chase in 2022.
The newest court docket listening to for Velasquez happened on Wednesday, though he didn’t make an look, as his lawyer Renee Hessling handled a restitution listening to, which determines a monetary penalty paid to the victims within the case.
Whereas the decide in the end issued a continuance to a brand new listening to setting date on June 3, Hessling argued that there’s nonetheless numerous work to be performed earlier than restitution may be decided because of the requests from the victims.
“The victims on this case are searching for an exorbitant sum of money,” Hessling mentioned in court docket. “Protection place is that [is] unreasonable. So we do intend on litigating this.”
Underneath California legislation, victims in crimes like these are due restitution from the individual convicted, nevertheless it’s nonetheless to be decided how a lot Velasquez will truly owe.
The previous UFC heavyweight champion was sentenced to jail after he went on an 11 mile, excessive pace chase pursuing a automobile containing Harry Goularte, a person accused of molesting Velasquez’s younger son at a daycare owned by his mom. Velasquez fired a number of rounds from a handgun on the automobile nevertheless it was Goularte’s stepfather Paul Bender, who ended up being shot however sustaining non-life threatening accidents.
Goularte faces separate costs associated to his case along with his subsequent court docket date anticipated in June. Velasqeuz’s household additionally fired a civil lawsuit towards Goularte and his mom’s daycare in relation to that very same case involving the fighter’s son.
As for what comes subsequent in Velasquez’s restitution listening to, Hessling made it clear that there’s nonetheless data she’s searching for from the victims earlier than making an attempt to come back to some type of an settlement on the quantity the retired UFC fighter will owe.
At this stage, Hessling mentioned there are a number of excellent points that must be handled or doubtlessly litigated in court docket in the course of the precise restitution listening to at a later date.
“There positively is restitution owed by Mr. Velasquez right here,” Hessling mentioned. “Nonetheless, there are some claims that he owes cash for his or her daycare and so they’re asking for $1 million {dollars} in restitution on that finish.
“That’s definitely one thing that we’re litigating however [Deputy District Attorney Aaron French] is appropriate that I feel we are able to come to some stipulations on a few of these points after which we are able to slender down what’s left from there.”
French, who was showing on behalf of the prosecution, acknowledged that the victims within the case retained their very own lawyer to look on the precise restitution listening to, however they’re additionally longing for a swift decision to this case.
“I do know the victims are keen to maneuver previous this chapter of their life,” French acknowledged, “Hopefully the protection may have the paperwork they’re searching for by the subsequent court docket date and we are able to set a listening to following that.”
Choose Elizabeth C. Peterson set a brand new for the subsequent court docket date on June 3 for the restitution setting, which implies an precise date for that listening to ought to be decided at the moment.
Velasquez is at the moment serving his jail sentence at Wasco State Jail in California with the ex-UFC fighter eligible for parole as early as March 2026.
