Cain Velasquez is already serving his jail time period after he was sentenced to five years behind bars following a no-contest plea on quite a few prices, together with tried homicide, however he’s nonetheless coping with the fallout from that calamitous automotive chase in 2022.
The newest courtroom listening to for Velasquez occurred 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 choose in the end issued a continuance to a brand new listening to setting date on June 3, Hessling argued that there’s nonetheless a number of work to be finished earlier than restitution may be decided as a result of requests from the victims.
“The victims on this case are searching for an exorbitant amount of cash,” Hessling stated in courtroom. “Protection place is that [is] unreasonable. So we do intend on litigating this.”
Underneath California regulation, victims in crimes like these are due restitution from the particular person convicted, however it’s nonetheless to be decided how a lot Velasquez will really owe.
The previous UFC heavyweight champion was sentenced to jail after he went on an 11 mile, excessive pace chase pursuing a automotive 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 car however it was Goularte’s stepfather Paul Bender, who ended up being shot however sustaining non-life threatening accidents.
Goularte faces separate prices associated to his case together with his subsequent courtroom 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 info she’s searching for from the victims earlier than making an attempt to return to some form of an settlement on the quantity the retired UFC fighter will owe.
At this stage, Hessling stated there are a number of excellent points that should be handled or probably litigated in courtroom in the course of the precise restitution listening to at a later date.
“There positively is restitution owed by Mr. Velasquez right here,” Hessling stated. “Nonetheless, there are some claims that he owes cash for his or her daycare they usually’re asking for $1 million {dollars} in restitution on that finish.
“That’s actually one thing that we’re litigating however [Deputy District Attorney Aaron French] is right that I believe we will come to some stipulations on a few of these points after which we will slim 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 courtroom date and we will set a listening to following that.”
Choose Elizabeth C. Peterson set a brand new for the subsequent courtroom date on June 3 for the restitution setting, which implies an precise date for that listening to must 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.
