WOODLAND, Calif. — A Yolo County judge Monday continued the preliminary hearing in a refiled murder case over defense objections, granting prosecutors additional time to obtain evidence despite defense claims that the delay compounds years of prejudice and further undermines the accused’s constitutional right to a speedy trial.
The case stems from an Aug. 12, 2023, alleged robbery-homicide in Sacramento. Prosecutors allege that what began as a robbery during a marijuana transaction ended when David Jones was fatally shot in his vehicle. Although the defense disputes the strength of the evidence linking the accused to the homicide, prosecutors have charged both accused with special-circumstance murder, exposing them to life without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
The case was dismissed July 9, 2026, after Judge Catherine Rayhill found a violation of California’s Racial Justice Act, concluding that both Black accused had been subjected to discrimination. According to the Vanguard, prosecutors subsequently refiled the case under a new case number based on the same underlying allegations…