Cain Velasquez denied bail a second time in attempted murder case
Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez was denied bail for a second time on Monday by Judge Shelyna Brown and will remain in jail.
Velasquez, along with his attorney Mark Geragos, appeared in court on Monday seeking a release on bail while he awaits trial for attempted murder, premeditated murder charges. In his filing, Velasquez’ legal team included a motion that Velasquez may be suffering from traumatic brain injury and potentially CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) from his years in combat sports. The judge dismissed the motion.
“The court would find there is no medical change or any change in circumstance that changes the risk analysis for this court,” Judge Brown stated.
Velasquez was arrested on Feb. 28 after allegedly ramming a vehicle and firing multiple shots during a 7-mile chase. Velasquez was allegedly pursuing a vehicle carrying Harry Goularte, who has been accused of molesting a ‘close relative’ of Velasquez. During the incident, Paul Bender was struck by a bullet and provided a statement during Monday’s hearing.
“Cain Velasquez has no respect for human life,” Bender said. “He does not care about the rule of law. If given the opportunity, I think he will try to finish what he started.”
Lawyer: Cain Velasquez ‘threw his life away’
Since the incident, Bender hasn’t been able to work. He claimed that his brachial artery was severed and he has lost use of three of his fingers.
“This was such a reckless disregard for human life,” Judge Brown stated. “In this case it is not just Mr. Goularte and his family. It is every single citizen who was in danger of being shot or rammed with the vehicle at the time of this seven mile chase.
“So this court is not thinking of not only of Mr. Goularte and his family but this court is considering every single citizen in Santa Clara county who was in proximity to this alleged incident.”
The next step in Velasquez’ legal battle will be a plea hearing on June 10. If convicted of all the charges that he faces, Velasquez could potentially spend the rest of his life in prison.