Jurors ask to review defendant Joel Gonzales' testimony before deciding case
Jurors in the trial of a Camarillo man charged with the attempted murder of a child and the assaults of two elderly women have asked for his testimony to be read back to them before they reach a verdict.
Court officials said it's expected to take a day for the hundreds of pages of testimony from defendant Joel Gonzales to be read back to the jury that's been deliberating for a little over two days.
Ventura County Superior Court Judge Ryan Wright, who is overseeing the trial, said in court Tuesday that he is following his policy of requiring all of an individual's testimony to be read so nothing is taken out of context.
At issue in the trial is a chain of events that started Oct. 15, 2020, with the alleged assaults of two women at the Royal Gardens care home. A day later, Gonzales walked into a stranger's home, refused to leave and was arrested for prowling and trespassing. That night, he allegedly went to his relatives' home, where he admits repeatedly trying to kill the 6-year-old staying with his niece for her first sleepover.
Gonzales, who has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, described the attacks and his motivation during two days of testimony in June.
Jurors have also asked for a definition of intent from the court. They were told to use the ordinary meaning and to refer to the jury instructions for the specific intent for various charges, Wright said.
Gonzales' intent is a critical question as jurors consider a verdict for the first phase of the trial, when they are supposed to decide whether he committed the acts intentionally and thus is guilty of the crimes. If the 28-year-old man is acquitted, the case ends. If he's found guilty, the case proceeds to a second phase to determine whether he was insane and should be found not guilty on that basis.
Prosecutor Tom Steele has argued that Gonzales' mental state is only an issue in the first phase of the trial if it kept him from forming the specific intent to commit the crimes. Gonzales' attorney, John Taylor, claims that his client's delusional mental state at the time of the attacks is the core issue even in the first phase.
Gonzales appeared beside Taylor as the judge disclosed the jury's request to review his testimony Tuesday morning in a Ventura courtroom. The jury was not present.
Wright said court policy allows the defendant to be present for the reading of his testimony. But Gonzales decided not to stay after Taylor said he and defense consultants had carefully reviewed the transcript and found it accurate.
Kathleen Wilson covers courts, mental health and local government issues for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at 805-206-8805 or kathleen.wilson@vcstar.com.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Jurors to review Joel Gonzales' testimony about string of violence
