SANTA CRUZ — After a jury ruled that 25-year-old convicted rapist and murderer Adrian “A.J.” Gonzalez remains a danger to the public, the Santa Cruz County district attorney and supporters of the family of victim Madyson “Maddy” Middleton raised concerns over SB 1391, a state law that provided him with the opportunity to be released from the juvenile justice system.
Maddy’s mother, Laura Jordan, shared hugs with family and friends in the hall of the courthouse but chose not to provide a comment to media members. Santa Cruz County resident Shawna Spaulding, who had followed the trial and attended nearly every hearing alongside a handful of other concerned community members, told the Sentinel Wednesday afternoon why this case was so important to her.
“I think it’s important for victims and families of victims to feel the support of the community and that their loved ones matter,” Spaulding said. “And this state law needs to change. SB 1391 is not just. This is the first hearing of its type because Gonzalez was the first one to turn 25 and age out after it was passed. Maddy’s mom, Laura, has had to deal with this since July and she shouldn’t have to keep doing this for months every two years. There should be some change to the law.”
RELATED: Judge delays release for man convicted in San Jose “thrill kill” case
Spaulding said that she hopes community members reach out to their state representatives to push for a change in the 2018 state law, which bars courts from allowing minors younger than the age of 16 to be tried as adults.
Outside the courtroom, Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell also expressed his frustration with SB 1391.
“I have been (with the DA’s Office) in this county for 30-plus years and Senate Bill 1391 — I have said and I will say again — is the worst piece of legislation that I have ever seen,” said Rosell. “There need to be changes in the law. I think, for the first time, citizens of our community have seen what this (law) means and I think they’re outraged. Changes need to be made.”
Defense attorney Charlie Stevens did not comment on the verdict, which is appealable within 60 days. Prosecuting attorney Tara George, after speaking and laughing with the jurors outside the courtroom, did speak with the press, where she elaborated on her use of the mask metaphor during her closing arguments last week.
“I started the trial in my opening statement with a line about deception and it just continued to ring true with everything we learned throughout the trial,” said George. “Things were evolving and we learned new things about Adrian as he was testifying and as new evidence was discovered, and so it just really felt like the appropriate metaphor.”
Earlier Wednesday, the family of Maddy and concerned community members gasped and cried out in joy as the court clerk read the jury’s decision to keep Gonzalez behind bars.
“This was an incredibly difficult case from 2015 and the impact that it has had on the community, we are still feeling the rippling effects of it almost 10 years later,” said George. “The work and effort that was put in by everyone involved in our community to get us to a position to keep all of us safe was really a tireless effort on behalf of our jurors and so we thank them for their service.”
On July 26, 2015, then-15-year-old Gonzalez, kidnapped, raped and murdered his neighbor, 8-year-old Madyson, at the Tannery Arts Center in Santa Cruz. Gonzalez has remained in the juvenile justice system since his arrest in 2015 and was slated to be released on his 25th birthday in October 2024.
In the months before his scheduled release, the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office petitioned Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Denine Guy, stating if Gonzalez was released, he could be a danger to society. A jury trial to determine whether Gonzalez should be incarcerated for another two years was then launched in November 2024.
After a juror was replaced due to an illness with one of the last remaining alternates Tuesday afternoon, the jury of four women and eight men had to begin their deliberations from scratch. Around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, word spread in the courthouse that the jury had reached a verdict.
In the courtroom, after the verdict was announced, Guy acknowledged and thanked the jurors for their months of civic duty and for enduring the “uncomfortable and different” experience. Guy then officially released the group and called for a short break before announcing the findings and orders for Gonzalez.
As Maddy’s family, community members and the jury stood to leave, Santa Cruz-based artist Greg Paroff shouted, “A.J., please take your own life. Please,” to the shock of others. Outside of the courtroom, he explained to media members that he was a friend of Maddy’s family and his outburst was inspired by Gonzalez’s statement that he coped with suicidal thoughts.
“We have to do this every two years and this is really a sentence against the family,” said Paroff. “I said that also because he had stated that was his original intent. I don’t wish anyone death.”
Back in the courtroom, Guy announced that because the jury found Gonzalez has a mental or physical deficiency, disorder or condition that results in him being a danger to the public, he will return to the juvenile detention facility in Sonoma County, in coordination with Santa Cruz County Probation Department, where he will undergo an updated rehabilitation treatment plan.