SANTA CRUZ — Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Denine Guy appointed a new attorney Wednesday to represent Adrian “A.J.” Gonzalez in his juvenile detention release case, though future trial dates remained unclear.
Gonzalez, who admitted in 2021 that at the age of 15, he had kidnapped, sexually assaulted and killed his 8-year-old neighbor Madyson “Maddy” Middleton, is scheduled for release from a locked juvenile facility by his 25th birthday in October. At the petitioning of the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office, however, Guy found probable cause Aug. 8 that Gonzalez’s treatment to date had not been sufficient to ensure he was not a danger to society if released.
State law allows the now 24-year-old Gonzalez a jury trial to determine if his detention and treatment will be extended an additional two years. In the widely known case, an extensive jury selection process began the week of Aug. 19 before returning juror candidates were excused Aug. 26. Gonzalez’s defense attorney, Athena Reis, declared that she had a conflict of interest and recused herself.
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On Wednesday, private Santa Cruz defense attorney Charlie Stevens accepted an appointment in the case. Stevens, whose website features his experience handling juvenile matters as a specialty, said the Santa Cruz County Counsel’s Office had contacted him for the appointment and that he had not yet received all the relevant case files. He requested a continued trial date-setting hearing for 9 a.m., Sept. 23.