LAKEPORT ? A Lakeport woman accused of intimidating a witness in an attempted murder case hugged her attorney Monday outside the courtroom and thanked him for getting her out of jail.
Justin Petersen appeared specially for defendant Cheryl Ann Reese and asked for and received a week continuance to enter a plea and for trial setting.
Reese”s co-defendants, Thomas Loyd Dudney and Joseph Henri Deshetres, pleaded not guilty and denied allegations. Deshetres of Santa Rosa, Dudney of Fulton, and Reese are charged with intimidating a witness and participating in a criminal street gang. Special allegations that the crimes were committed for the benefit of a criminal street gang accompany the first charge. The charges with special allegations carry a life sentence.
Dudney, 59, Deshetres, 62, and Reese, 56, allegedly conspired in November to intimidate a witness in the attempted murder case against Dudney.
Dudney and another co-defendant, Joshua Isaac Wandrey, 35, of Rohnert Park are charged with premeditated attempted murder, aggravated mayhem, torture, home invasion robbery in concert with another, first-degree burglary, assault with a firearm, assault with a blunt force object, assault likely to produce great bodily injury, serious battery, simple mayhem and participating in the criminal street gang the Misfits.
Three of the 11 charges carry life sentences. Special allegations that the crimes were committed for the benefit of a criminal street gang, that great bodily injury was inflicted and use of a firearm accompany the charges.
The charges against Deborah Ann James, 47, were dropped March 1 after Judge Arthur Mann found there wasn”t sufficient evidence on charges of premeditated attempted murder, home invasion robbery in concert with another, first-degree burglary and participating in the criminal street gang the Misfits.
Dudney and Wandrey are scheduled to return to court 8:15 a.m. Monday for an omnibus motion hearing, where attorneys are encouraged to file motions before the jury trial starts. The pair will also return to court April 14 for a trial readiness conference, April 30 for a trial call and May 4 for jury trial. Dudney and Wandrey are being held without bail in the attempted murder case.
Defense attorney Ken Roush asked to be relieved as Deshetres”s council and Thomas Quinn took the case.
Deshetres, Dudney and Reese will return to court 8:15 a.m. Monday for setting. Deshetres and Dudney remain in custody at the Lake County Jail with a no-bail hold. Reese made her $250,000 bail March 19 and was released from jail.
Contact Katy Sweeny at kdsweeny@gmail.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
