LAKEPORT — A Lake County judge Tuesday ordered the child sex case against a former sheriff”s deputy to be transferred to the Marin County Superior Court.
Judge David W. Herrick made the order during a hearing Tuesday morning in Lake County Superior Court Department 1 in Lakeport.
The move became necessary after retired Judge Robert L. Crone Jr. granted a defense motion for a change of venue last month.
A trial date for the case against Derik Dion Navarro has not been set.
Navarro, 40, faces 16 felony counts for alleged sexual acts involving a minor, reportedly a female babysitter, more than five years ago. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Navarro worked as a Lake County Sheriff”s Office deputy during the timeframe of the alleged acts. His employment with the department ended in April 2007.
The criminal case met many continuances since originating in April 2007, with the most recent delays happening in the aftermath of a failed plea agreement.
Navarro agreed to plead guilty to one felony count in early December, but Lake County Superior Court Judge Andrew S. Blum denounced the proposed sentence and rejected the deal the following month. Navarro withdrew his guilty plea as a result.
The change-of-venue motion came several months after Blum”s decision.
Marin County was one of four new locations recommended by the state”s Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), Herrick said Tuesday. The other counties were Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano, the judge said.
The Marin court was one of two that reported the ability to take on the case without help with court staffing or an outside judge, according to Herrick. The Marin court indicated it could schedule the trial for this summer, he added.
The California Attorney General”s Office is prosecuting the case.
