LAKEPORT>>> A Clearlake man arrested in October for allegedly setting two fires in Lake County was in custody and appeared in court for a settlement conference.
Defense Counsel, Lorraine Purviance, filed a motion to continue which was granted by the Court.
The jury trial that was set for this month has now been continued to January of 2025.
During an arraignment on an information hearing last month, the defendant, Donald Shawn Anderson, 41, entered a not guilty plea to all counts and denied the special allegations.
The preliminary hearing was heard in October. At that time the People called four witnesses – Joseph Baldwin, Michael Keating, Zachary Hankins and Martin Newman.
The matter was argued and submitted.
It appeared to Judge Andrew S Blum that the felony violations had been committed and that there is sufficient cause to believe that the defendant is guilty thereof. It was ordered that the defendant be held to answer to the charges.
The defendant has been charged with two counts of arson and two counts of arson during a state of emergency.
The charges stem from an incident in September when authorities believe the defendant started a fire off Seigler Canyon Road, which is west of Lower Lake. According to the Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa unit that fire grew to nearly 1 acre.
There was another fire incident in early October that the defendant is also believed to have set. That fire was off New Long Valley Road in Clearlake Oaks that burned just over 400 square feet.
Donald Anderson was arrested by Cal Fire officials on suspicion of multiple counts of felony arson.
The defendant was booked into the Lake County jail, where he remains with no bail set.
Anderson has been convicted of previous arson charges that date back to 2004.
During a hearing earlier this month Judge Markham disclosed that he and Deputy District Attorney Richard Watson are both members of the same Rotary Club.
At that time the matter was confirmed for a preliminary hearing to be heard by Judge Blum.
