On October 22, a preliminary hearing for the highly publicized case of 15-year-old Alison Chao, a missing Chinese American girl, took place at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles. The defendant, Jeffery Chao, did not appear in person but participated via video conference. Ultimately, the judge approved the defense’s request to postpone the pretrial hearing to November 14 to allow the defense more time to prepare.
During the hearing, the defense attorney emphasized the defendant’s military background, arguing that this factor should be taken into account during sentencing. The attorney also pointed out that a recently passed California bill could potentially impact the proceedings, necessitating additional time to examine its specifics. According to the defense, the bill was approved by both the state assembly and senate at the end of September and has received the governor’s signature; however, the effective date of the legislation has yet to be determined.
The defense contended that the complexity of the case and the recent changes in law made the request for a postponement necessary. After hearing the defense’s arguments, the judge deemed the request reasonable, especially considering the new law’s pending effective date, and signed the necessary documents to reschedule the pretrial for November 14.
On the day of the hearing, many local community members attended to observe the proceedings. One elderly woman, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed her support for Jeffery Chao, stating she came specifically to learn more about the case in hopes of ensuring a fair and just trial.
