AZ - Trial date set in Salvadoran’s case

Posted: Friday, December 11, 2015 1:06 am
By JIM SECKLER The Daily News

KINGMAN — A trial date was set Wednesday for an undocumented immigrant accused of molesting a young girl in July.

After several settlement conferences by another judge to explain a plea offer and the sentencing ranges of that plea agreement or going to trial, Jose Raul Ramos-Ramirez, 36, was expected to enter into a plea agreement Wednesday. He is charged with one count of child molestation.

After Ramos-Ramirez rejected the plea agreement at the last minute, Superior Court Judge Steve Conn set his trial to begin Feb. 9 with a pre-trial scheduled for Jan. 25. Ramos-Ramirez faces a 10- to 24-year prison sentence if he is convicted of the molestation charge at his trial.

The plea agreement would have stipulated a five- to 10-year prison sentence if Ramos-Ramirez had accepted the plea agreement and pleaded guilty to attempted child molestation. Probation was not part of the plea agreement because the defendant is in the country illegally and because of the seriousness of the crime. Ramos-Ramirez is being held in county jail without bond.

At a previous hearing, Ramos-Ramirez, through an interpreter, told the judge that in another recent Bullhead City case, the defendant received five years for a similar crime. He questioned if it was because he was illegally in the country.

Ramos Ramirez, from El Salvador, was arrested July 4 at Community Park in Bullhead City after an 11-year-old girl told her mother that Ramos-Ramirez molested her, according to Bullhead City police.

Ramos-Ramirez and the girl rode a personal watercraft into the shallow waters of the Colorado River when Ramos-Ramirez got off the watercraft, made inappropriate comments and then allegedly touched her. After returning to her family, the girl told her mother, who called police.

http://www.mohavedailynews.com/news/...46fd91c8e.html

Posted: Wednesday, February 24, 2016 12:30 am
By JIM SECKLER The Daily News

KINGMAN — The trial of an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador accused of molesting a girl in July was postponed until May.

Jose Raul Ramos-Ramirez, 36, is charged with one count of child molestation. He is being held in county jail without bond. Ramos-Ramirez faces from 10 to 24 years in prison if he is convicted.

Ramos-Ramirez’s new attorney, Robin Puchek, asked to postpone the trial after he was recently assigned to the case when the previous defense attorney took a job in La Paz County.

Superior Court Judge Steve Conn postponed the trial date to May 3 with a pre-trial hearing set for April 18.

Ramos-Ramirez has repeatedly turned down a plea agreement that stipulated a prison sentence from five to 10 years if he pleaded guilty to attempted child molestation. The defendant has refused to accept the plea offer, denying he did anything wrong.

Probation would not be part of the plea agreement because Ramos-Ramirez is in the country illegally and because of the seriousness of the crime.

Ramos-Ramirez was arrested July 4, 2015, at Community Park in Bullhead City after an 11-year-old girl told her mother that Ramos-Ramirez molested her, according to Bullhead City police.

Ramos-Ramirez and the girl rode a personal watercraft into shallow water of the Colorado River when he got off the craft, made inappropriate comments and then allegedly touched her.

After returning to her family, the girl told her mother, who called police.

http://www.mohavedailynews.com/news/...8e0177b0e.html

June 14, 2016
By JIM SECKLER
The Daily News

KINGMAN — A Superior Court judge has postponed the trial for a California man charged with molesting a young girl in Bullhead City.

Jose Raul Ramos-Ramirez, 37, is charged with one count of child molestation. He faces up to 24 years in prison if he is tried and convicted of the molestation charge. Ramos-Ramirez, undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, is charged with molesting a 11-year-old girl July 4, 2015 while they rode a jet ski on the Colorado River.

He is being held in custody without bond.

On Monday, Deputy Mohave County Attorney Jacob Cote asked for a two-week delay to the trial because of communication and traveling issues involving the victims, who live in California. Ramos-Ramirez’s attorney, Robin Puchek said that he is ready for trial.

Superior Court Judge Steven Conn set Ramos-Ramirez’s new trial to begin July 12 with another pre-trial hearing now set for June 27. On Thursday, the judge denied allowing the evidence of five prior acts including inappropriate touching made by the defendant toward his former step-daughter about 10 years ago.

Ramos-0Ramirez was arrested July 4, 2015 at Community Park in Bullhead City after the girl told her mother that Ramos-Ramirez allegedly molested her. Ramos-Ramirez and the girl rode a personal watercraft into shallow water of the river when the suspect got off the ski, made inappropriate comments and then allegedly touched her. After returning to her family, the girl told her mother, who called police.

http://www.mohavedailynews.com/news/...08d10aef3.html