WOODLAND, Calif. (CN) — Prosecutors on the first day of the competency trial for Carlos Dominguez — the former UC Davis student facing murder and attempted murder charges in the stabbing spree that left two people dead and a third badly injured — said Monday they intend to show the jury multiple examples of the accused admitting his guilt.
Deputy District Attorney Frits Van Der Hoek told Yolo County Superior Court Judge Samuel McAdam that he wanted to tell jurors about Dominguez’s June outburst in court. Dominguez during that court hearing told McAdam he wanted to apologize and say he’s guilty.
The prosecutor also said he wants jurors to hear that Dominguez, 21, has said he wants to “move on.”
“This is someone who is wanting not to continue in the process,” he added, arguing Dominguez is currently competent to stand trial.
Van Der Hoek said Dominguez made admissions to Davis police and to someone in jail he believed was an inmate. He told that person about his inability to hide “the murder weapon," Van Der Hoek said.
Deputy Public Defender Dan Hutchinson, who represents Dominguez, disputed the prosecutor’s description of his client’s discussions. Instead, Dominguez gave one-word answers and never said he was guilty.
The attorneys made their arguments to the judge before they interviewed over two dozen people in the jury pool. No evidence was heard on Monday, but jurors were selected and are scheduled to begin hearing evidence Tuesday morning.
Judge McAdam ruled that jurors won’t hear Dominguez’s statement in court about his guilt. However, they will see portions of a police interview in which prosecutors say he did make admissions.
At issue in this trial is not Dominguez’s guilt but instead whether he is currently competent to stand trial. Prosecutors requested the trial after a doctor’s report indicated Dominguez was not competent. Criminal proceedings are put on hold when someone is declared incompetent.
Jurors will decide the issue on a preponderance of the evidence. However, the defense has the burden of proof as Dominguez is presumed to be competent. Criminal proceedings use a different standard — beyond a reasonable doubt, which is a higher burden to overcome.
The trial is expected to last seven days.
The judge also said attorneys could broach the subject of the death penalty during the jury selection process, backing off his initial decision.
“I don’t want this trial to be about the death penalty,” he said.
Both prosecutors and Dominguez’s attorney said it was relevant.
The District Attorney’s Office has made no decision on whether to seek the death penalty. Dominguez’s case could qualify for it because he’s accused in the murder of more than one person.
The issue is moot while Governor Gavin Newsom remains in office. Newsom in 2019 signed an executive order declaring a moratorium on the death penalty in California.
Judge McAdam also decided a handful of other issues Monday. He agreed with Hutchinson that witnesses shouldn’t be in court when not testifying. However, he denied a defense motion asking to restrict media broadcasts of the trial.
“It’s critical to spread sunshine on the court proceeding, especially in a case like this,” Judge McAdam said.
The judge denied a motion from prosecutors who sought to exclude a defense witness who intends to testify that Dominguez suffers from a psychological disorder.
A court-appointed doctor said Dominguez falls on a spectrum that includes schizophrenia while the defense witness is more specific, Hutchinson said.
The judge also said an attorney familiar with competency issues would be allowed to testify.
Dominguez, held without bond, has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder in connection with the deaths of David Henry Breaux, 50, and Karim Abou Najm, 20. Dominguez also faces an attempted murder charge in connection to a woman in her 60s who was stabbed multiple times in a homeless encampment on May 1.
Kimberlee Guillory survived the stabbing and called 911, leading to a manhunt that resulted in Dominguez's arrest on May 3.
The first of the fatal stabbings authorities say is tied to Dominguez was Breaux, whose body was found in late April hunched over a bench in downtown's Central Park. A well-known fixture of the Davis community, Breaux was an author and creator of the city’s “Compassion Bench” in 2013.
Two days later, Najm's body was discovered in Sycamore Park. He was a senior at UC Davis and a Davis High School graduate.
UC Davis officials have said in a statement that Dominguez was a third-year student majoring in biological sciences until April 25 “when he was separated for academic reasons.”
Fifteen people contacted authorities about someone matching Dominguez's description near a downtown park. At the time, Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel called the stabbings the work of a serial killer.
Police say significant and related evidence had been found during the execution of a search warrant.
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