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2008 Winner
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
People of the State of California vs. Richard Joseph Hirschfield
Due to the high volume of inquiries from the news media and the public, the Court has established this Web page, which contains information about case number 04F05045.
Case Information
Case Number: 04F05045
Case Title: People of the State of California vs. Richard Joseph Hirschfield
Original Filing Date: March 6, 2007
The case is assigned to Judge Michael Sweet in Department 20 of the Gordon D. Schaber Sacramento County Courthouse. The jury trial will be conducted on a regular basis from 9:00 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Friday schedules vary.
Trial Progression
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Jury Selection | July 25, 2012 |
| Jury Sworn | September 4, 2012 |
| Opening Statements | September 4, 2012 |
| Testimony | September 4, 2012 |
| Closing Arguments | October 31, 2012 |
| Jury Deliberations | November 2, 2012 |
| Verdicts | November 5, 2012 |
| Penalty Phase-Opening Statements | November 26, 2012 |
| Penalty Phase-Testimony | November 26, 2012 |
| Penalty Phase-Closing Arguments | December 5, 2012 |
| Penalty Phase-Jury Deliberations | December 5, 2012 |
| Penalty Phase-Verdicts | December 6, 2012 |
Tentative Trial Schedule
| Date | Event Type | Description of Events |
|---|---|---|
| September 30, 2011 | Jury Trial-Day 1 | Motions |
| December 2, 2011 | Jury Trial-Day 2 | Ruling on Motions |
| December 5, 2011 | Jury Trial-Day 3 | Ruling on Motions |
| December 6, 2011 | Jury Trial-Day 4 | Ruling on Motions |
| December 9, 2011 | Jury Trial-Day 5 | Evidentiary Hearing on Change of Venue Motion |
| December 13, 2011 | Jury Trial-Day 6 | Further Proceedings (in-camera) |
| December 15, 2011 | Jury Trial-Day 7 | Motion |
| January 9, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 8 | Ruling on Motions |
| January 11, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 9 | Ruling on Motions |
| January 13, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 10 | Ruling on Motions |
| January 19, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 11 | Ruling on Motions |
| January 23, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 12 | Ruling on Motions |
| February 9, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 13 | Ruling on Motions |
| February 16, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 14 | (A.M.) DNA Hearing; (P.M.) Motion to Reconsider Court's ruling as to admissibility of suicide note |
| February 23, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 15 | (A.M.) Argument and ruling on motions; (P.M.) 402 Hearing |
| March 8, 2012 | Scheduled proceeding is vacated and reset to March 22, 2012 | |
| March 13, 2012 | Scheduled proceeding is vacated | |
| March 15, 2012 | Scheduled proceeding is vacated | |
| March 22, 2012 | Scheduled proceeding is vacated and reset to March 28, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. | |
| March 28, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 16 | Argument and ruling on motions related to Third Party Culpability |
| April 9, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 17 | 3rd Party Culpability Hearing (10:00 a.m.) |
| April 10, 2012 | Scheduled proceeding is vacated | |
| April 11, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 18 | 3rd Party Culpability Hearing (10:00 a.m.) |
| April 12, 2012 | Scheduled proceeding is vacated | |
| April 13, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 19 | 3rd Party Culpability Hearing (10:00 a.m.) |
| May 9, 2012 | Scheduled proceeding is vacated and reset to May 23, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. | |
| May 23, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 20 | Ruling on 3rd Party Culpability (9:00 a.m.) |
| June 13, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 21 | Hearing re juror questionnaire; status of due process motions (9:00 a.m.) |
| June 18, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 22 | Hearing re defendant's Motion to Disallow Admission of the Physical Evidence and DNA Testing and Results for Failure to Comply with Chain of Custody Requirements (1:30 p.m.) |
| June 19, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 23 | Continued Hearing from 06-18-12 (9:00 a.m.) |
| July 6, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 24 | Hearing on all remaining outstanding motions (9:00 a.m.) |
| July 18, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 25 | Evidentiary Hearing (10:00 a.m.) |
| July 20, 2012 | Evidentiary Hearing (1:30 p.m.) Vacated | |
| July 25, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 26 | Jury Selection Begins- Jury Panels 1 and 2 report (9:00 a.m.) |
| July 26, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 27 | Jury Selection-Jury Panels 3 and 4 report (9:00 a.m.) |
| July 30, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 28 | Jury Selection (augment panel) 10:00 a.m., Chain of Custody Hearing (1:30 p.m.) |
| August 8, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 29 | Jury Selection-Challenges for cause-first group of prospective jurors (9:00 a.m.) |
| August 9, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 30 | Jury Selection-Challenges for cause-first group of prospective jurors (9:00 a.m.) |
| August 13, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 31 | Jury Selection-Challenges for cause-first group of prospective jurors (9:00 a.m.) |
| August 14, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 32 | Jury Selection-Challenges for cause-first group of prospective jurors (9:00 a.m.) |
| August 15, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 33 | Jury Selection-Challenges for cause-second group of prospective jurors (9:00 a.m.) |
| August 16, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 34 | Jury Selection-Challenges for cause-second group of prospective jurors (9:00 a.m.) |
| August 20, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 35 | Jury Selection-Challenges for cause-second group of prospective jurors (9:00 a.m.) |
| August 21, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 36 | Jury Selection-Challenges for cause-second group of prospective jurors (9:00 a.m.) |
| August 22, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 37 | Jury Selection-Challenges for cause (9:00 a.m.) |
| August 23, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 38 | Jury Selection-Challenges for cause (9:00 a.m.) |
| August 28, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 39 | Jury Selection-Peremptory challenges (9:00 a.m.) |
| August 29, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 40 | Chain of custody hearing/motions (9:00 a.m.) |
| August 30, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 41 | Hearing on outstanding motions (9:00 a.m.) |
| August 31, 2012 | Proceedings vacated | |
| September 4, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 42 | (9:00 a.m.) Jury sworn; Opening Statements; Testimony |
| September 5, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 43 | Testimony (9:00 a.m.) |
| September 6, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 44 | Testimony (9:00 a.m.) |
| September 10, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 45 | Testimony (9:00 a.m.) |
| September 11, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 46 | Testimony (9:00 a.m.) |
| September 12, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 47 | Testimony (9:00 a.m.) |
| September 24, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 48 | Testimony (9:00 a.m.) |
| September 25, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 49 | Testimony (10:00-12:00, 1:30-3:30) |
| September 26, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 50 | Testimony (10:00-12:00, 1:30-3:30) |
| September 27, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 51 | Testimony (10:00-12:00, 1:30-3:30) |
| October 1, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 52 | Testimony (10:00-12:00, 1:30-3:30) |
| October 2, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 53 | Testimony (10:00-12:00, 1:30-3:30) |
| October 3, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 54 | Testimony (10:00-12:00, 1:30-3:30) |
| October 4, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 55 | Testimony (10:00-12:00, 1:30-3:30) |
| October 9, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 56 | Testimony (10:00-12:00, 1:30-3:30) |
| October 10, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 57 | Testimony (10:00-12:00, 1:30-3:30) |
| October 11, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 58 | Testimony (10:00-12:00, 1:30-3:30) |
| October 15, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 59 | Testimony (10:00-12:00, 1:30-3:30) |
| October 16, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 60 | Testimony (10:00-12:00, 1:30-3:30) |
| October 17, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 61 | Testimony (10:00-12:00, 1:30-3:30) |
| October 18, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 62 | Testimony (10:00-12:00, 1:30-3:30) |
| October 22, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 63 | Testimony (10:00-12:00, 1:30-3:30) |
| October 23, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 64 | Testimony (10:00-12:00, 1:30-3:30) |
| October 25, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 65 | Further Proceedings (Jury not present) |
| October 26, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 66 | Further Proceedings (Jury not present) |
| October 31, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 67 | Closing Arguments (10:00 a.m.) |
| November 1, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 68 | Closing Arguments (10:00 a.m.) |
| November 2, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 69 | Closing Arguments (10:00 a.m.), Jury deliberations |
| November 5, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 70 | Jury Deliberations; Verdicts |
| November 13, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 71 | Penalty Phase-motions (10:00-12:00, 1:30-3:30) |
| November 14, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 72 | Penalty Phase-motions (10:00-12:00, 1:30-3:30) |
| November 15, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 73 | Penalty Phase-motions (10:00-12:00, 1:30-3:30) |
| November 20, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 74 | Penalty Phase-motions 10:00 a.m. |
| November 26, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 75 | Penalty Phase-Opening Statements, Testimony (10:00 a.m.) |
| November 28, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 76 | Penalty Phase-Further Proceedings (Jury not present) |
| November 29, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 77 | Penalty Phase-Testimony (10:00 a.m.) |
| December 3, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 78 | Penalty Phase-Testimony (10:00 a.m.) |
| December 5, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 79 | Penalty Phase-Closing Arguments (10:00 a.m.), Jury deliberations |
| December 6, 2012 | Jury Trial-Day 80 | Penalty Phase-Jury Deliberations, Verdicts |
| January 25, 2013 | Judgment and Sentence (9:00 a.m.) | |
| February 22, 2013 | Record Correction (9:00 a.m.) |