Judge postpones Abbey hearing in Modesto

MODESTO -- A judge on Monday postponed a hearing to reschedule a trial for a former Stanislaus County sheriff's detective accused of four felony charges, including embezzling from the Sheriff's Department and cultivating marijuana.

Defendant Kari Abbey also has been charged with conspiracy to commit unlawful evictions and child endangerment. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges and remains free on bail as she awaits her trial.

The embezzlement charge stems from allegations that Abbey spent half of her time at the Sheriff's Department attending to personal business associated with her family's rental properties. A search last year of property Abbey shared with her father yielded a sophisticated marijuana garden and several weapons.

Also on Monday, Stanislaus County Superior Court Judge Ricardo Córdova postponed a hearing for Abbey's husband, Bennie Taylor, and her father James Abbey. The men are being prosecuted in a separate criminal case, charged with cultivating marijuana and conspiring to forcibly enter homes.

A filed criminal complaint says Taylor and James Abbey unlawfully entered rental homes owned by Kari Abbey or her family. Both men have pleaded not guilty to the charges and remain free on bail. Judge Córdova ordered the three defendants to return to court Jan. for their hearings.