Judge warns that attorney could be replaced as Hooker case gets delayed
A Stanislaus County judge warned Wednesday that a defense attorney could be replaced if ongoing health issues continue to delay a preliminary hearing in the case against James Hooker.
Hooker faces felony charges related to an alleged sexual relationship with Autumn Rose, a teenager who later died. Prosecutors say the case centers on that relationship, while the defense has disputed aspects of the allegations. The charges stem from an investigation that began before her death.
During a hearing in Stanislaus County Superior Court, Judge Jeff Mangar kept the preliminary hearing scheduled for 1:30 p.m. May 4 in Department 3, but signaled that could change if defense attorney Robert Chase is unable to proceed.
“This case is getting old,” Mangar said in court, noting the matter has already been continued multiple times.
Chase told the court he has been dealing with ongoing medical issues that have limited his ability to work, including pulmonary complications following pneumonia. He said he underwent medical evaluations on April 22 and April 27, which resulted in multiple specialist referrals, including to a pulmonologist and cardiologist.
“I’ve been day-to-day for the month of April,” Chase said, adding that he could not guarantee he would be ready to proceed next week.
Chase said his condition has impacted his ability to prepare for the case but emphasized he is not intentionally delaying proceedings. “I’m not trying to be dilatory on the case,” he said.
Mangar said both the defense and prosecution have a right to a timely preliminary hearing and expressed concern about the lack of a clear timeline for Chase’s recovery. If Chase is unable to proceed May 4 and cannot provide sufficient documentation regarding his condition, the court may consider removing him from the case and appointing new counsel or allowing Hooker to retain another attorney.
Deputy District Attorney Harshan Samra said after the hearing that the prosecution’s focus remains on moving the case forward.
“My only goal here is to keep this case moving forward,” Samra said.
He added that the defense has not yet provided new information to justify a delay.
“Today, he didn’t provide us anything new or substantial,” Samra said. “Until we have a filing, the court ruled correctly based on the information before it.”
The hearing also touched on an ongoing discovery dispute, with Chase arguing prosecutors have not turned over a statement he said his client made to an investigating officer in July 2025. Samra disagreed with that characterization and said the defense could file a motion if it believes the material should be disclosed. The judge did not rule on the issue.
Outside court, Autumn Rose’s mother, Marina Gonzales, said the repeated delays have taken an emotional toll on her family.
“It’s really frustrating. It’s sad,” Gonzales said. “Everybody opens that wound of missing Autumn.”
Gonzales said she wants the case to move forward. “I’d like it to just be done and over with,” she said. “I want to see him punished. I want to see him put away behind bars.”
She added that she understands the need for effective legal representation. “I understand that he needs counsel that is effective in actually doing their job,” she said. “I just hope Mr. Chase gets it together so we can move forward.”
After the hearing, Chase declined to comment beyond his statements in court.
Hooker did not respond when asked for comment.
