Orcutt podcaster ordered to appear for possible questioning in Smart preliminary hearing
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Week five of the Kristin Smart preliminary hearing began with a delay on Monday.
Court opened more than two hours after the scheduled start time while the prosecution and defense shared discovery regarding an undisclosed witness.
San Luis Obispo County Deputy District Attorney Chris Peuvrelle indicated the prosecution plans on ending its questioning of witnesses on Sept. 7 or Sept. 8.
Monday's hearing also included discussion about Chris Lambert's recent objection to being subpoenaed to testify in the preliminary hearing. Judge Craig van Rooyen ordered Lambert, who was in court as a member of the media, to appear for possible questioning on Sept. 7.
In addition to Lambert, another high-profile name was discussed Monday.
Paul Flores' defense attorney Robert Sanger asked the court to extend the on-call status for Scott Peterson to possibly appear as a witness to Sept. 7. Sanger indicated his testimony, if called, would likely come via a Zoom appearance.
Van Rooyen said he will make a ruling later on whether or not to allow Peterson to be called.
For 45 minutes, Gail LaRoque, who is a retired dog handler and trainer, spoke about her certifications, qualifications and expertise on canine human remains detection.
Paul Flores is accused of killing Cal Poly student Kristin Smart, who disappeared 25 years ago after an off campus party. His father, Ruben Flores, is accused of helping his son to conceal her body. Both men have pleaded not guilty.
The preliminary hearing was expected to last three weeks but has gone beyond that initial estimation due to issues with the sharing of evidence and the filing of unexpected motions, including one to disqualify the SLO County DA's office from the case. That motion was dismissed.
At the end of the weeks-long preliminary hearing, the judge will rule if there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial.
Week five of the hearing is expected to include a full slate of witness testimony.
Digital communication is limited during this preliminary hearing. We will continue to bring you updates on air and online throughout the process.
