A number of criminal cases concerning the Santa Clarita Valley have received continuations this week.
The case proceedings have either been delayed or hindered in some way by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in continuations of the proceedings.
The Los Angeles County Superior Court has announced extensions throughout the pandemic for nearly every type of criminal proceeding, with jury trials and criminal trials being relatively no different.
- Christian Ortiz, 24, is accused of the 2017 murder of Brayan Rodriguez. Ortiz, who was dating Rodriguez at the time, is suspected of having strangled his boyfriend and hiding the body in the closet of a Valencia home. Ortiz is set to return to court on Sept. 4 for a pretrial session.
- David Cornish, 28, of Valencia, is accused of multiple counts of sexually abusing a minor. Cornish was a Saugus High School substitute teacher and was believed to have had a relationship with a female student he taught. He is set to return on Sept. 14 for a preliminary hearing setting.
- Nicolas Morales, 46, is charged with 27 counts on suspicion of raping more than a half-dozen women while posing as a rideshare driver. He is set to return on Sept. 28 for a pretrial session.
