A San Joaquin County judge has ruled that the long-delayed trial of alleged Stockton serial killer Wesley Brownlee can now move forward.
On Monday, Judge Xapuri Villapudua denied objections from Brownlee’s defense team, clearing the way for the case to proceed, according to the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office.
Brownlee was charged four years ago with seven murders and one attempted murder that happened in Stockton and Oakland between April 2021 and October 2022.
The case has been repeatedly delayed as Brownlee’s defense attorneys raised questions about his mental competence to stand trial. Brownlee has refused to communicate with his own lawyers, prosecutors, or mental health evaluators assigned to the case.
His lead defense attorney, Alison Nobert, told the court in early March that the lack of communication impairs the representation.
Brownlee’s defense team had also filed a demurrer asking judge Villapudua to dismiss the indictment, citing legal issues. Judge Villapudua rejected those arguments on Monday.
San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas has said his office will seek the death penalty if Brownlee is convicted.
In addition to allowing the trial to move forward, judge Villapudua ordered the unsealing of grand jury transcripts, making key evidence and testimony from the indictment available to the public.
No trial date has been set. The case remains ongoing.