OTTAWA — An Ottawa man charged with two counts of rape, a first-degree felony, was denied a new lawyer by Putnam County Common Pleas Court Judge Keith Schierloh at a Thursday afternoon hearing.
Brian Gonzales, 33, who speaks only Spanish, asked Schierloh through Interpreter Suzanne Navarrete if a Spanish-speaking lawyer could be appointed to his case, as he and his attorney, John Hopkins, had struggled to communicate.
Schierloh said there are no available lawyers he knows of in the area who speak Spanish, but Hopkins will see if the state has any Spanish-speaking public defenders who can represent Gonzales.
Hopkins said he understands Gonzales’ request, because when they meet in person with a translator they are able to speak freely, but he cannot call his client or have conversations that aren’t scheduled far in advance like he can with his other clients.
Gonzales is accused of engaging in sexual conduct with a 24-year-old woman who was intoxicated on Aug. 7, 2021. According to the indictment, the woman asked Gonzales to stop, but he continued to “forcibly engage in sexual conduct” with her.
Schierloh said he will meet with the state and defense to schedule extra pre-trials to allow more open communication between Gonzales and Hopkins with a translator present. He said appointing a new lawyer who does not speak Spanish would cause the case to “drag on” even longer.
Gonzales’ next pre-trial is scheduled for Oct. 24 at 10 a.m.
