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A trial scheduled to begin today for a Vallecito man accused of assault with a deadly weapon against three California Highway Patrol officers in January 2011 has again been postponed. Jon Ryan Young, 32, who also is charged with felony reckless evasion, has pleaded not guilty to all charges stemming from the Jan. 2, 2011, incident, and now faces trial on Aug. 15 in the Calaveras County Superior Court.
Young’s trial has been postponed on numerous occasions, with earlier set dates last year and in January 2012 also pushed back as Young’s attorney, Cyril Ash, of Murphys, has asked for more time to investigate the case. In each case, prosecutors and Superior Court Judge John Martin have agreed to the motions to continue the trial. Ash took over the case in May 2011 from the Calaveras County Public Defender’s Office. A deal calling on Young to plead guilty to a felony reckless evasion charge and enter a no-contest plea to one of three assault counts fell through in August. The defense rejected a preliminary probation report on Young requested before agreeing to the offer. CHP officers shot Young six times after he allegedly attempted to back into them with a U-Haul truck he was driving on Parrotts Ferry Road in Vallecito. The incident followed a pursuit that began in Stockton and continued through Sonora. According to Deputy District Attorney Brad Jones, if found guilty of any of the assault charges, Young would get a strike under California’s “Three Strikes” sentencing law. Jones said Young has no prior “strikes” on his record. The trial has been estimated to last three days. Jail records show Young posted $101,250 bond and was released from custody on Oct. 27. Prior to his release, Young made numerous court appearances wearing jailhouse stripes and using a walker to aid him while recovering from the gunshot wounds.
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