Riddhi Patel, who was arrested and accused of 21 felony counts after she made threatening remarks towards Bakersfield city council members during the Bakersfield City Council meeting last April appeared in court this week for the preliminary hearing.
Several of Patel’s family members and community members attended the hearing.
Tiffany James, representing Project Rebound at Cal State Bakersfield, went to Patel’s hearing to show support. “I believe that because she has a bit of a voice, she’s being treated differently. Because she may speak louder than others, she’s being treated differently. I feel that a lot of the unfairness comes because of who they feel the comments were particularly directed to,” she said.
Alicia Huerta, with the Dolores Huerta Foundation, also went to Patel’s hearing to show support. Huerta said she was at the city council meeting when Patel made the comments. “I think the words that were said we all felt probably should not have been said, but they were said and it was clearly out of emotion,” she said.
Patel, 28, was arrested on April 10 after she told the council members during her public statement “We’ll see you at your house. We’ll murder you.” Patel was arrested after returning to her seat and is out on $500,000 bail.
Deputy Public Defender Jacob Evans and prosecutor Ken Russell presented arguments and went through each count one by one Monday for Judge Brian M. McNamara to rule if a case will proceed.
During the hearing Judge Brian M. McNamara dismissed 5 out of the 21 counts. She now faces 16 counts total, 10 counts of making criminal threats against city officials and 6 counts of making threats against a public official.
Each count one by one:
- Count 1 is threatening a public official and refers to Councilmember Andreae Gonzales. McNamara ruled there is not enough evidence to bind Patel over count 1.
- Count 2 is attempted criminal threats and refers to Councilmember Bruce Freeman. Evan mentions Freeman said in the police report that he does not see Patel as a violent type and said she is “nuts” but he does not take Patel’s comment seriously. McNamara ruled there is enough evidence to bind Patel over count 2.
- Count 3 refers to Bakersfield’s city manager Christian Clegg. McNamara ruled there is enough evidence to bind Patel over count 3.
- Count 4 refers to City Clerk Juile Drimakis. Evans mentions that Patel’s comments were directly to elected officials, not the city clerk. McNamara ruled there is not enough evidence to bind Patel over count 4.
- Count 5 refers to Bakersfield’s Mayor Karen Goh. Evans mentioned in the police’s body-cam footage, Goh is reading off a paper and appears to rehearse her statement. McNamara ruled there is enough evidence to bind Patel over count 5.
- Count 6 refers to Council member Ken Weir. McNamara ruled there is enough evidence to bind Patel over count 6.
- Count 7 refers to Council member Manpreet Kaur. McNamara ruled there is not enough evidence to bind Patel over count 7.
- Count 8 refers to Council member Patty Grey. McNamara ruled there is enough evidence to bind Patel over count 8.
- McNamara ruled there is enough evidence to bind Patel over count 9. Referring to a deputy city clerk.
- Count 10 refers to City Attorney Ginny Gennaro. McNamara ruled there is enough evidence to bind Patel over count 10.
- Count 11 refers to Council member Eric Arias. McNamara ruled there is enough evidence to bind Patel over count 10
- Count 12 refers to Council member Bod Smith. McNamara ruled there is enough evidence to bind Patel over count 8.
- McNamara ruled there is not enough evidence to bind Patel over count 13.
- Count 14 refers to Council member Andreae Gonzales. McNamara ruled there is not enough evidence to bind Patel over count 14.
- Count 15 refers to Council member Freeman. McNamara ruled there is enough evidence to bind Patel over count 15.
- Count 16 refers to Council member Arias. McNamara ruled there is enough evidence to bind Patel over count 16.
- Count 17 refers to Council member Smith. McNamara ruled there is enough evidence to bind Patel over count 17.
- Count 18 refers to Council member Mayor Goh. McNamara ruled there is enough evidence to bind Patel over count 18.
- Count 19 refers to Council member Weir. McNamara ruled there is enough evidence to bind Patel over count 19.
- Count 20 refers to Council member Kaur. McNamara ruled there is enough evidence to bind Patel over count 20.
- Count 21 refers to Council member Gray. McNamara ruled there is enough evidence to bind Patel over count 21.
Patel is scheduled for her arraignment hearing on Nov. 6.
During her public statement at the April 10 city council meeting, Patel questioned the new security measures, which were implemented March 23. And said the increase in metal detectors and police appear to target individuals who seek to hold the council accountable for trying to introduce ceasefire resolutions in Gaza.
“In the last five years, I’ve attended city council meetings, there’s never been metal detectors, there’s never been more cops. The only reason you’re doing it is because people actually don’t care if you guys don’t like them and they’re actually resisting so you want to criminalize them,” Patel said during last April’s council meeting.
