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04:16 PM PDT on Monday, August 2, 2004
SEATTLE - Two men accused of molesting elderly women in two different
retirement homes appeared in King County court Monday. The alleged
incidents both happened at care facilities in Shoreline.
Benny Loah stood beside his attorney, with an interpreter on the phone,
ready to translate into Bahau for him.
Loah is accused of taking indecent liberties with a 94-year-old resident
of the Crista Senior Community last week.
On Monday, Loah's attorney attempted to take the unusual step at this
stage of proceedings to enter a guilty plea, but Judge Palmer Robinson
would not accept the plea.
"Before I can accept a plea of guilty there's got to be a call made
because I would have to be able to find that it's a knowing, intelligent
and voluntary waiver of rights," said Robinson.
It was a different set of circumstances for Leopoldo Bernardez, also
accused of taking sexual liberties with elderly woman at the nursing
facility where he worked.
Bernardez pleaded not guilty.
Several dozen members of Seattle's Filipino community sat quietly in the
gallery, lending their support to the 64-year-old defendant.
Based partially on his ties to the community, the judge lowered his bail
by half. Bernardez has until Wednesday to post the $50,000 bail.
Meanwhile, Benny Loah's next court appearance, where it's expected he'll
officially plead guilty, is set for Thursday.
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