04:16 PM PDT on Monday, August 2, 2004

By DEBORAH FELDMAN / KING 5 News

KING Leopoldo Bernardez pleaded not guilty.

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.