A Columbia woman accused of fatally striking 17-year-old Molly Burgess with her black GMC Yukon on Highway 49 before fleeing the scene in February was issued a trial date on Friday in Tuolumne County Superior Court after a medical review determined she was competent to stand trial.
The court proceedings for Lisa Dianne Hunt, 67, of Columbia, have languished since her preliminary hearing in July, when a judge determined there was enough evidence for her to stand trial with hit-and-run causing death, a felony which carries a maximum sentence of four years in state prison.
Tuolumne County Superior Court Presiding Judge Kevin Seibert, who said at the beginning of the hearing he had not seen the document, reviewed it briefly before revealing she was competent to stand trial.
Very little else was said about the report, which according to court records was prepared by Dr. Luigi Piciucco, a Sacramento-based psychologist.
The document itself was not available in court records Friday.
Tuolumne County Assistant District Attorney Eric Hovatter, who is prosecuting the case, made no comment on the report, while Hunt's attorney, the Modesto-based Robert Anaya, said he was "satisfied" with it.
"Criminal proceedings are reinstated at this point," Seibert said.
The review was ordered on Aug. 16, according to court records, and suspended even the taking of a plea from Hunt.
Anaya requested another postponement before making the plea and setting a trial date, but Seibert insisted the case proceed.
"It has been going on forever," Seibert said. "It's time to move this forward."
Anaya issued a not-guilty plea on behalf of Hunt, who wore a mask and a checkered blouse and did not speak throughout the hearing.
Seibert set a trial date for Jan. 3 and a readiness conference hearing for Dec. 23.
Members of Burgess' family wore tie-dye T-shirts in the courtroom during the hearing in support of her.
Seibert said the scheduled dates would be in the new Tuolumne County Superior Courthouse on Justice Center Drive, which has faced multiple postponements from its original opening date to the public.
Hunt was arrested on March 25.
Her five-hour preliminary hearing revealed additional details about the investigation leading to her arrest, which occurred a little less than a month after the fatal accident on Feb. 28, on Highway 49 north of the ARCO ampm gas station store between Sonora and Columbia when Burgess was killed.
Sonora Police Officer Priscilla Carrasco testified under oath that she spoke to Burgess after she was found injured in a ditch.
“She couldn’t feel her legs and she did not want to die,” Carrasco testified.
Multiple California Highway Patrol officers also spoke on her various injuries, which led to her death at Columbia Airport prior to a medical evacuation flight.
The CHP pulled surveillance footage from nearby businesses to identify the GMC Yukon as the suspect vehicle, noting it had headlights on as it passed north of O’Hara Drive, but only had the driver’s side headlight on and functioning as it passed another business, Creative Sounds.
CHP Officer Eli Dillon staked out the area and pulled over the black GMC Yukon on March 14 and identified Hunt as the driver, who denied she was involved.
