SNOHOMISH — A jury found Snohomish brewer Frank Sandoval not guilty on two charges of second-degree child molestation and found him guilty of one charge of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.
SNOHOMISH — Opening motions for the trial of local brewer Frank Sandoval began Monday morning after press time in Snohomish County Superior Court Presiding Judge George Appel’s courtroom.
Sandoval is being accused of molesting two females and attempting to molest another while they were under 18.
A jury may decide whether to sentence him with two felony counts of second-degree child molestation and one count of immoral communication with a minor.
Last year, Sandoval pleaded not guilty on one filed charge of second-degree child molestation when the case first came up. Sandoval was initially charged with molesting a pre-teen family friend who did small jobs in the cannery of the brewery.
Additional claims raised last year by women who said Sandoval also molested them years ago as teenagers paused the trial. Prosecutors filed additional charges in October.
One woman alleged Sandoval kissed her multiple times and tried to get her to sit on his lap when she was a teen. A second woman said he
uncomfortably touched her also as a teen.
Sandoval’s attorney has sought to throw these two newer charges out. A jury would interpret a pattern and make a presumptive judgement on that, the attorney wrote, when the ages of the women when they were girls and their circumstances to meeting Sandoval differ.
Last week’s court hearing was a “call for trial” to affirm everyone was ready to begin.
Sandoval wasn’t in the room. Judge Appel was irritated he wasn’t there.
Sandoval’s attorney Laura Shaver said she thought Sandoval was at work.
“I’d assume Child Molestation 3 is more important than a work day,” Appel replied.
Shaver had advised her client that he didn’t have to come to court.
Shaver said appearing on behalf of her clients wasn’t an issue in her previous three trials. “I don’t have an explanation as to why today it was an issue, but it has not been prior to today,” Shaver told the newspaper by email afterwards.
A local court rule says that the physical appearance of the defendant in court is necessary at a call to trial unless there’s mutual agreement to reschedule via a continuance.
Shaver got Sandoval, who joined over Zoom from inside a car parked on the side of a road in Lake Stevens.
