Quick Take
The murder trial of Leif Ames, charged with killing his longtime friend Hubert Cross in 2020, has been postponed again and is now scheduled to begin Dec. 7.
The murder trial for Leif Ames, which was scheduled to start Nov. 2, has been postponed again, with the defense requesting new dates.
Ames’ attorney, Jamyrson Pittori, wasn’t present during a Wednesday morning trial readiness hearing, but attorney Bryan Hackett appeared on her behalf. He said Pittori was on the East Coast due to a family emergency and has surgery scheduled in November, prompting her to request new trial dates.
Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Leila Sayar granted the request and set a status conference for Oct. 29, a trial readiness hearing for Nov. 18 and the start of the jury trial for Dec. 7.
Sayar told Hackett to tell Pittori that she should avoid scheduling anything else that could conflict with those dates. Sayar also emphasized the importance of following through with a trial after years of delays.
“It is one of the oldest cases we have in our county,” she said. “We need to address it. We need to have closure.”
In March 2020, Ames was charged with stabbing and killing his longtime friend Hubert Cross inside of Ames’ home in Live Oak. The first trial was scheduled to begin in March 2022. Since then, the previous judge on the case, recently retired Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Stephen Siegel, granted at least seven continuances. The postponements stemmed from various issues, including scheduling conflicts and Ames changing defense attorneys.
Prosecutors Alex Byers and Kristal Salcido have for years asked the court to ensure that the trial happens in a timely manner, reiterating that request Wednesday morning. Byers added that the victim’s family, who was present in the courtroom, is also frustrated that Ames remains out on bail – something attorneys have described as exceptionally rare for a defendant facing first-degree murder charges.
Ames has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
Sayar said multiple times that she would not grant another postponement and assured the family that the case would proceed.
“That will be the last continuance,” she said. “We will move this case forward.”
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