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Santa Clara County's district attorney says a single judge is putting the South Bay in danger by releasing a murder suspect and certified gang member on his own recognizance while he awaits trial.

Vicente Aguilera is the prime suspect in a 2017 cold case that Sunnyvale police cracked this year. Police believe Aguilera and an accomplice pulled up outside a Sunnyvale nightclub and shot someone to death, all in the name of their gang.

"The prosecutor in the case has described the actions as cruel, callous and viscous," Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety Lt. Devon Klein said.

The case languished until earlier this year when detectives zeroed in on Aguilera, who was serving time in prison for another crime. He was charged in the Sunnyvale slaying after his release.

Santa Clara County Judge Hector Ramon issued an order for Aguilera to be released on supervised OR, meaning released with no bail needed. The move shocked law enforcement.

"I’m outraged," Klein said. "I’m outraged that Judge Ramon would release such a violent offender simply back into our streets."

"Very concerned for the safety of our community, shocked really," Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen added.

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NBC Bay Area formally requested to speak with Ramon via court administration. The court said it had no comment.

Ramon has clashed with law enforcement before. The San Jose police union sent a letter to the district attorney last year, asking him to file what's called a peremptory challenge in hopes of getting Ramon removed from hearing criminal cases.

"Not only are they repeat offenders, but Judge Ramon is a repeat offender," Klein said. "He has a pattern of releasing repeat offenders back into our communities.”

Rosen said if there ever was a poster child for being held without bail, it’s Aguilera.

“This is a case where somebody charged with first-degree murder, with a gun, for the benefit of a criminal street gang, who had strike offenses before this murder and strike offenses after the murder, and was sent to prison on other charges before the murder,” Rosen said. “My concern is for everybody in our community that this individual could hurt.”

Same judge in 2024 news.

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/south-bay/san-jose-police-union-judge-removal/3603674/

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In a rare move, the San Jose police union is pushing to get a judge removed from hearing criminal cases, saying he is releasing suspects who shouldn’t be out on the streets.

Because of bail reform, judges in California have been releasing more and more suspects on their own recognizance before their trial dates, but in a letter to the district attorney, the San Jose Police Officers' Association (SJPOA) said some of the suspects are violent and a danger to the community.

Last month, San Jose police arrested seven people for vandalizing a police car and injuring the officer inside. The officer was there to help a spectator who got hurt during a sideshow near Santana Row.

A judge released all seven suspects from jail until their next court date.

The police union said that same judge, Hector Ramon, also released John Galedrige to an unsecure drug treatment facility days after being arrested for allegedly shooting at a police drone and at officers.

"We try to protect the public from violent repeat offenders," SJPOA president Sgt. Steve Slack said. "A couple recent decisions, these folks were let out pending their court case. I don’t know how that works for the safety of the public."

Slack penned the letter to the district attorney, urging him to file what's called a blanket peremptory challenge against Ramon, basically banning the judge from overseeing arraignments and other criminal cases.