WINNEMUCCA - Sixth District Judge Michael Montero ruled at a short hearing Monday that a Winnemucca man accused of groping or fondling two women at Walmart is competent to participate in court proceedings.
Montero said he based his decision on a report prepared by two doctors at Lake's Crossing in Sparks, where Zachary Campbell had been sent for an evaluation. The report indicated that Campbell met the criteria to be able to proceed with adjudication.
Neither Campbell's attorney nor the deputy district attorney had any objections to the report or its findings.
Campbell has two separate cases pending in district court. He is scheduled for an arraignment hearing Monday in district court at 2:15 p.m.
Prosecutors have charged Campbell with sexual assault and open or gross lewdness related to two separate incidents in April of this year and December 2011 in which he allegedly groped or fondled two women at Walmart.
Campbell, 22, was arrested by Winnemucca police on April 16 on suspicion of sexual assault after a woman complained he allegedly accosted her in a sexual manner while she was standing in the aisle at Walmart.
The victim was interviewed by Winnemucca police and was able to provide information about the suspect. Campbell was arrested later that day by police at his place of employment.
A second charge of open or gross lewdness, a gross misdemeanor, was filed against Campbell by the Humboldt County district attorney's office after another woman said that Campbell allegedly touched her buttocks in the store on Dec. 9.
In May, Montero refused to lower Campbell's bail, which was set at $100,000 for the sexual assault charge, or to release him without bail.
Public Defender Matt Stermitz filed the request to lower the bail for his client, but the district attorney's office opposed any reduction in bail, arguing the defendant could flee or re-offend.[[In-content Ad]]
