U.S. Magistrate Judge Erica P. Grosjean set the tentative trial date for 11 months from now, on Aug. 10. The attorneys in the case estimated the trial could last a month, including the time it takes to select a jury.<\/p>\n
Corona was being represented by public defender Christina Corcoran on Wednesday, a new attorney who replaced his private counsel in May. Corona has pleaded not guilty<\/a>.<\/p>\n Corcoran and prosecutor Cody Chapple told the judge they had spoken informally about a plea deal. Chapple said his offer was \u201cdead on arrival.\u201d<\/p>\n He told the judge that prosecutors had turned over about 8,600 pages of evidence to Corona\u2019s attorney.<\/p>\n If convicted, Corona could be sentenced to 40 years in prison for sexual assault and 20 years each for the obstruction charges.<\/p>\n Fresno County judge accused of sexual assault of two victims<\/p>\n Court records show the FBI accused Corona of lying to agents and attempting to change documents to supply himself with an alibi after he knew he was under investigation for sexual assault.<\/p>\n Prosecutors say Corona was still a judge on March 14, 2024, when he lured a 32-year-old court staffer into a Fresno County Superior Court hallway with the promise of a gift before sexually assaulting her. He was 64 at the time, and retired from the bench the following month.<\/p>\n Corona told agents the staffer took his phone and put her number into it while they were in the stairwell, which was not true, according to the complaint.<\/p>\n FBI agents then began to investigate a separate incident in which a 41-year-old staffer was found unconscious and alone in Corona\u2019s chambers with her pants undone, according to court records. That incident was from Dec. 5, 2023.<\/p>\n Corona told agents he was picking up a motorcycle from a local dealership, which prosecutors allege was also untrue, and was not in the courthouse when the staffer was alone in his chambers. He attempted to get the shop the next day to provide him with altered documents to back up the story, the complaint alleged.<\/p>\n This story was originally published September 9, 2026 at 4:15 PM.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Fresno Bee<\/p>\n Adolfo Corona, 65, a retired Fresno Superior Court judge, was indicted Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, of sexual assault charges, the Fresno County District Attorney\u2019s Office said. This is an undated file photo. Fresno Bee file <\/p>\n