A now-rare preliminary hearing is scheduled Thursday for David Anderson II, charged with sexually abusing and trafficking a 16-year-old Eureka girl.

All trials and nearly all preliminary hearings have been postponed because of the pandemic-caused courthouse closure. But this morning Judge Kaleb Cockrum set Anderson’s hearing for Thursday at 9:15 in Courtroom 3. The proceeding will be broadcast on YouTube, with Anderson in the courtroom instead of the video room in the correctional facility. He requested a personal court appearance.

Anderson.

Deputy District Attorney Stacey Eads, prosecuting the case, told Cockrum she expects the hearing to last 2 1/2 hours. Anderson is represented by private attorney Michael Acosta, hired by Anderson’s family.

The 48-year-old Anderson was arrested in December 2018 after a Eureka teen reported he raped, sodomized and forcibly orally copulated her, along with forcing or persuading her to engage in a commercial sex act. He has already been convicted once for sex-trafficking and is on parole for that offense.

The preliminary hearing was postponed in February when attorney Acosta was arrested on drug-dealing charges. His case is ongoing. Anderson had the option of replacing Acosta but declined, saying he wants him to continue defending him.

Preliminary hearings are held to determine whether there is enough evidence to take the case to trial.

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