A Eureka man suspected of a recent shooting on West Del Norte Street pleaded not guilty today to attempted murder and a variety of drug and weapons charges.

Deputy Public Defender Casey Russo entered the pleas on behalf of Braylan Jay Lanier, suspected of attempting to kill a 37-year-old man who was shot several times and left lying in the street the night of Jan. 14.

Judge Timothy Canning ordered Lanier, 26, to be held without bail because he was out of jail on supervised release when he allegedly shot the other man. Bail on the attempted murder charge was set at $750,000.

Eureka police officers and Humboldt County Drug Task Force agents arrested Lanier on Jan. 21 after he entered a market on K Street. Police said he was carrying a loaded firearm, along with the drug Fentanyl and 13 grams of heroin packaged for sale.

He is charged with being armed with a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of narcotics for sale, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and violating the terms of Community Supervised Release.

His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 4.

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In other court news, defense attorney Michael Acosta is still hoping for a plea bargain in the case of convicted sex trafficker David Bernard Anderson II, accused of sexually assaulting a Eureka teen.

The 49-year-old Anderson is scheduled for jury trial next month, although he is on a waiting list. Humboldt County is allowed to conduct only one jury trial at a time because of the Covid 19 pandemic, and the trial now underway has been halted because one of the witnesses is ill .

Today Judge Christopher Wilson told Acosta he needed to submit his questions for prospective jurors by the end of the day today. Deputy District Attorney Stacey Eads, the prosecutor, has already turned in her questions.

Acosta said he would, then added “I am also developing a new counter-proposal to present to Ms. Eads.”

For now, Anderson’s jury trial is set to begin Feb. 8. He has already been convicted once of sex-trafficking, and reportedly told his latest alleged victim that “I could make a lot of money off you.”

Anderson has been in Humboldt County Correctional Facility since December 2018. Acosta has already tried and failed to have a judge, rather than a jury, try Anderson. The District Attorney’s Office held out for a jury trial.

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The much-delayed preliminary hearing of murder suspect Daniella Patricia Moore has been postponed again, this time because a doctor appointed to evaluate Moore has not turned in his report.

Moore, 41, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the alleged murder and torture of 19-year-old Eureka resident Hannah Hayhurst. Her body was found July 4, 2019, in a parking lot. Moore was arrested the same day.

Two doctors were appointed to conduct evaluations on Moore, and so far only one has submitted a report.

Judge Kaleb Cockrum set the next court date for Feb. 23, when a new date may be chosen for the preliminary hearing.

Moore is represented by Deputy Public Defender Casey Russo. Deputy District Attorney Stacey Eads is prosecuting the case.

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