Kristin Smart murder case: Preliminary hearing for Paul and Ruben Flores pushed back
A 12-day preliminary hearing for two men accused in the 1996 disappearance of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart will be pushed back by at least a week, a judge ruled Wednesday in San Luis Obispo Superior Court.
The two-week hearing for Paul and Ruben Flores was scheduled to begin July 6.
Instead, another pre-preliminary hearing will be held that day, and Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen will hear an update whether the hearing can move forward in July or whether it will need to be pushed back further.
The motion brought by Robert Sanger, Paul Flores’ attorney, was granted by Superior Court Judge Jacquelyn Duffy, who heard the matter while van Rooyen is out of the office.
Sanger said in court via Zoom Wednesday that he made the motion because he had not yet received all relevant evidence in the case from the prosecution.
A new date for a preliminary hearing — where details of the prosecution’s case will be made public for the first time — will be set July 6.
San Pedro resident Paul Flores, 44, is charged with murdering Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart. He appeared in San Luis Obispo Superior Court on Wednesday via Zoom from County Jail.
His father, Ruben Flores, was represented by his attorney and did not appear. The Arroyo Grande resident is charged with being an accessory to the crime.
Ruben Flores, 80, who is accused of helping his son hide Smart’s remains, was released from San Luis Obispo County Jail on April 22, hours after van Rooyen significantly lowered his bail because he is not a flight risk or a risk to public safety.
Ruben Flores remains out of custody and also appeared Monday via Zoom.
Paul Flores faces 25 years to life if convicted of murder
Paul Flores and his father pleaded not guilty at their arraignment April 19, when van Rooyen ordered Paul Flores be held without bail.
Paul and Ruben Flores were arrested April 13 in San Pedro and Arroyo Grande, respectively, and the county District Attorney’s Office announced the criminal charges the following day.
District Attorney Dan Dow said at a news conference that Paul Flores committed the murder during the commission of a rape or attempted rape of Smart.
Paul Flores was the last person seen with the then-19-year-old Smart before her disappearance in 1996. Her body has never been found, although investigators believe it was buried at Ruben Flores’ Arroyo Grande home and “recently” moved, according to court documents.
Paul Flores faces a sentence of 25 years to life if convicted of first-degree murder.
Ruben Flores faces a maximum of three years if convicted of the accessory charge, though it is not clear if that sentence would be served in County Jail or state prison.
Van Rooyen has issued a gag order preventing parties involved — including Dow and San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson — from making any public statements regarding the proceedings outside the courtroom.
This story was originally published June 30, 2021 at 9:39 AM with the headline "Kristin Smart murder case: Preliminary hearing for Paul and Ruben Flores pushed back."
