A Stanislaus County Superior Court judge has scheduled a preliminary hearing for March 16 in the criminal case against former Enochs High School teacher James Hooker. The decision comes after prosecutors reinstated a felony lewd-act charge that had previously been dismissed following the death of the alleged victim, Autumn Rose.
Judge Jeff Mangar set the date during a Tuesday hearing and also scheduled an early case-management hearing for February 23. Hooker, 55, remains free on bond. His attorney, Robert D. Chase, appeared remotely due to a serious leg infection requiring ongoing treatment.
“I have no idea how long it’s going to take to get it under control,” Chase told the court via Zoom. He added that although Hooker wants the case resolved quickly, scheduling the preliminary hearing in March was “the most realistic option.”
Judge Mangar approved setting the evidentiary hearing and left Hooker’s release conditions unchanged.
Deputy District Attorney Harshan Samra stated after the hearing that prosecutors are prepared to move forward with both felony counts after reviewing the case. “At this point, we’re ready to set this case for an evidentiary hearing,” Samra said. “We feel like we have enough to proceed on the charges that were originally charged.”
The prosecution is pursuing two counts: lewd and lascivious acts with a minor and possession of child pornography. The lewd-act charge had been dismissed in July after Rose’s death but was reinstated last month following further review.
Samra acknowledged difficulties in proceeding without testimony from Rose. “Cases that we call victimless prosecutions are really difficult, and this required an extra analysis for us to go ahead and proceed,” he said. “When the victim passed away, things were looking a little bleak with this prosecution. But after reevaluating and further investigation, we believe we have enough to ethically proceed on these charges.”
Addressing concerns from Rose’s family about delays in the case, Samra said: “Justice takes time. We thank the family for their patience. We know during the holidays, things can be especially difficult, and we’re asking for a little patience as we try to do the right thing by justice.”
Chase did not comment further after appearing remotely at the hearing. Hooker declined to answer questions from The Bee as he left court.
Hooker was arrested in September 2024 after being accused by a minor of sharing and possessing explicit images of children. The original complaint alleged he committed lewd acts with Rose when she was between 14 and 15 years old from 2019 through 2021 and possessed images depicting sexual conduct involving a minor.
Authorities ruled Rose’s July 2025 death as health-related. After her passing, prosecutors initially dropped the lewd-act charge due to lack of testimony but later reinstated it upon further review.
The upcoming preliminary hearing will be when prosecutors first present evidence publicly to determine if there is enough basis for trial.
