Sang Ji and Jung Choi, who are accused of murder and conspiracy to commit murder of Yoon Ji, the wife of Sang Ji, returned to San Benito County Superior Court for the third time Jan. 18.
Since his arrest, Ji’s business, Hollister Laundromat, has been closed, and because he stated at a previous hearing that he has no other income, Superior Court Judge Steven Sanders named Hollister lawyer Gregory Michael LaForge as his court-appointed attorney. Choi’s brother in South Korea was unsuccessful at hiring an attorney through the Korean Consulate.
Authorities have not released any information other than a search warrant issued on Dec. 6 after the Ji’s two daughters reported Mrs. Ji was missing on Dec. 2, and they were suspicious that something had happened to her. Ji and Choi were subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
On Dec. 23, the San Benito County Sheriff’s office reported a body recovered close to San Juan-Salinas Grade Road, outside San Juan Bautista, had been identified as the missing woman, and that the daughters had been notified.
On Jan. 18, Jisu Kim, a Korean Interpreter for Choi and Ji, told BenitoLink in the hallway outside the courtroom that she had acted as the interpreter between Choi and San Jose attorney Wesley Schroeder, who was considering representing Choi. The interpreter said that during the conversation between Choi and the lawyer, Choi told him that Ji had already confessed and that he did so because [according to Kim relating what Choi said] investigators had told him ,“…it would go easier on him if he did.”
District Attorney Candice Cooper, however, contradicted what Kim, the interpreter said, telling BenitoLink Ji did not confess to the murder, but he did assist in leading investigators to the body.
Kim also explained that Sang Ji and Jung Choi have known one another for more than 20 years, and that Choi described Ji as her cousin, but it was unclear to Kim if it was more a term of endearment rather than they were actually related by blood. Kim said Choi’s uncle, who owned a fitness center in Seoul, South Korea, introduced Ji to Yoon, and Choi worked for her uncle at the fitness center. Additionally, Kim said Choi revealed she has a daughter in South Korea who is the same age as Ji’s youngest daughter, who is 18.
Additionally, Kim said Schroeder was excited about possibly representing Choi and described the case as something “…right out of an Alfred Hitchcock mystery.” But since he did not contact Kim, she thought he might not to represent Choi after all. Later, inside the courtroom, Schroeder was not present and Judge Sanders appointed Harry Damkar as Choi’s attorney.
Capt. Eric Taylor, of the San Benito County Sheriff’s office, explained to BenitoLink by email that investigators were able to determine that Choi arrived at San Francisco International Airport on Nov. 28, and that Ji picked her up.
“We believe Yoon Ji was killed on Nov 28th,” Capt. Taylor wrote. “She was seen at the gym on the evening of the 28th. That’s the last time she was seen alive.”
Taylor did not say whether Choi was present at the time of the murder or not, but that she was staying at the Ji home on Monte Cristo Court in Hollister. He also confirmed Kim’s statement that Choi has an adult daughter in Seoul, South Korea.
During the court proceedings today, Jan. 18, LaForge told Judge Sanders that he had not received any discovery materials from investigators. He had told BenitoLink by phone on Jan. 5 that neither the DA’s office nor the FBI had forwarded any information on the case to him. He also said the Korean Consulate and Choi’s brother had arranged for Schroeder to make a special appearance, in anticipation of being hired to defend her. He said the two cases are being kept together out of “judicial economy.”
“Instead of separate tracks and separate days, judges always like to keep co-defendants together,” he said. “It would be one preliminary hearing for both of them, which would save money.”
When Judge Sanders asked Choi, through Kim, acting as her interpreter, if she had hired Schroeder, LaForge told the judge that he had talked to Schroeder, who said he would not represent Choi. Sanders then asked Choi if she had been able to put together any assets to pay for an attorney. She told him her brother had attempted to secure a loan, but he had not been successful.
“You have quite a complicated financial situation between you and your brother, making it difficult to assess what, if any, interests you have,” Judge Sanders said. “I would go ahead and appoint the public defender, Mr. Damkar to represent you.”
Damkar told the judge Choi would wave the formal reading and advisement of her rights and she would plead “not guilty.” Sanders told Choi she had the right to a preliminary examination to occur within 10 court days or 60 calendar days. He explained the purpose of a preliminary examination was a hearing in court, which was to determine if there is enough evidence to move forward with a trial if the prosecution can convince the judge that there is reasonable suspicion that she did commit the crime. He asked if she understood what he had said.
Choi asked the judge what he was asking her to do. He said she needed to tell him if she agreed to have the hearing or would she rather give up her right to the hearing in order to allow her attorney more time to prepare her case. There was apparently some difficulty between Choi and Kim in understanding what Judge Sanders was asking of Choi. Sanders suggested she discuss it with her attorney. Damkar advised Choi to wave her right to a hearing in order to give him more time, which Choi agreed to do.
Sanders then scheduled a preliminary hearing setting for Feb. 15. Hooper, who will act as the prosecutor if the case goes to trial, said a preliminary hearing setting is basically a mini-trial to put evidence before the judge, who will then determine if there is sufficient evidence to go to trial or not.
“If there is, they will be bound over and it goes on the calendar for arraignment, for trial setting, and eventually a plea or a trial,” she said.
Ji and Choi remain in custody in the San Benito County Jail, under $2.01 million bail each.
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