Prosecution lays out case versus Voynov; details emerge

Per reports from Torrance Superior Court, Kings defenseman Slava Voynov will stand trial on a felony count of corporal injury to a spouse with great bodily injury, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Hector M. Guzman ordered Monday.

Today’s preliminary hearing provided the prosecution its opportunity to present its evidence, which included a detailed description of the alleged altercation between Voynov and his wife, Marta Varlamova, at their Redondo Beach home on October 19. Portions of the account, through testimony offered by Officer Gregory Wiist of the Redondo Beach Police Department, can be found on the Twitter timelines of Orange County Register reporter Rich Hammond and Los Angeles Times reporter Nathan Fenno.

Per Fenno, lead prosecutor Frank Dunnick claimed “there’s evidence to suggest prior domestic violence.”

Though today’s reports appear to be heavy handed, this is a preliminary hearing in which the prosecution was provided the ability to lay out its case, and the details that emerged today were predictably jarring. Today’s court hearing was not a conviction. The purpose of a preliminary hearing is for the court to determine whether there is a reasonable basis to hold the defendant over for trial (there was, according to Judge Guzman), not to determine guilt. It is a determination that the case is not frivolous.

Voynov’s defense, led by attorneys Pamela Mackey and Craig Renetzky, attempted a motion to dismiss the case and another motion to reduce it to a misdemeanor. Both motions were denied by Judge Guzman, who also would not allow a letter written by Varlamova, in which she reportedly referred to the incident as an “accident,” to be used as evidence.

Nothing remarkable or unusual procedurally occurred today, and it is common for the court not to dismiss the case or reduce the charges at a preliminary hearing despite motions from the defense. At the trial, the defense will have an opportunity to present its case, and, ultimately, guilt or innocence will be determined. Voynov and his attorneys have maintained his innocence throughout the process.

Voynov, who has missed 25 games after he was suspended indefinitely by the NHL on the morning of October 20, is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday, December 29. He pled not guilty to the charge on December 1.