The Kristin Smart murder case – People v. Flores – is set to begin pretrial motions in Monterey County on June 6, according to an online court calendar. The trial will now begin July 6, after being pushed back about a month later than anticipated.
Presiding Judge Craig van Rooyen ruled to move forward with charges against Paul and Ruben Flores last September and they have been awaiting trial ever since. Paul Flores is charged with the murder of former Cal Poly student Kristin Smart. Ruben Flores – Paul Flores’ father – is charged with accessory to the murder.
The pretrial motions will continue from June 6 to June 10, but June 6 is the only date scheduled so far, according to an email from court officials to media outlets. The June 6 hearing will begin at 8:30 a.m., before Judge Jennifer O’Keefe in Salinas.
Jury selection will begin on June 20, continuing through July 1. Paul and Ruben Flores will have separate juries. Paul Flores’ jury is slated to be selected from June 20 through June 24 and Ruben Flores’ from June 27 through July 1.
The trial will take place in Salinas rather than San Luis Obispo after San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen decided that the trial would not be fair and impartial in San Luis Obispo County.
Kristin Smart disappeared in 1996 during her freshman year at Cal Poly. She was last seen walking back to the dorms after an off-campus party on May 25, 1996. Her body has never been found.
If Paul is found guilty, he faces a sentence of 25-years-to-life. Ruben faces a maximum sentence of three years.
Trial updates can be found on the Monterey County Superior Court website: https://www.monterey.courts.ca.gov/ecc.
