The man accused of the mass shooting at two Half Moon Bay mushroom farms last year was in court Friday, still awaiting trial.
The judge agreed to a temporary sealing of the grand jury indictment and to the next court date to decide when the trial will begin.
Chunli Zhao was in the Redwood City courtroom in a jail jumpsuit, listening through an interpreter. He’s been in custody since his arrest in January 2023 after the shooting that killed seven farmworkers and injured another.
Zhao has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.
Both sides agreed to return to court Aug. 12 for a pretrial conference and to set a trial date.
While the judge agreed to seal the grand jury transcript temporarily, there will be a hearing ahead of the August court date to determine whether or not the transcripts should remain sealed.
San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe says the grand jury indictment is an attempt to move the trial forward after more than a year.
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Despite his not-guilty plea, Zhao confessed to the shooting during in a jailhouse interview with NBC Bay Area’s Janelle Wang.
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