Thomas Testa '77 to Prosecute Cantu Case, John Schick '72 Comments for KOVR
Thomas J. Testa '77, a San Joaquin County district attorney, will prosecute the high-profile murder case of Melissa Huckaby, the Tracy woman accused of killing 8-year-old Sandra Cantu in a crime that has caught the attention of national media. One of the first actions the veteran prosecutor took in the case was to request a pretrial publicity order, or "gag order" at Cantu's preliminary hearing April 14, fearing that heavy media exposure could prompt a change of venue request that would make the trial more costly and logistically difficult to prosecute.
As an expert criminal defense attorney not directly involved in the trial and thus not subject to the gag order, John Schick '72 was interviewed by local CBS affiliate KOVR for perspective on the case.