Madrigal Murder Case Plea Delayed

A Napa County judge today granted a delay in the court date for accused murderer Adrian Madrigal to enter a plea.

Napa County Superior Court Judge Francisca Tisher on Tuesday set the new date for 8:30 a.m. Aug. 20 at the request of defense counsel Jess Raphael.

Madrigal, 24, accused of stabbing 62-year-old Don Buffington of Napa to death in his home on June 21, was scheduled to enter a plea today.

Raphael said he needed the extra time to review a newly delivered transcript of a Napa Police interview with Madrigal. Tisher also on Tuesday delivered to Raphael some additional medical records from Madrigal's time at Napa State Hospital.

It was not immediately clear if Madrigal would plead guilty by reason of insanity, not guilty or some other plea.

Prosecutors have added two complaints of special circumstances to the murder charge against Madrigal. That means, if convicted, Madrigal could face the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole at sentencing.

On Tuesday, Deputy District Attorney Fred Guttierez declined all comment on whether Napa County District Attorney Gary Lieberstein would be seeking the death penalty.

Madrigal was present in court Tuesday, as he has been for the prior hearings. He was smiling and appeared rested and relaxed.

There was no word Tuesday on Raphael's efforts to have Madrigal transferred to what Raphael referred to as a "locked ward" at Napa State Hospital instead of his current custody location at Napa Department of Corrections.

In prior comments posted on Napa Valley Patch on the issue, a professional who works at Napa State Hospital said there were no separate locked wards at the facility.

Raphael said earlier that he felt a locked ward at Napa State Hospital would be a safer location than the county jail during the trial.